If you have taken Levaquin and suffered a drug induced aortic aneurysm, the antibiotic could be to blame, according to recently published research.

Levaquin belongs to a class of drugs known as fluoroquinolones, antibiotics that have gained popularity with the influx of bacteria that has become resistant to old standbys such as a Z-pack, tetracycline, and others. Patients receive Levaquin to treat pneumonia, ear infections, meningitis and sinus infection.

Unfortunately, patients who have taken Levaquin could experience an increased risk of a drug induced aortic aneurysm.

Fluoroquinolones were introduced in the 1980s as an effective way to combat both gram-positive and gram-negative strains of bacteria. While effective, many of the drugs in the class have been removed from the market due to the risks of serious side effects.

Cause of Drug Induced Aortic Aneurysm

The aorta is the body’s largest artery. When the wall of the aorta bulges, the artery becomes weak in that part of the wall. Once it is stretched and weakened by the bulge, the aortic wall is susceptible to bursting open. A patient has only a 50 percent chance of surviving a drug induced aortic aneurysm.

Physicians are particularly concerned about this side effect because a patient rarely exhibits any symptoms until the aortic wall gives way. Difficulty breathing, chest pain, back pain and possible loss of consciousness are common signs that an aneurysm has burst.

A drug induced aortic aneurysm following Levaquin use could be related to the same action Levaquin has on tendons. Back in 2008, the FDA required drug manufacturers to include a black box warning regarding fluoroquinolone medications and the increased risk of tendon ruptures and tears, specifically in the Achilles tendon, rotator cuff, hand, bicep, and thumb.

Both the aortic wall and tendons contain collagen. Researchers believe Levaquin and other drugs in the class break down the body’s collagen, leading to the increased risks of drug induced aortic aneurysm and tendon tears.

Two medical journals published studies in 2015 explored the possible link.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study that indicated patients who took fluoroquinolones had a two-fold increased risk of an aneurysm within 60 days of taking the antibiotics. Researchers said, “clinicians should continue to be vigilant for the appearance of an aortic aneurysm and dissection in high-risk patients treated with fluoroquinolones.”

The term aortic dissection refers to a tear within an inner layer of the aorta, which results in blood seeping between the layers of the lining and separating those layers.

A study from BMJ indicated a nearly three-fold increased risk of drug induced aortic aneurysm in patients on Levaquin or another fluoroquinolone. Researchers concluded that patients on fluoroquinolones had a 66 percent increased risk of experiencing an aortic dissection or an aneurysm within 60 days of the course of treatment, compared with a group of patients who took amoxicillin instead.

If you have experienced a drug induced aortic aneurysm after taking Levaquin or another fluoroquinolone, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.