Research has shown that Levaquin side effects may include an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection.

Levaquin is one of  type of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat bacterial infections, especially respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. Other uses for fluoroquinolones include the treatment of bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, typhoid fever, pelvic inflammatory disease, and more.

FDA-approved fluoroquinolones include Levaquin, Avelox, Cipro, Factive, Noroxin, and Floxin.

The use of Levaquin and other fluoroquinolones has been linked to disorders which affect collagen, one of the body’s primary connective tissue proteins. A defect in collagen can lead to the degradation of collagen-based structures in the body such as tendons and blood vessels.

A nested, case-control analysis of data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) has shown that use of fluoroquinolones, including Levaquin, may increase the risk of aortic aneurysm or dissection. The analysis was published in JAMA Internal Medicine and included data from 1 million individuals observed between January 2000 and December 2011.

The analysis found that patients who had recently taken a fluoroquinolone had almost twice as high of a risk for aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection which required hospitalization. Use of these antibiotics for two months to a year prior to hospitalization also appeared to be associated with severe aortic events, although the risk was lower than the risk within 60 days of exposure.

“Use of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection. While these were rare events, physicians should be aware of this possible drug safety risk associated with fluoroquinolone therapy,” the researchers concluded.

Although this analysis gives credence to the link between aortic events, Levaquin side effects, and other fluoroquinolones, the researchers state that more clinical studies should be done to verify this trend and establish causation.

The aorta serves as the body’s main artery that carries blood out of the heart. An aortic aneurysm is a bulging or enlargement of the aorta. This weakens the aortic wall and can lead to an aortic dissection. Aortic dissection is a potentially life-threatening tear in the inner layer of the aorta.

When the inner layer of the aorta tears, it allows blood to enter the aortic wall and separate the inner and middle layers of the aorta. This can cause weakness in the outside aortic wall which may result in a rupture or leak, which are often fatal. An aortic dissection can also restrict blood flow to the body’s major organs, possibly resulting in heart attack, stroke, paralysis, and renal failure.

Severe aortic events have become more common over the last several decades, with an estimated 15,000 Americans dying each year from aortic aneurysm alone. Drug manufacturers have been named in lawsuits accusing them of not disclosing dangerous Levaquin side effects to consumers and medical professionals.

If you or a loved one experienced an aortic aneurysm or dissection as Levaquin side effects, you may qualify for a legal claim. A Levaquin side effects lawsuit could help recover damages for medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering, wrongful death, and more.