Oral fluoroquinolones are among the most commonly prescribed classes of antibiotics in the United States. U.S. doctors penned an estimated 23 million prescriptions in 2011 alone.

However, new research supports an association between treatment with the oral fluoroquinolones moxifloxacin (Avelox) and ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and the serious eye disease, uveitis.

Uveitis is an eye disease that causes painful inflammation of the eye, particularly the uvea, which is the middle layer of the eye that supplies most of the blood to the retina. Symptoms of uveitis include:

• Blurry vision
• Dark, floating spots in vision
• Eye pain
• Redness of the eye
• Sensitivity to light

Uveitis can cause pigment dispersion, also referred to as transilluminating iris depigmentation. This is a permanent condition in which pigment from the iris (the colored portion of the eye) is dispersed. This pigment dispersion causes sensitivity to light and can cause increased eye pressure, which can lead to glaucoma (optic nerve damage). In some cases, glaucoma can cause blindness.

Study Links Antibiotics to Uveitis

Since 2004, numerous case reports have hinted that recent use of moxifloxacin (Avelox) may lead to uveitis. In the first-known study of its kind, medical researchers, led by Dr. Brennan Eadie from the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia, found an association between the quinolone antibiotics Avelox and Cipro and uveitis.

The study was published in JAMA Ophthalmology. Researchers analyzed health records on nearly 150,000 men between the ages of 40 and 85, including over 13,300 who were diagnosed with uveitis during follow-ups between 2001 and 2011.

Using the LifeLink health claims database, they identified 13,313 men aged 40 to 85 years with uveitis. Compared with nonusers of fluoroquinolones, current first-time users of moxifloxacin had nearly a three-fold higher risk of developing uveitis, the researchers found.

First-time users of ciprofloxacin had about a two-fold increased risk, while first-time users of levofloxacin did not appear to have an increased risk.

“Clinicians should be aware of a possible risk for uveitis with oral moxifloxacin or ciprofloxacin when deciding to prescribe these medications,” the researchers stated.

They note that the mechanism behind fluoroquinolone-induced uveitis is thought to be a direct toxic effect to the iris and ciliary body.

Antibiotic Uveitis Lawsuits

Many quinolone antibiotic users who have been left with serious and permanent vision problems, like uveitis, are considering filing potential lawsuits as a result of the drug makers’ failure to research the side effects of their antibiotics or warn about the risk of these serious eye injuries.