People who use antibiotics in the quinolone class may be twice as likely to develop peripheral neuropathy, a severe and sometimes permanent type of nerve damage. Permanent nerve damage, also know as peripheral neuropathy, is a severe side effect of antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone class, which includes Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin, Avelox, and more. Drugs in this class are prescribed to millions of people every year for common health problems like urinary tract infections and pneumonia.

This is not the first time quinolone antibiotics have been linked to permanent nerve damage, as all drugs in this class have carried warnings about the risk since 2004. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) strengthened quinolone antibiotic safety warnings to emphasize that peripheral neuropathy symptoms can appear within just a few days of use, but they may be permanent.

What Are Quinolone Antibiotics?

Quinolone antibiotics are a class of antibacterial drugs containing fluoride as a central component of their chemical structure. They are the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics, and in 2011 alone, over 23 million Americans were prescribed a quinolone in with 70 percent specifically receiving a prescription for Ciprofloxacin. These drugs are commonly used to treat infections of the skin, sinuses, respiratory tract, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal system.

Popular quinolone antibiotics include:

• Cipro (ciprofloxacin)
• Levaquin (levofloxacin)
• Avelox (moxifloxacin)
• Noroxin (norfloxacin)
• Floxin (ofloxacin)
• Factive (gemifloxacin)

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Permanent nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) is a serious side effect of quinolone antibiotics that can cause chronic nerve pain, organ damage, sensory problems, muscle weakness, and permanent disability.

Antibiotic nerve damage risk information consumers should be aware of include:

• Symptoms usually occur rapidly. According to a study published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy in 2001, 33 percent of people developed symptoms within 24 hours, 58 percent developed symptoms within 3 days, and 84 percent developed symptoms within one week.
• Nerve damage from antibiotics is often permanent and long-lasting. Over 70 percent of people have symptoms that persist for at least three months, and nearly 60 percent still have symptoms after one year.
• Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, touch sensitivity, and problems feeling temperature and/or texture.

FDA Warnings for Antibiotics and Peripheral Neuropathy

The first cases of antibiotic-induced nerve damage were identified in the 1980s. However, this risk information was not included on the label for most fluoroquinolone antibiotics until 2004, when the FDA issued its first warning.

In August 2013, the FDA issued another Safety Communication following several reports of disabling nerve damage in patients fluoroquinolone antibiotics. The new warnings emphasized the rapid onset and permanent risk of these quinolone side effects. According to the FDA:

“In some patients the symptoms had been ongoing for more than a year despite discontinuation of the fluoroquinolone. Several patients were continued on the fluoroquinolone drug despite the occurrence of neuropathic symptoms.”

Because of the painful and often permanent side effects of using quinolone antibiotics, many consumers have filed quinolone peripheral neuropathy lawsuits against antibiotic drug manufacturers.