Zithromax is a blockbuster drug. However, despite the drug’s popularity, several serious health concerns have emerged, including the risk of heart problems and potentially-lethal skin reactions.

Several factors contribute to the drug’s popularity. First, the drug has a chemical structure radically different from penicillin and its relatives. This has two implications. Anyone with an allergy to penicillin will most likely not react to Zithromax. Additionally, any bacteria with a resistance to penicillin won’t have the same immunity to Zithromax. Second, Zithromax is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. This means that it can interfere with a wide variety of bacteria, making it ideal for treating a variety of diseases. However, despite these positives, there are several major health concerns developing.

One of the big concerns with Zithromax is the risk of abnormal heart rhythms. Other antibiotics in the same family were known to have this risk, but it was initially believed that Zithromax escaped this, due to the fact that Zithromax was a purely synthetic macrolide. In the initial trials, it appeared that Zithromax was free of this complication. However, once the drug entered larger-scale use, postmarket surveillance revealed that patients on Zithromax had an increased risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms, including a condition called an elongation of the Q-T interval. This is an abnormal cadence to the heart’s beat can make a person’s heart more likely to fail. Studies found this was most often seen in patients with preexisting heart conditions.

In addition to heart concerns, Zithromax is among the drugs allegedly linked to the autoimmune reaction Stevens-Johnson Syndrome or SJS. In SJS, the body’s immune system goes haywire, and mistakes the patient’s skin for an invading organism like a virus or bacteria. This causes the immune system to attack the skin, triggering a series of potentially life-threatening symptoms, starting with a rash, escalating to blisters, sores, and then ulcers. The damage can spread to the eyes and internal organs, causing blindness and organ damage. This disorder can kill, and even survivors may face disfiguring and disabling complications for the rest of their lives. This includes blindness, impaired organ function, and permanent scarring.

A class action lawsuit investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of legal action against Zithromax drug maker, Pfizer Inc. Similar class action lawsuits and a similar legal procedure called a multidistrict litigation (MDL) has made the accusations that drug manufacturers were aware — or reasonably should have been aware — of the risk of serious complications. Such Zithromax lawsuits typically seek to recoup the cost of medical care and legal fees, as well as compensation for lost income potential.