Even a drug as widely prescribed as Cipro comes with a risk of side effects. Some side effects of Cipro may only be minor nuisances, but others can be quite severe and may even threaten the patient’s life.

Cipro is in a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. These are the most widely used type of antibiotics in the U.S., with over 26 million prescriptions written every year.

Cipro itself is the most popular of this widely-used group of drugs. It can be used for many different kinds of bacterial infections like respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Side Effects of Cipro

These popular drugs have unfortunately been associated with some serious side effects. Patients have reported headaches, rashes, seizures, and stomach problems in conjunction with some of these medications.

Studies have suggested the side effects of Cipro and other fluoroquinolones could include more problematic conditions like tendon ruptures and a type of nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy.

A few recent studies suggest that fluoroquinolones like Cipro may also have a connection to some extremely dangerous injuries of the aorta, the blood vessel that carries blood from the cardiovascular system out to the rest of the body.

One study published by JAMA Internal Medicine in November 2015 found that side effects of Cipro and other fluoroquinolones could include an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection.

Researchers analyzed information from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to find any patterns in the use of fluoroquinolones and subsequent aortic injuries.

The researchers found that adults who had recently taken Cipro or other fluoroquinolones were roughly twice as likely to be hospitalized an aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection. Patients who had used fluoroquinolones less recently, from two months to one year prior to hospitalization, faced a smaller increase in risk.

Aortic Aneurysm and Aortic Dissection

These injuries of the aorta are extremely dangerous. An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta. The wall becomes weaker at the bulge and is more likely to rupture, causing pain and internal bleeding.

Aneurysms may not present with any symptoms until they finally burst. If that happens, patients on average have about a 50-50 chance of surviving.

Even if the aneurysm doesn’t burst, it can allow a large blood clot to form inside it due to the slow flow of blood. That blood clot can break loose and travel elsewhere in the bloodstream, potentially blocking blood flow.

In an aortic dissection, a tear inside the vessel wall allows blood to force its way between the inner lining of the aorta and the middle layer of tissue, pulling them apart.

When this happens, patients report experiencing sudden and severe pain, like a sensation of something tearing or ripping.

The separation can advance down the length of the aorta. If it reaches a point where another blood vessel branches off from the aorta, it can restrict blood flow into that vessel.

Both these conditions can be immediately fatal. Patients who survive either of these conditions will be at an increased risk for suffering them again later.

Patients who have suffered severe side effects of Cipro such as aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection may be able to file a lawsuit against the drug manufacturer.