If you have undergone an aortic aneurysm repair, the condition could be linked to a course of the antibiotic Floxin or another fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety warning that fluoroquinolone antibiotics can increase the risk of an aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm.

As a result, a new warning has been added to the prescribing information of antibiotic Floxin and other fluoroquinolones, such as:

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

The aorta is the main artery in the body that carries blood away from the heart to circulate through the rest of the organs.

An aortic dissection is a tear within the inner layer of the aorta that causes blood to seep between the layers of the lining; an aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the aorta. If the aortic aneurysm bursts, the patient may die from hemorrhaging.

Aortic Aneurysm Repair Options

An aortic aneurysm repair is a surgical solution that can be done two different ways. The surgeon might conduct an open repair, which includes a large incision in the abdomen to allow the doctor to place a graft in the bulging part of the aorta. Most of the time, an aortic aneurysm repair is performed this way.

In contrast, an endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is less invasive because a small incision in the groin area allows the doctor to guide a catheter through the artery. A stent and graft used in this aortic aneurysm repair are placed using special medical instruments that move through the catheter and negate the need for a large incision.

EVAR allows for a faster recovery, but is not the right choice for every patient.

After undergoing a procedure for aortic aneurysm repair, normal blood flow should be restored.

According to the FDA, certain patients are at a greater risk of an aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection, including patients diagnosed with:

• Previously diagnosed aortic aneurysm
• Peripheral atherosclerotic vascular diseases
• Hypertension
• Marfan syndrome or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (both are genetic conditions)
• Elderly patients

“Because multiple studies showed higher rates of about twice the risk of aortic aneurysm rupture and dissection in those taking fluoroquinolones, FDA determined the warnings were warranted to alert health care professionals and patients,” says the FDA’s statement.

The antibiotic Floxin and other fluoroquinolones have been the subject of other FDA safety communications in the past. In July 2018, the government agency warned that the antibiotics may significantly decrease blood sugar and cause mental health side effects.

A safety alert in July 2016 alerted patients and the medical community that fluoroquinolones could have disabling side effects of the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and central nervous system.

In July 2008, the FDA noted that patients taking fluoroquinolones could be at risk of tendinitis and tendon ruptures. Both the aortic wall and tendons contain collagen. Researchers theorize Floxin and the other fluoroquinolones break down that collagen, leading to the increased risks of drug-induced aortic aneurysms and tendon tears.