Unfortunately, fluoroquinolone drugs, including Levaquin, have been associated with serious side effects and problems. Many patients who assumed they were helping their health by taking fluoroquinolone drugs after receiving a prescription from a physician suffered life changing side effects.

While these drugs are often in circulation throughout the public for people who went to their doctor with complaints of infection side effects, the medicines are not without risk.

What Are Fluoroquinolones?

Fluoroquinolone drugs are antibiotics frequently used to treat a broad range of problems. They come under the names Noroxin, Cipro, Avalox, and Levaquin, among others.

Since infections are commonly treated with antibiotics and often given by doctors in places like urgent care, in which the physician doesn’t know the patient’s full medical background, a patient can leave to fill a prescription that becomes life-threatening upon use.

Antibiotics and Aortic Aneurysms

An aortic aneurysm can happen when there’s a bulge in the aortic wall. When a person has an aortic aneurysm, that patient’s chances of an aortic dissection increase. An aortic dissection happens when there is a tear on the inner wall of the aorta.

The aortic walls can then separate, weakening the entire structure. If that condition continues to develop without medical intervention, the aneurysm can burst.

Any patient who has trouble breathing or sudden and intense pain should take it seriously and get medical help right away in case these could be signs of an aneurysm.

Other Side Effects with These Antibiotics

As side effects of fluoroquinolone drugs, dissection and rupture of the aorta are life threatening medical emergencies that require immediate intervention.

If you or someone you know has already taken these drugs and has suffered the consequences in the form of an aortic dissection, you may benefit from consulting an attorney.

While antibiotic aneurysms have been some of the side effects most commonly mentioned in recent news stories, another medical condition users should be aware of is peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy happens when the nerves that transmit information to and from the brain and spinal cord become damaged.

How the person reacts to this condition depends on which nerves have been impacted. This condition is usually characterized by numbness, burning or shooting pain in the legs and arms.

Another side effect associated with fluoroquinolones is tendon rupture. Researchers believe the same mechanism of action that could cause aortic injuries may also cause tendons to weaken and break.

What Does the FDA Say About Fluoroquinolones?

The Food and Drug Administration has already warned that certain antibiotics, also known as fluoroquinolones, could lead to fatal vascular damage. These medications are frequently used to treat urinary tract infections and respiratory infections. For certain patients, the risk profile of side effects might be too high for a physician to safely recommend these drugs.

Examples of individuals in high risk categories include those with a history of aneurysms or blockages of blood vessels or the aorta, some genetic disorders that lead to changes in blood vessels, the elderly and people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

The prescription information given with the drug and the medication’s labels will be updated to reflect the new problems associated with the fluoroquinolone medications.