FDA Issues Warning Linking Zithromax to Fatal Heart Effects

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a warning in early March about the antibiotics Zithromax and Zmax (generic: azithromycin) because azithromycin has been found to increase the risk for cardiac death, especially for patients who are already at risk for heart problems.

Those who are at greater risk for Zithromax heart problems include patients with low levels of potassium or magnesium in their blood as well as those who have a slower than normal heart rate and those who take certain medications to treat their heart rhythm problems. 

Patients who have been diagnosed with heart problems involving the heart’s electrical system, such as QT interval prolongation or torsades de pointes, should be especially wary of taking these popular azithromycin- based antibiotics. 

“Health care professionals should consider the risk of fatal heart rhythms with azithromycin when considering treatment options for patients who are already at risk of cardiovascular events,” the FDA states. 

Zithromax drug maker Pfizer has since updated its packaging to include the warning. 

The warning came after a series of studies showing an increased risk of heart side effects after taking Zithromax.

One study released in May 2012 found that the risk of having a heart attack in patients taking the popular antibiotic increased 2.5 times over those who took another antibiotic or who took no antibiotic at all. 

The study was conducted at Vanderbilt University and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It showed a 250 percent higher chance of dying from a cardiovascular even within the first five days of taking Zithromax compared with those who took amoxicillin. 

Even though the number of deaths was very low, they found 47 more deaths per million among the group who were taking Zithromax. If the patient already had heart problems, the risk for cardiovascular death increased to 245 additional deaths per million.

Another study done in Denmark released earlier this year found a similar increased risk for those taking penicillin as well, which has led some researchers to believe that maybe the risk has more to do with the bacterial infection that the patients are being treated for — not the drugs themselves, per se. But that conflicts with the Vanderbilt study that showed that those taking amoxicillin did not have an increase in heart side effects.

Arrhythmias are heart diseases where there is an abnormal heart beat. The heart can either beat too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or irregularly. Arrhythmias can result in a stroke or heart failure. 

Zithromax and other versions of azithromycin such as Z-Pak and Zmax are prescribed to treat bacterial sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, chest infections, urinary tract infections and other common infections. It is a very popular antibiotic due to the fact that patients only have to take the drug for 5 days as opposed 10 to 15 days for traditional antibiotics such as amoxicillin.

If you or someone you know has suffered a heart attack due to an irregular heart rhythm after taking Zithromax, legal options are available to you. Learn more and get a free legal consultation regarding a claim’s eligibility at the Zithromax Z-Pak Azithromycin Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. Experienced legal professionals have access to medical experts to assess whether or not this antibiotic played a role in your irregular heart rhythm or other serious side effect, so act now.