Fluoroquinolone medications such as Avelox have been linked in recent studies to serious side effects such as aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections.

What is Avelox?

Avelox (generic name moxifloxacin) is an antibiotic medication used to treat bacterial infections. Avelox is one of a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. Fluoroquinolones work to treat infections by inhibiting the replication of bacterial DNA.

Avelox is manufactured by Merck & CO., and was added to the market in 1999 after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Although Avelox was approved before the turn of the century, recent studies have uncovered a link between Avelox and some severe or even life-threatening side effects.

The side effects of Avelox include abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), which is condition that occurs when the aorta—the body’s main blood vessel—becomes enlarged. Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a life-threatening condition.

A November 2015 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that fluoroquinolone drugs like Avelox may affect the aorta, causing it to enlarge. The study covered 1,477 case patients and compared them to a control group of 147,700. The 1,477 case patients had been hospitalized for one of the two major alleged side effects of Avelox, aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection.

According to the study’s findings, current fluoroquinolone use increased a patient’s risk of aortic aneurysm by over double the risk associated with control patients. Case patients who had used fluoroquinolone in the past had a 50 percent increased risk of aortic aneurysm.

“Use of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection,” wrote the authors of the JAMA study. “While these were rare events, physicians should be aware of this possible drug safety risk associated with fluoroquinolone therapy.”

What is an Aortic Aneurysm?

Essentially, an aortic aneurysm is the enlarging of the aorta’s walls. While aortic aneurysms are not always life-threatening, extreme bulging of the aorta walls can cause the major blood vessel to burst, which will lead the patient to bleed to death.

There are two kinds of aortic aneurysms. The first is Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm, or TAA. TAA occurs in the section of the aorta that runs through a person’s chest. The other is Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), which occurs in the section of the aorta located in the abdomen.

TAA Symptoms

• Pain in the jaw, neck, upper back, or chest
• Coughing, hoarseness, or difficulty breathing

AAA Symptoms

• Pulsating enlargement or tender mass felt by doctor
• Pain in the back, abdomen or groin (not relieved by changing position or pain meds)

Avelox has also been linked with an increased risk of aortic dissection, which is tearing in the aorta.

If you notice symptoms of aortic aneurysm or dissection, you should seek medical attention for this potentially life-threatening condition. Treatment may involve surgery to repair sections of the aorta.

Despite the fact that these risks associated with Avelox are significant and even life-threatening, the drug’s labels do not include a warning.

Fluoroquinolone drugs are prescribed to millions of patients every year for bacterial infections.

If you or someone you know has been prescribed Avelox or a similar fluoroquinolone medication, and were later diagnosed with either an aortic dissection or aortic aneurysm, you may be able to file an Avelox lawsuit.