Treating Common Illnesses with Milder Antibiotics May Reduce Zithromax Complications

However, the JAMA researchers noted that only about 10 percent of sore throats are caused by GAS, but doctors prescribed antibiotics to 60 percent of sore throat patients. And even though penicillin is considered the best antibiotic to prescribe for sore throats, Zithromax has become the antibiotic of choice and penicillin prescriptions have decreased since 1998.

Researchers reported at the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America conference that Zithromax is now prescribed to 15 percent of sore throat patients, even though only 10 percent of patients actually require it. And what researchers have found is that the GAS bacteria are resistant to newer antibiotics like Zithromax, but not to penicillin. 

There was another study presented at the Infectious Diseases conference that looked at antibiotic prescriptions for bronchitis, which can often be the result of viral infections, for which antibiotics are not effective. The researchers said that 75 percent of bronchitis patients are prescribed antibiotics when they are most likely not necessary.

When antibiotics like Zithromax (azithromycin) are unnecessarily prescribed, it puts patients at risk for suffering dangerous adverse reactions. Zithromax has been linked to two dangerous side effects: greater heart attack risk and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. 

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) released a warning in early March about Zithromax and Zmax because they have been found to increase the risk for a potentially fatal irregular heart rhythm, especially for patients who already have 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. 

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is painful skin reaction that usually starts out with flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat and headache. The skin rash may initially start out as hives, but blisters will begin to develop on the skin and mucous membranes, especially the mouth, nose and eyes. It usually culminates in the shedding of the skin — which means that the top layer of the skin has died. Eating, sleeping, urinating and even breathing can all become difficult. If blisters develop on the eye, it can cause blindness.

SJS is fatal in about 5 percent of patients who contract it. Lesions can develop on internal organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or liver, causing inflammation on those organs. It can also cause sepsis, a condition in which the bacteria from the infection enter the bloodstream. SJS can take months to recover from and can leave lasting damage.

If you or someone you know has developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome after taking Zithromax, Zmax or Z-Pak, 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 who can assess whether or not this antibiotic played a role in the severe skin reaction or other serious side effect, so act now.