What Are Fluoroquinolones?
Fluoroquinolones are a type of antibiotic prescribed to millions of Americans each year for numerous illnesses. These drugs are used to treat a wide array of illnesses from respiratory issues to infections.
Serious Side Effects
Numerous medical studies now claim that these drugs, including Cipro, Levaquin, and Avelox are linked to severe side effects that occur years after drug use. Two of these serious side effects include aortic dissection and aortic aneurysms.
Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart (aorta). As the tear extends along the wall of the aorta, blood can flow in between the layers of the blood vessel wall (dissection). This can lead to aortic rupture or decreased blood flow to organs.
An aortic aneurysm occurs when the aorta bulges, balloons or enlarges. This severely weakens that section of the aorta and can cause it to burst, leading to serious internal bleeding. It is estimated that over 15,000 Americans die each year from aortic aneurysms.
Levaquin and Aortic Aneurysms
Those with past and current use of Levaquin was associated with an increased risk of aortic aneurysm in a study published by JAMA Internal Medicine in October 2015.
Researchers analyzed data on 1,477 people who had experienced an aortic aneurysm, out of nearly 150,000 people who took fluoroquinolone antibiotics between January 2000 and December 2011.
Individuals who had ever used fluoroquinolones were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with aortic aneurysm. Those who were currently on fluoroquinolones were 2.4-times more likely to have an aortic aneurysm.