Concern is growing over side effects caused by a popular class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. The best known fluoroquinolones are Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). In 2010, Levaquin was the best-selling antibiotic in the United States. But by last year it was also the subject of more than 2,000 lawsuits from patients who
Concern is growing over side effects caused by a popular class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. The best known fluoroquinolones are Cipro (ciprofloxacin), Levaquin (levofloxacin) and Avelox (moxifloxacin). In 2010, Levaquin was the best-selling antibiotic in the United States. But by last year it was also the subject of more than 2,000 lawsuits from patients who had suffered severe reactions after taking it. A big part of the problem is that fluoroquinolones are often inappropriately prescribed. Instead of being reserved for use against serious, perhaps life-threatening bacterial infections like hospital-acquired pneumonia, these antibiotics are frequently prescribed for sinusitis, bronchitis, earaches and other ailments that may resolve on their own or can be treated with less potent drugs or nondrug remedies — or are caused by viruses, which are not susceptible to antibiotics. In addition to causing all kinds of reactions and side effects, the rising use of these potent fluoroquinolones has been blamed for increases in two very serious, hard-to-treat infections: antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (known as MRSA) and severe diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile.
The New York Times, 9/11/2012
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