Levaquin Lawsuits – Victims Of Dangerous Side Effects
Antibiotics have long been accepted as a miracle drug but sometimes – as in the case of a frequently prescribed class known as fluoroquinolones, such as Levaquin – tragic side effects can occur.
Repeated cases of peripheral neuropathy, aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection and other life-threating illnesses have surfaced to the extent that numerous lawsuits have been filed across the country on behalf of these victims.
The national network of lawyers at Injury Help Desk are here to help victims and those who have lost loved ones to these antibiotics, which were so widely prescribed that over 23 million Americans have been treated with them for bacterial infections.
Have you or a loved one suffered any of the following medical complications after being administered Levaquin, Cipro or Avelox?
- Severe chest pain
- Severe upper back pain
- Coughing and trouble talking
- Loss of consciousness
- Irregular pulse in one arm
If so, you may have been in serious peril of devastating health consequences such as permanent and irreversible nerve damage and we urge to contact our specialized national legal team at Injury Help Desk as soon as possible.
We offer free legal consultations to determine what compensation might be sought in Levaquin lawsuits but please contact us immediately as legal time limits may affect your right to collect damages.
In 2018 the Food and Drug Administration became so concerned about the dangerous side effects of fluoroquinolones such as Levaquin that it issued a Drug Safety Alert warning that the medications could increase the risk of ruptures and tears in the aorta. indicating that new information will be added to the prescribing information and patient medication guides provided to users of the drugs.
The warning followed on the heels of medical research studies connecting this class of antibiotics to aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections, numbers of which were reported to the FDA.
The FDA has long been concerned about these antibiotics, having issued a Boxed Warning to fluoroquinolones in July 2008 for the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture.
The agency then added the risk of worsening symptoms for those with myasthenia gravis in 2012 and in 2013, the agency required updates to the labeling to describe the potential for irreversible peripheral neuropathy.
In 2016, the FDA again boosted its warnings about the drugs by detailing a connection between the use of the antibiotics and disabling and potentially permanent side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system.
The common allegations in hundreds of Levaquin lawsuits filed so far are that the drug maker, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, were well aware of these dangerous side effects but failed to properly warn patients.
Janssen has since pulled the drug from the marketplace although the drug is still sold generically under the name levofloxacin. Many of the Levaquin lawsuits have already been settled in confidential agreements agreed to by the company.
Under FDA guidelines fluoroquinolones such as Levaquin should only be administered in the absence of any other treatments for infections and are usually prescribed for severe infections like pneumonia, the plague, and exposure to anthrax.