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Levaquin Injury Lawyers

Keywords: Levaquin | Tendon | Ruptures | Lawyer | Damage  | Attorney

Levaquin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996.  Levaquin is a member of the fluoroquinolone family of antibiotics and is prescribed to treat bacterial infections of the lungs, urinary tract and skin. Levaquin is available by prescription only and is manufactured by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals.

Levaquin and Tendon Ruptures

Our Levaquin injury lawyers are currently representing people who suffered tendon ruptures following treatment with Levaquin.   In July 2008, the FDA finally directed the makers of Levaquin and other fluoroquinolone antibiotics to add a black box warning to their labels regarding their association with tendon damage. The FDA's move came months after the advocacy group Public Citizen sued the agency in an attempt to force it to improve safety warnings for fluoroquinolones.  At the time, Public Citizen said that the FDA had received more than 300 reports of tendon ruptures linked to these antibiotics. About 61 percent of those reports involved Levaquin.  The Levaquin injury lawyers at our firm believe that had Ortho-McNeil acted earlier to warn of this side effect,  many Levaquin users would have been spared a great deal of suffering.

According to the FDA, pain, swelling, inflammation, and tears of tendons including the Achilles, shoulder, hand, or others can happen in patients taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics, including Levaquin.  The FDA said the chance of experiencing tendon problems is higher in patients who are over 60 years of age, taking  steroids (corticosteroids), or who have undergone a kidney, heart, or lung transplants.

A warning about the increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture in patients taking fluoroquinolones was previously added to the prescribing information for all of these drugs, including Levaquin.  However, the FDA said it decided to add the more serious black box warning after an evaluation of the medical literature and the post-marketing adverse event reports submitted to the Adverse Events Reporting System (AERS) confirmed that serious reports of tendinitis and tendon rupture with antibiotics like Levaquin continue to be reported in similar or increased numbers. 

The FDA said that tendinitis and tendon rupture  associated with Levaquin and similar antibiotics most frequently involves the Achilles tendon, and rupture of the Achilles tendon may require surgical repair.  Tendinitis and tendon rupture in the rotator cuff (the shoulder), the hand, the biceps, and the thumb have also been reported. Tendon rupture can occur during or after completion of a course of Levaquin; although cases occurring up to several months after completion of therapy have been reported.

The FDA has warned patients taking Levaquin to stop taking the drug if they experience any symptoms of tendon rupture including a snap or pop in a tendon area; bruising right after an injury in a tendon area; or the inability to move the affected area or bear weight. Patients taking Levaquin should also discontinue the drug and call their doctor  at the first sign of pain, swelling, or inflammation in a tendon area.   They should also avoid exercise and use of the affected area.

Levaquin and Peripheral Neuropathy

The Levaquin injury lawyers at our firm are also representing people who developed irreversible peripheral neuropathy following treatment with Levaquin.  Peripheral neuropathy describes damage to the peripheral nervous system, the vast communications network that transmits information from the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) to every other part of the body.

People with peripheral neuropathy may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations (paresthesia), sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. In the most extreme cases, breathing may become difficult or organ failure may occur.

Peripheral neuropathy can become irreversible.  For that reason, Levaquin should be discontinued if a patient experiences symptoms of neuropathy including pain, burning, tingling, numbness, and/or weakness or other alterations of sensation including light touch, pain, temperature, position sense, and vibratory sensation.
 

Legal Help for Victims of Levaquin Side Effects

If you or a loved one suffered from a tendon rupture or peripheral neuropathy while taking Levaquin, you have valuable legal rights.  Please fill out our online form or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) to speak with an experienced Levaquin injury lawyer.