Patients Affected Initiate A Levaquin Lawsuit
Ortho-McNeil, a pharmaceutical division of the chemical and health care giant Johnson & Johnson, is currently being sued by several patients that have taken Levaquin, a levofloxacin antibiotic that is prescribed to kill a wide range of bacterial infections. Victims claim, and studies have shown, that the drug may be responsible for a long list of maladies and painful ailments in current and former users. Some common ailments regularly treated with levofloxacin are:
• Nosocomial Pneumonia (acquired when admitted to a hospital)
• Community-acquired Pneumonia (acquired outside of the hospital)
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Skin infections (including certain bacteria-related rashes)
• Prostate infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Kidney and ureter infections
• Inhaled anthrax
Levaquin is only one brand out of a wide range of available levofloxacin treatments. Other brand names for similar, almost identical drugs include Tavanic, Cipro, Avelox, Floxin, Noroxin, and Maxaquin. Each of these is a specific brand or prescription name for variations on levofloxacin, which is the underlying cause of some very debilitating ailments and maladies. The prescription remedies themselves only differ in their delivery methods. Levofloxacin is the most important ingredient, as it is the chemical that kills bacteria. Different brands exist because they combine that drug with different, proprietary chemicals that deliver the drug in slightly different ways.
But scientists and legal analysts are now issuing warnings against using any of these medications, and the Levaquin dosage specifically. The problem is that many patients are developing a wide range of other health problems as a result of taking the levofloxacin antibiotic. Sometimes these reactions are mild, including flu-like symptoms such as nausea or a fever. However, since these symptoms are so rare, they can be hard to identify as a potential problem. As someone continues to take the medication, they continue to increase the likelihood that they will eventually experience some of the major side effects associated with it.
Many of the more intense adverse reactions are related to tendon and nerve damage, sometimes called peripheral neuropathy, because it concentrates on nerves at the extreme outer edges of the nervous system. Most commonly, however, victims develop tendinitis, and other painful maladies that can require hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and life-long confinement to a wheelchair. Symptoms and indicators of major problems with levofloxacin include, but are not limited to the following:
• Achilles tendon tenderness, pain, or rupture
• Biceps aches
• Burning or painful thumbs
• Sore rotator cuffs (shoulders)
• Abnormal heart rhythms
If you have taken Levaquin, or any other drug mentioned above, and are currently experiencing any of the symptoms or side effects mentioned, seek immediate medical attention. It is possible that failure to diagnose problems now will result in painful, even life-long debilitating problems that will reduce your quality of life. After contacting your health care professional and getting an exam, contact a lawyer immediately. Several lawsuits are currently pending, and you may be legally entitled to monetary recompense.
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