FDA: Stronger Warnings for Class of Antibiotics

WebMD News from HealthDay

May 13, 2016 — Stronger warnings about the possible side effects of a powerful class of antibiotics were issued Thursday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The agency said these side effects are concerning enough that doctors should not prescribe these drugs to people with sinusitis, bronchitis or uncomplicated urinary tract infections when they have other treatment options. Cipro is one of the most commonly prescribed medicines in this class of antibiotics, known as fluoroquinolones.

Some of the reported side effects include pain in the tendons, joints or muscles, a “pins-and-needles” sensation, confusion and hallucinations. Anyone who experiences these symptoms while taking these drugs should contact their doctor immediately, the agency advised in a statement on its website.

The FDA had issued two previous warnings about some of the side effects associated with these drugs, in 2008 and 2013, but this is the first time the agency is recommending that doctors not prescribe them for certain patients.

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