Levaquin Lawyer
Motley Rice is reviewing potential cases in which individuals using the antibiotic Levaquin® have experienced a tendon rupture or tear.
Contact a Levaquin Lawyer
If you or a loved one took Levaquin and suffered a tendon rupture or tear, contact attorney and Levaquin litigation Plaintiffs' Steering Committee member and Levaquin lawyer Don Migliori or Levaquin lawyers Fidelma Fitzpatrick or Jon Orent by email or call 1 800.768.4026.
Levaquin Treatment
Levaquin is a fluoroquinolone, a type of antibiotic drug prescribed for the treatment of lung, sinus, skin and urinary tract infections in adults. Fluoroquinolones are popular among doctors because they kill several bacteria and, therefore, have a higher probability of treating the infection. They are also frequently used when an infection is resistant to older antibiotics. Levaquin is manufactured by Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutical and is available in pill, tablet, capsule or injection form.
Serious Warnings about Levaquin and Similar Antibiotics
Although the increased risk of tendon rupture has been noted on fluoroquinolone drug labeling for several years, the FDA has continued to receive reports of tendon disorders and ruptures among patients, and incidents of side effects often go unreported or are misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis.
In July 2008, the FDA announced a mandatory black box warning label for fluoroquinolone drugs, including Levaquin, that highlights and strengthens the warning for increased risk of tendon rupture and other tendon-related problems such as tendonitis.
The risk of developing fluoroquinolone-associated tendon disorders or tendon rupture increases in:
- individuals over the age of 60
- individuals taking corticosteroid drugs
- recipients of kidney, heart and lung transplants
Tendon ruptures and injuries are often debilitating and may affect use of the injured limb. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, inflammation, bruising and tears in tendons such as the Achilles, shoulder, hand or legs.