Doctors Didn’t Know This Common Antibiotic Was Deadly
Photo Illustration by Sarah Rogers/The Daily Beast
Levaquin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the U.S. It’s also overprescribed and can cause serious side effects—even death.
Six plaintiffs filed an $800 million lawsuit (PDF) against former Federal Drug Administration chief Margaret Hamburg and health giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing them of hiding the dangers of the antibiotic Levaquin to increase profits.
There are many unconvincing claims in the lawsuit, but that the lethal effects of the drug were not adequately communicated to physicians is not one of them.
“The pain is almost unbearable in both legs and left shoulder,” a user named Diane wrote on Consumer Affairs in October. “I am now walking with a cane.” Ruptured tendons, which Diane was diagnosed with, are a rare but serious side effect of Levaquin, as are a host of other physical and mental issues.