The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) has issued an alert about a certain antibiotic due to its side effects which include paralysis.
The drug, Fluoroquinolone, is usually prescribed to treat pneumonia, typhoid, and Urinary Tract Infections.
The antibiotic which is also available over the counter goes by different brand names; Ciprofloxacin or Cipro, Levoflaxacin, Ceprolen, Cifran, Ciloxan, Neofloxin, Gemifloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Norfloxacin, and Ofloxacin.
“This is because long term use can lead long-lasting, disabling and potentially permanent effects involving tendons, muscle, joints and the nervous system,” Warned PPB Head of Pharmacovigilance Christabel Khaemba.
“Patients will now be advised to discontinue the drug at first sign of serious adverse reaction like muscle weakness or pain, joint pain or swelling, peripheral neuropathy and central nervous system effects and contact their doctor,” added Khaemba.
The drug is potentially harmful to the elderly, patients with renal impairment and those with solid organ transplants.
In December 2018, United States Food and Drug Authority (FDA) issued precaution on all fluoroquinolone antibiotics explaining that they had been found to increase the occurrence of rare but serious events of ruptures of the main artery in the body called aorta.
“They work by killing or stopping the growth of bacteria that can cause illness. Without treatment, some infections can spread and lead to serious health problems,” reads the communication.
The statement continued “These tears, called aortic dissections, or ruptures of an aortic aneurysm can lead to dangerous bleeding or even death.”