Medicines regulator warns of severe side effects of two antibiotics
Medication could affect muscles, joints, tendons as well as nervous system
SA's medicines regulator has warned patients of disabling and potentially permanent side effects associated with quinolone and fluroquinolone antibiotics, and urged people taking these medicines to consult their doctors on whether to continue using them. Quinolone and fluroquinolones are broad-spectrum antibiotics that are widely used in SA, particularly in the private sector. They are frequently prescribed for respiratory and urinary tract infections, as well as more severe conditions. New safety information indicated a small percentage of patients could experience severe side effects lasting months or years after they stopped taking the drugs, said the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra). The side effects include problems with muscles, joints, tendons and the nervous system. As a result, the use of these antibiotics has been changed, it said. Quinolone and flouroquinolone antibiotics registered in SA include nalidixic acid, pipemidic acid, ciprofloxacin, of...
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