The FDA warns that fluoroquinolones can damage the heart

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that some antibiotics can cause serious heart damage.

The FOOD and Drug Administration said last week that certain antibiotics can cause pain in the body's main arteries, sometimes causing fatal injuries. For example, fluoroquinolones may increase the risk of aortic dissection, and patients who are already at risk should be cautious about taking these antibiotics.

"Fluoroquinolones can increase the occurrence of rare and severe ruptures or tears in the body's main arteries," the FDA statement said. These tears, called aortic dissection or ruptured aortic aneurysm, can cause dangerous bleeding and even death. Fluoroquinolones should not be used in patients at risk unless there are no other treatment options. It should also be avoided in people with a history of aortic or other blockages or aneurysms (abnormal bulges), in people with high blood pressure, in people with genetic disorders involving changes in blood vessels, and in the elderly."

The FDA says new risk guidelines will be added to the labels and prescription information for fluoroquinolones. These powerful drugs should only be used when necessary. They can cause other side effects such as tendons, muscles, joints, nerves and the central nervous system.

Fluoroquinolones are very common antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, which are widely used to treat upper respiratory and urinary tract infections. "Symptoms of aortic aneurysms usually do not appear until the aneurysm grows or explodes, so any unusual side effects of fluoroquinolones should be reported immediately to the appropriate health care professional," the FDA said.