An INVESTIGATION is under way into a potential class action about the severe and often prolonged side effects caused by fluoroquinolone antibiotics, with a search currently on for people impacted by the drugs. Law Partners Personal Injury Lawyers is looking into claims in Australia that fluoroquinolone antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and moxifloxacin are known to cause disabling, longlasting and potentially irreversible adverse reactions, including peripheral nerve damage, central nervous system effects, tendon rupture or damage and aortic aneurysm or dissection. Ciprofloxacin, often referred to as ‘Cipro’, in the class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones, are strong prescription antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, including respiratory and urinary tract infections in Australia. Rebecca Goldfinch, a single mother of three from Canberra, who was prescribed ciprofloxacin after being diagnosed with an ear infection in Jan 2013, was admitted to Canberra Hospital after taking just two tablets and had burning pain in her legs and rubbery, weak tendons. She remained in hospital for two weeks and after leaving, struggled to walk for six months, requiring a walking stick. For the past decade, Rebecca’s ongoing health issues have included weakness and pain in her muscles and tendons, spinal problems, headaches and balance issues. Law Partners Associate Tasahra Christian, who is overseeing the investigation, said if an adverse reaction to ciprofloxacin or another fluoroquinolone antibiotic has caused anyone to suffer injury, they may be eligible to join the potential class action. “We want to help those who have been injured get the compensation they deserve. “We urge anyone who has experienced severe complications after taking fluoroquinolone antibiotics to get in touch with us,” Christian said. In the US, there have already been individual and multi-district litigations against manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. In these cases, it was alleged that the fluoroquinolone manufacturers minimised the information on the risks associated with their drugs, and also that they were well aware of the risks, and failed to provide consumers and medical professionals with adequate warning, Christian added. JG