An Internet Community for Avelox Sufferers
July 21st, 2009. By LucyC
Have you suffered an adverse event such as tendon rupture, from taking Avelox? Or any other of the myriad of side effects it’s associated with? If so, you may already be aware of the online community that exists to support people who have suffered or are still suffering from flouroquinolone adverse events.
Sifting through the information available on the internet about Avelox was an educational experience for me. I had no idea this community existed. And it seems as if it’s necessary. While there have been reports of tendon ruptures associated with the drug, it’s not exactly mainstream news. Nevertheless, it seems like pretty serious stuff.
For example, on the website fqvictims.org, several people have posted information about their experience with Avelox adverse events. One man described his problems this way, “Severe pain from left hip through left foot, left leg from mid-calf to foot reddened, severe burning pain in tendons, muscle spasms, depersonalization, anxiety, panic, increasingly severe CNS symptoms with floaters in my eyes which are very dense and almost curtain-like along with anxiety and insomnia which requires three 3 mg melatonin at bedtime, severe photophobia.”
And another man complains of having, “Aching pains in calves, Achilles tendons, Insomnia, Anxiety, carpal-tunnel like symptoms of the wrist, rash.”
Yikes! This would seem the very definition of a cure being worse than the complaint.
Interestingly, one proactive physician has even studied flouroquinolone adverse event rates posted on the Internet. The study, published in 2001 in the The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, by Dr. JS Cohen, surveyed “cases of fluoroquinolone-associated adverse events that included peripheral nervous system (PNS) symptoms posted on Internet Web sites.”
His conclusion was what was so interesting. It reads: “… The severity of these cases may reflect a different population than typically reported to drug companies or MedWatch, which often originate from healthcare providers. In contrast, Internet Web sites may provide a forum for patients experiencing adverse effects that have not resolved promptly.”
This suggests, at least to me, that 1) Medwatch and the FDA could be probably be doing a better job of monitoring this situation; and 2) the Internet has provided yet another opportunity for people to share important information that may not be captured anywhere else, and importantly a means for support that doesn’t appear to be readily available anywhere else.
Just an FYI—Lawyers and Settlements, at the risk of blowing our own horn here, also publishes personal accounts related to Avelox adverse events, as well as other drugs, and we provide the opportunity to investigate your legal options. Finally, visit our Forum for ongoing discussion with other readers on current legal issues.
