Fluoroquinolones are broad-spectrum bactericidal antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat, for example, urinary tract infections. It has recently been demonstrated that they can cause potentially harmful side effects.
In August 2013, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) required that labels and usage instructions for fluoroquinolone antibiotics be updated to better describe the possibility of a serious side effect: nerve damage.
Indeed, researchers have recently discovered that patients with diabetes who took fluoroquinolones orally were more likely to experience severe fluctuations in blood sugar compared to diabetic patients treated with other types of antibiotics. Abnormal blood sugar levels can cause fainting, seizures, heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems in diabetic patients.
Scope of the study
Dr. Mei-Shu Lai, from the Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, analyzed data from about 78,000 people with diabetes in Taiwan, using records from the health insurance system. Scientists were able to compare the use of antibiotics by these 78,000 individuals with the number of emergency room visits or hospitalizations for abnormal blood sugar levels within 30 days of taking these antibiotics. Three types of antibiotics were examined: fluoroquinolones, second-generation cephalosporins, and macrolides.
Study findings
The researchers observed that diabetic patients taking fluoroquinolones orally were more likely to experience severe blood sugar fluctuations (consecutive hypo- and hyperglycemia) than diabetic patients treated with other antibiotics. These blood sugar abnormalities can lead to serious health problems, including irreversible brain damage or death. Previous studies have already shown that fluoroquinolones could be linked to blood sugar abnormalities (dysglycemia), tendonitis or even Achilles tendon ruptures after a few days of treatment, or cardiac arrhythmia. In 2006, gatifloxacin, which belongs to the fluoroquinolone class, was withdrawn from the U.S. market due to the risk of blood sugar abnormalities.
Dr. Lai and his team believe that the increasingly frequent prescription of fluoroquinolones to treat urinary tract infections or pneumonia is concerning. They conclude their analysis by emphasizing that the prescription of fluoroquinolones to diabetic patients should be carefully considered.
Source: Yahoo Health, September 3, 2013, Don Rauf.