Jessica Tyner  |  March 7, 2014

Category: Legal News

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Zihtromax heart side effectsCan an antibiotic cause a heart attack? According to the many alleged victims in a growing number of Zithromax lawsuits, the answer may be yes.

Zithromax, or Z-Pak, is a very popular antibiotic that’s prescribed to patients of all ages. It’s well known that antibiotics are widely prescribed. A number of doctors claim that antibiotics are  prescribed more often than necessary.

A person may be given Zithromax for anything from an ear infection to a more serious infection like bronchitis. However, there are so many reports of alleged Zithromax heart issues, including heart attacks, resulting to class action lawsuit. By filing a Zithromax lawsuit, victims can take advantage of an overall faster process without skimping on anything necessary, such as the right to an individual trial.

Victims claim that the makers of Zithromax allegedly knew about the potential side effects of the drug, but chose to under-warn about them since it might impact the sales. Zithromax was the top prescribed antibiotic in recent years, largely because it’s only required to be taken for five days instead of the usual nine or 10.

Some patients are going online to seek advice after experiencing Zithromax side effects.

“I just finished a five-day Z-Pack that was prescribed for a sinus infection that was giving me severe headaches. My head started to feel funny and I looked at the insert which said ‘could cause irregular heart beats.’ I’ve taken this medication in the past with no issue. I do not have any cardiac disease, but I do smoke. Should I just wait for about five days to see if, once the meds are out of my system, I’m okay or should I go see a doctor or go to the ER? My blood pressure is normal… but I’ve always been on the low side and my pulse was 90. It doesn’t feel like palpitations, just a strange feeling like my heart isn’t b eating right. I only feel it off and on,” one patient said in an online forum for Zithromax side effects.

While label changes mean that Zithromax now mentions irregular heart beats, that wasn’t always the case. Also, research suggests that those with a past history of heart problems are at the highest risk of Zithromax heart problems. On the other hand, this assumes that patients know their history, speak up about it, and that doctors ask the right questions when prescribing it.

What happens if someone goes to an ER, urgent care, or doctor besides their primary physician for antibiotics and it is never revealed that the patient has a history of heart problems? What if their primary physicians forgets, or doesn’t know about the label changes?

Finally, it’s important to note that this patient mentions they have allegedly taken Z-Pak before with no problems. That’s a common statement that many who have joined the Zithromax MDL make. There is no immunity for Zithromax complications. It’s possible to have taken the drug for years, off and on, and one day randomly experience side effects. It’s also possible that the dosage changes can cause problems, or that the patient has (knowingly or unknowingly) developed other, unrelated health issues that might exacerbate the Zithromax hazards. For the most part, respondents to this plea for help said that there was no way (especially for a non-MD) to diagnose anything online, and it’s wise to play it safe.

“I would go to the ER if you have prolonged palpitations and/or lightheadedness…although you may feel palpitations from other reasons, rarely Zithromax may make susceptible individuals to have an arrhythmia,” says one respondent. It’s also easy to confuse a heart attack with someone much less severe, such as heart burn. There’s no one size fits all description of what a heart attack looks like. Some people have attacks and go on with their day as if nothing happened, although the internal damage has been done.

Some Empathy

Another user relates all too well to the original poster.

“I have read your post and understand that you had taken a full course of Zithromax? Yes, as through my own experience I have history of bad arrhythmia all these years and because of possible Long QT Syndrome, I am not allowed to take too much of this antibiotic…for fear of prolonging the QT more. This will give rise to a deadly cardiac rhythm called Torsades de Pointes, which I had a few years ago. If you have no history of heart rhythm problems before, but feel some heart irregularities during the course of Zithromax, you should still check with a cardiologist to see if your ECG is normal.”

>>Zithromax Side Effects Lead to Lawsuits

Indeed, patients with Long QT Syndrome are specifically cited as the highest risk patients in numerous Zithromax studies. However, the issue is that not everyone with this condition has been diagnosed. “If you are still on the drug or, if not still feeling abnormal beats, it is always good to just check to give yourself peace of mind. Although this syndrome is really rare, you could have other common arrhythmia issues that the antibiotic has triggered,” suggests the second respondent.

Did You Have a Zithromax Heart Complication?

Were you prescribed Z-Pak and experienced a heart complication? If so, you may have a Zithromax legal claim. Discover more when visiting the Zithromax Lawsuit: Z-Pak Zithromax Azithromycin Heart Attack Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Investigation. You can also submit your information below for a free case evaluation to see if you qualify to pursue compensation:

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