Do Fluoroquinolones Cause Neuropathy?

Abstract

Fluoroquinolone antibiotics are thought to be associated with peripheral neuropathy. Since 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the manufacturers of systemic fluoroquinolone drugs to list peripheral neuropathy on the label for these drugs [1]. It further recommends that patients with symptoms of peripheral neuropathy after taking systemic fluoroquinolone to stop the medication and to be treated with an alternative non-fluoroquinolone antibacterial drug. This decision is based on FDA's review of the Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) database. This data has been reviewed and published. The data shows that out of 46,257 adverse event reports submitted for fluoroquinolones, 539 reports involved peripheral neuropathy. Of these reported cases, 119 had at least one concomitant risk factor for peripheral neuropathy and 48 had Guillain-Barre syndrome.