Europeans recommendation restrictions on fluouroquinolone use

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended restrictions on the use of fluoroquinolone and quinolone antibiotics in view of the association of these medications with adverse effects involving muscles, tendons and bones and the nervous system. The recommendations include a suggestion that fluoroquinolone antibiotics should not be used for preventing traveller’s diarrhoea or recurring lower urinary tract infections and that they should be used with caution for the elderly, patients renal impairment, a history of organ transplantation or those who are being treated with a systemic corticosteroid. Muscle pain or weakness, joint pain or swelling, paraethesiae, depression, confusion, suicidal thoughts, sleep disorders, vision and hearing problems, and altered taste and smell are all identified as cues to seek medical advice if observed during treatment with these antibiotics. More information at the EMA website.