October 8, 2014 — JAMA Ophthalmology has published a study linking the use of Avelox and Cipro with uveitis, a serious eye disease.
Compared to non-users of antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone class, first-time users of Avelox were 3-times more likely to develop uveitis. Current first-time users of Cipro were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with uveitis.
There was no association between Levaquin (levlofloxacin) and uveitis, suggesting it poses the least risk.
The authors of the study said there were “numerous case reports” suggesting an association between uveitis and Avelox, but this was the first study to investigate the link. Researchers evaluated data from a health claims database in Canada, focusing on 13,313 cases of uveitis in men aged 40-85 who had a follow-up between January 2001 through December 2011.
What is Uveitis?
Uveitis causes swelling and irritation of the uvea, which is the middle layer of the eye that provides most of the blood-supply to the retina.
Symptoms of uveitis include:
- Blurry vision
- Dark, floating spots in vision
- Eye pain
- Redness of the eye
- Sensitivity to light