Other safety alerts
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| Canada: Fluoroquinolone antibiotics: patients with myasthenia gravis may risk increased muscle weakness |
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Patients with a rare condition known as myasthenia gravis who take a fluoroquinolone antibiotic may risk a worsening of their symptoms, including muscle weakness or breathing problems. The risk of this happening is considered rare, but serious. Use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics should be avoided in patients with a known history of myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis is a rare, chronic (long-lasting and recurring) disease that causes progressive muscle weakness. Muscles affected by this condition include eye and face muscles, neck and throat muscles, and limb muscles. Activity makes the muscle weakness worse, and symptoms generally improve with rest. The risk to myasthenia gravis patients appears to apply to formulations taken by mouth (liquids and tablets/extended release tablets) or that are injected intravenously (into a vein). Based on available data, the risk does not appear to apply to ear or eye drops. Health Canada has notified the Canadian manufacturers of fluoroquinolone antibiotics to update the labelling to include a warning on this risk.
Please refer to the following website in Health Canada for details:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2011/2011_147-eng.php#list
In Hong Kong, 182 registered pharmaceutical products containing fluoroquinolones in oral or IV dose forms. All are prescription-only medicines. In view of Health Canada’s recommendation, a letter to inform healthcare professionals will be issued and the matter will be discussed in the meeting of the Registration Committee of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
Ends/ Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:30
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