Comments on: Childhood ear infections: Will earaches affect my child’s hearing? http://health.savvy-cafe.com/childhood-ear-infections-will-earaches-affect-my-childs-hearing-2007-10-22/ Health news and information Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:54:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Jennifer http://health.savvy-cafe.com/childhood-ear-infections-will-earaches-affect-my-childs-hearing-2007-10-22/#comment-602 Jennifer Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:42:32 +0000 http://health.savvy-cafe.com/childhood-ear-infections-will-earaches-affect-my-childs-hearing-2007-10-22/#comment-602 Thank you so much for this alternative, and alarming, counter to the article. Thank you so much for this alternative, and alarming, counter to the article.

]]> By: d. t. fuller http://health.savvy-cafe.com/childhood-ear-infections-will-earaches-affect-my-childs-hearing-2007-10-22/#comment-601 d. t. fuller Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:43:55 +0000 http://health.savvy-cafe.com/childhood-ear-infections-will-earaches-affect-my-childs-hearing-2007-10-22/#comment-601 I am both shocked and dismayed to find this doctor even suggesting the use of the fluoroquinolones in the pediatric population. The fluoroquinolones are to be considered a drug of last resort when all else fails and certainly not a first line agent for any disease state. The list of adverse reactions to this class includes spontaneous tendon ruptures, irrreversible peripheral nueropathy, toxic psychosis, liver failure, TENS, SJS, hypo and hyperglycemia, the list of SERIOUS side effects is endless. Even more disturbing is the fact that the overwhelming majority of the treating physicians have no clue how dangerous these reactions can be and fail to associate such reactions with fluoroquinolone therapy. More than half of the drugs found in this class have been removed from clinical practice due to such severe toxicity. Two petitions with the FDA seeking black box warnings as well as dear doctor letters are now pending with the FDA, one such petition filed by the Attorney General of the State of Illinois. It is insane to risk crippling an innocent child for life by treating a common ear infection with this class, especially when on considers that such infections, for the most part, resolve without any antibiotic treatment to begin with. There are numerous other antibiotics that have a much safer profile than the fluoroquinolones that should be used if indeed such treatment is mandatory. Mr. David T. Fuller Director Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation www.fqresearch.org I am both shocked and dismayed to find this doctor even suggesting the use of the fluoroquinolones in the pediatric population. The fluoroquinolones are to be considered a drug of last resort when all else fails and certainly not a first line agent for any disease state.

The list of adverse reactions to this class includes spontaneous tendon ruptures, irrreversible peripheral nueropathy, toxic psychosis, liver failure, TENS, SJS, hypo and hyperglycemia, the list of SERIOUS side effects is endless.

Even more disturbing is the fact that the overwhelming majority of the treating physicians have no clue how dangerous these reactions can be and fail to associate such reactions with fluoroquinolone therapy.

More than half of the drugs found in this class have been removed from clinical practice due to such severe toxicity. Two petitions with the FDA seeking black box warnings as well as dear doctor letters are now pending with the FDA, one such petition filed by the Attorney General of the State of Illinois.

It is insane to risk crippling an innocent child for life by treating a common ear infection with this class, especially when on considers that such infections, for the most part, resolve without any antibiotic treatment to begin with. There are numerous other antibiotics that have a much safer profile than the fluoroquinolones that should be used if indeed such treatment is mandatory.

Mr. David T. Fuller
Director
Fluoroquinolone Toxicity Research Foundation
http://www.fqresearch.org

]]>