Health: victims of the side effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics file a complaint

Since his doctor prescribed him an antibiotic based on fluoroquinolones a year ago to treat chronic prostate pain, Jean-Baptiste Kreislera music teacher, suffers from hearing and sight problems, and his hands are unresponsive. “These are symptoms that prevent me from doing almost everything I could do before”he explains.

Health professionals alerted in 2018

With a dozen other patients, Jean-Baptiste Kreisler decided to file a complaint, because as early as 2018, the National Medicines Safety Agency alerted health professionals. Fluoroquinolones should now be reserved for infections for which there are no other treatments, as their side effects can be serious. For decades, fluoroquinolones have been prescribed to treat common infections such as nasopharyngitis or cystitis. According to a patient association, six million unjustified prescriptions have been made over the past four years.