Tequin (gatifloxacin) is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in the lungs, sinuses, and on the skin. Tequin was developed by Bristol Myers Squibb and was approved by the food and drug administration in 1999. It is also used to treat kidney infections, urinary tract infections, and some sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea. It has many common side effects including headache, sleep disorder, nausea, dizziness, and vaginal discharge or itching.
Further serious side effects have been associated with Tequin. Side effects include:
- Fainting or light-headedness
- Seizure
- Irregular or fast heart rate
- Skin rash or blisters
- Jaundice
- Loss of appetite
Tequin Linked to Diabetes and Blood Sugar Problems
Studies have shown potentially fatal fluctuations of blood sugar levels linked to use of Tequin. Diabetes and both hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) have been observed in patients taking the antibiotic. A Canadian study found that elderly patients taking Tequin were four times more likely to develop hypoglycemia and seventeen times more likely to develop hyperglycemia than patients taking other antibiotics.
The FDA issued a patient information sheet regarding the revised labeling for Teguin and new warnings and precautions associated with the drug.
In 2006 the FDA issued an alert warning of the potential dangers of Tequin in relation to hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. In this alert, it is affirmed that serious reports of both conditions have been experienced by patients with and without diabetes.
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