Patients taking Fluoroquinolones orally or through injection may face an increased risk of developing peripheral neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that affects the signals between the brain or spinal cord and the rest of the body. This nerve damage interrupts these signals, causing symptoms that can vary depending on the nerves which are affected. Most patients who are affected with peripheral neuropathy experience symptoms in their arms or legs. Common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may include:
- Shooting pain
- Burning
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
- Changes in sensitivity to touch, pain or temperature
- Changes in the sense of body position
Symptoms usually begin rapidly, within a few days after a patient begins treatment, and can last for years after they have stopped taking the drug. In some cases, nerve damage caused by peripheral neuropathy from FLQ antibiotics can be permanent.