My wife heard on the radio yesterday that an investigation into Ketek causeing a few deaths is being launched...
The manufacturers may take it off the market.....
Anyone else hear anything?
zman
Posted by david1097 (Member # 3662) on :
There has been reports of heart related problems with Ketek for some time now. Maybe it is related. Not many Dr's seen to be aware of this issue.
Posted by solsearcher (Member # 4482) on :
Well, the 2nd opinion LLMD I went to prescribed Ketek and Flagyl for me as well as Diflucan (at my request) and a lab prescription to monitor my heart to make sure the Ketek wasn't damaging my heart. Right with the prescription is a paper describing possible side effects and heart disease is one of them.
I tried to hang in there for a 30 day dose, but mentally I just couldn't. I'm sorry folks, but I'll find other ways to heal from Lyme. I had an allergic reaction on the 6th dose of Flagyl so did not stay on that long enough to enjoy all the horrific side effects people describe here at Lymenet. Too bad.
On the other hand, I seem to be healing very well with my Lyme Literate Medical Doctor who is treating me homeopathically. No side effects either!
Posted by Healing in Santa Cruz (Member # 7798) on :
Just saw an article on yahoo news Associated press It's about liver not heart.
Posted by Mo (Member # 2863) on :
I think this is the article (you might want to change the post topic, because many here are on Ketek...and I think it's good to inform them of the new info, but not to scare them with unsubstantiated claims..even if you just stick the word 'possible' in there..just a suggestion)
Tho -- I would definately at the very least talk to Docs and/or monitor liver very carefully now if I was on this drug:
"......the FDA is evaluating the use of this medicine in both the U.S. and abroad where it is used and marketed to determine whether additional warning guidance is merited......."
FDA probing death linked to new antibiotic Other cases of severe liver damage reported in patients taking drug
Updated: 12:37 p.m. ET Jan. 20, 2006
WASHINGTON - Researchers reported Friday three cases of severe liver problems, including one death, in patients at a North Carolina hospital after they began taking a novel antibiotic.
Federal regulators said they were reviewing an unknown number of U.S. cases involving the drug, telithromycin, and were consulting with their counterparts overseas.
One patient at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., died after taking telithromycin, which is marketed as Ketek, researchers at the hospital said. Another required and received a liver transplant, while the third recovered from drug-induced hepatitis after treatment with Ketek was stopped.
The severity of the cases warranted the researchers' alerting doctors to what they called a ``possible link with telithromycin,'' said Dr. John Hanson, who works in the liver transplant center at Carolinas Medical Center.
The reports do not prove the drug caused the problems, researchers said. Nor is there enough information to support major changes in how the drug is prescribed, Hanson said. Two of the three patients reported some use of alcohol, although there was no prior evidence of liver damage.
The cases are discussed in a paper to be published March 21 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. The journal released an electronic version on Friday.
The drug is made by Sanofi-Aventis. A company spokeswoman did not immediately return a message seeking comment left midday Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug, marketed as Ketek, in 2004 for treatment of acute bacterial infections from chronic bronchitis, acute bacterial sinusitis and community-acquired pneumonia. On Friday, FDA spokeswoman Susan Bro said the agency would comb through its databases for other reports of liver problems in patients treated with the drug.
``Because these liver problems are significant and somewhat idiosyncratic or unpredictable, the FDA is evaluating the use of this medicine in both the U.S. and abroad where it is used and marketed to determine whether additional warning guidance is merited,'' Bro said.
Bro cautioned that patients on the drug who experience any sort of liver distress, including jaundice, should talk to their doctors immediately.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
CVS always gives a write up when a prescription drug is filled and this write up lists all the possible side effects.
Heart disease is one of them and liver too. My doctor wanted me to have routine lab work while on Ketek.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Mo....As far as I know, only the moderator can change topic titles.
Posted by SuZ-Q (Member # 5903) on :
Well, this is rather frightening. We just received a call from a local doctor stating that my daughter's lab work from yesterday showed an abnormal clotting factor and that this was either a function, or should I say malfunction, of the liver or there was heparin in the picc line when the blood was drawn. I know the nurse discarded the first tube of blood she drew. Should I be worried? Luckily, we are seeing the LLMD on Monday, but don't have a way to contact her before then. Any opinions! Level was 227 for whatever that is worth.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
Suz-Q
Good luck with that. I hope it proves to be nothing serious!
Posted by lymeloco (Member # 7192) on :
Mo, your right! Is it possible that the moderators can change the post topic title. For all the newbies...this is frightening!
Liver enzymes can be elevated FROM lyme disease, in and of itself. We don't know the lifestyles of these patients either.
Posted by Mo (Member # 2863) on :
Suz-Q ..
What level was 227? One of the liver panel readings?
LymeToo and others..
I believe with this new software here a poster can edit their post title on the edit page (the first post in a topic you started).
I think warning is important, but not that it causes death, because noone knows that yet.
Rifampin requires liver monitoring, some folks have problems, others can take it very long term and have no liver effects at all..
I know someone who's liver enzymes went crazy after Doxy .. disease and die off effects the liver, too.
I hope they look closely at this and it would be good IMO if all Docs prescribing it ordered regular surveilance labs till they get more answers on this..
Mo
Posted by psano (Member # 7785) on :
Since my liver enzymes had been elevated and I'd just had another lab drawn this week, I emailed my LLNP and asked her about my most recent lab results and about the Ketek related death report.
She said not to worry about it. Dr. B has treated thousands of patients w/Ketek for many months with no problem. One should probably take the precautions of protecting their liver with milk thistle and alpha lipoic acid.
My enzymes were elevated 2 months ago. I stopped all abx for a month and began taking both milk thistle and 300mg ALA twice daily. My enzymes came back down, although one was still slightly elevated. At that point I started abx again (Ketek and Bicillin LA) and the enzymes have continued to come down, even while taking Ketek again for the past month.
I think the point is to: 1. Keep close track of your liver function and 2. Do whatever you can to protect your liver from the harmful effects of your abx by taking milk thistle and ALA.
Posted by liz28 (Member # 4946) on :
Here's some more liver protectors, in addition to milk thistle and alpha lipoic acid:
N-acetyl cystine (NAC) Phosphatidylcholine (i.e. high quality lecithin) CoQ10 Schisandra Vitamins C and E Beta carotene Selenium Zinc
I've been on ketek for over a year, and take almost all of these supplements daily. While it's tough to be sure of anything in this recovery process, it's starting to look like ketek helped knock out the Lyme a long time ago, and all my remaining symptoms are really babesia. So maybe--hopefully--the ketek worked in short order, and didn't need to be continued as a longterm, open-ended regimen.