Another cause (etiologic factor) of pudendal neuralgia is a class of antibiotics called Fluoroquinolones. They are approved to treat or prevent certain bacterial infections. The fluoroquinolone antibiotics include:

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•  Cipro (ciprofloxacin)

•  Factive (gemifloxacin) 

•  Levaquin (levofloxacin), 

•  Avelox (moxifloxacin) 

•  Floxin (ofloxacin)

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However, some people who take these medicines may develop disabling and potentially permanent side effects of the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system. A person can experience more than one of these side effects at the same time.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against using fluoroquinolone antibiotics for the treatment of three common infections: acute sinusitis, acute bronchitis, and urinary tract infections (UTI) without complications. The agency made this decision because the chances of serious side effects outweigh the benefits for most people.

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The FDA says it’s OK to use fluoroquinolones for other serious infections or for patients who have no other choice of treatment. This might include patients with allergies to other antibiotics or infections caused by hard-to-treat, resistant bacteria.

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The FDA approved changes to the labels and medication guides of fluoroquinolones taken by mouth or by injection based on patient reports of side effects. The FDA revised the boxed warning, the agency’s strongest, to address these serious safety issues, and updated the patient medication guide. The medication guide is a paper handout that comes with many prescription medicines. 1

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There are numerous studies and articles on this subject available on the internet

 

Please talk to your doctor if they plan to prescribe a fluoroquinolone antibiotic.​

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1 https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/fluoroquinolones-safety-risk​