Antibiotic Off-Limits to People with Diabetes

Tequin causes dangerous swings in blood sugar

Antibiotics have saved countless lives over the years. But now one of these bacteria-fighters, Tequin, is no longer an option if you have diabetes.

For several years, the drug’s manufacturer had warned that Tequin - which treats bronchitis, pneumonia and urinary tract and skin infections - could cause high and low blood sugar in people with diabetes. “Because some people with diabetes have developed serious--even fatal--blood sugar swings while taking Tequin, the drug company made that warning even stronger in February,” says Jason Laskosky, clinical pharmacist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. The drug’s new label clearly states: “You should not take Tequin if you have diabetes.”

The warnings seem crystal clear, if you know you have diabetes. “Thirty percent of people with diabetes don’t know they have the disease,” says Laskosky. “That’s why, as a precaution, your doctor may watch you carefully for reactions to this drug even if you have never been diagnosed.” (Be your own advocate, too, and look for symptoms of diabetes. If your mother or father has diabetes, you, too, are at risk for the disease. Learn more signs by clicking here.

Another caveat: If you are 75 or older, have kidney problems or take medications that affect your blood sugar, you could also have dangerous blood-sugar swings when taking Tequin.

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