The Canadian Press

TORONTO (Dec 21, 2005)

Health Canada and a drug's manufacturer warned yesterday that an antibiotic used to treat certain lung, sinus or urinary tract infections and certain sexually transmitted diseases has been linked to occasional but potentially serious fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Gatifloxacin, sold under the brand name Tequin, has been associated with cases of both hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) that can sometimes be serious and life-threatening, the department said in an alert to patients and doctors.

The drug is made by Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada. According to IMS Health, which monitors prescription drug sales, 177,104 prescriptions for Tequin were dispensed in 2004.

The problem is reversible if recognized and treated, the department said, advising people on the drug who develop symptoms of low or high blood sugar to stop taking it and contact their doctors.