I have had several persons contact me and ask if I knew whether or not the antibiotic that they took could cause anosmia. My standard response has been that I am aware of no research establishing a causal link between antibiotic use and loss of the sense of smell. I have suggested that it might be the illness for which the antibiotic was prescribed that caused the anosmia, not the antibiotic causing the anosmia. That said, I should also note that I found posts from several persons at Max's congential anosmia page suggesting that it was use of the antibiotic Zithromax which caused them to loose their sense of smell. I have also seen several posts in discussion groups from persons who said that their doctors had told them that anosmia is a rare side effect of Zithromax. The literature on the quinolone antibiotics, including Avelox® (moxifloxacin), Cipro® (ciprofloxacin), Factive® (gemifloxacin), Floxin® (ofloxacin), Levaquin® (levofloxacin), Noroxin® (norfloxacin), and Tequin® (gatifloxacin), does list anosmia as one of many "post-marketing adverse events." This may suggest, but certainly does not establish with much certainty, a casual link between Cipro® and anosmia.
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This page most recently revised on 4.
January 2006.