Heather & Shea

Heather McCarthy’s son O’Shea had just completed his freshman year of college when he was given a large dose of Levaquin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, prior to surgery to correct a deviated septum. After beginning a 21-day supply of the prescription, Shea began to experience a host of adverse effects including digestive issues, confusion and anxiety, which he immediately connected to the drug. In the following months he experienced increased anxiety, depression, insomnia, and cardiac issues which eventually led to his inability to continue his education.

As Shea’s condition worsened, he began to isolate himself and disconnect from the outside world due to his overwhelming anxiety and paranoia. Eventually, he was referred for mental health care and given a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, despite having no symptoms of mania. A regimen of a mood stabilizer (Lamictal), antipsychotic (Risperdal), and benzodiazepine (Ativan) were prescribed to treat the disorder. Although Shea told his doctors about his previous reaction to Levaquin, none of them listened. Instead, they proceeded with a course of treatment that intensified Shea’s toxic reaction to Levaquin and resulted in his death at age 24.

After Shea’s death in 2013, Heather obtained a copy of his medical records. Upon reviewing the documents it became apparent to her that none of Shea’s treatment providers had explored the toxic reaction he had to Levaquin. Rather, the mental health providers insisted on a diagnosis — extremely popular at the time — of bipolar disorder. The diagnosis was not only wrong, it led to the addition of more destructive treatment drugs which intensified his symptoms and created unimaginable suffering.

In 2015, Heather testified at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with other victims of fluoroquinolones regarding the harmful effects of Levaquin. These hearings resulted in FDA black box warnings on Levaquin and the determination of Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability (FQAD).

Heather also pursued a successful legal action against Shea’s mental health care providers who, as alleged in the complaint, refused to listen to him, ignored his complaint of a toxic reaction to Levaquin, and inflexibly continued a course of treatment with psychotropic drugs that worsened his condition and ultimately killed him.

While working in the mental health field, Heather was oblivious to the numerous risks associated with standard treatment choices which primarily consist of the long-term medicating of patients with psychotropic drugs. Health providers’ refusal to adequately inform patients of drug treatment risks and failure to address patient concerns of adverse effects of drugs, even when explicitly identified by the patient, have led to numerous unnecessary deaths. These deaths are a direct result of health providers’ treatment choices. Heather remains committed to sharing her family’s story and the loss of her son, Shea. And it was through the telling of what happened to Shea that she came to meet Lee.