Avelox

What you should know before using

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatrics

Use is not recommended for infants or children younger than 18 years of age since fluoroquinolones have been shown to cause bone development problems in young animals. However, your doctor may choose to use one of these medicines if other medicines cannot be used.

Geriatric

These medicines have been tested and, in effective doses, have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than they do in younger adults.

Studies have not been done in humans. However, use is not recommended during pregnancy since fluoroquinolones have been reported to cause bone development problems in young animals. Before taking a fluoroquinolone, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast Feeding

Some of the fluoroquinolones are known to pass into human breast milk. Since fluoroquinolones have been reported to cause bone development problems in young animals, breast-feeding is not recommended during treatment with these medicines. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

Drug Interactions

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Acecainide
• Acetophenazine
• Amiodarone
• Amitriptyline
• Amoxapine
• Astemizole
• Bepridil
• Bretylium
• Chlorpromazine
• Cisapride
• Clomipramine
• Desipramine
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dothiepin
• Doxepin
• Erythromycin
• Ethopropazine
• Fluphenazine
• Haloperidol
• Ibutilide
• Imipramine
• Lofepramine
• Mesoridazine
• Methotrimeprazine
• Moricizine
• Nortriptyline
• Opipramol
• Pentamidine
• Perphenazine
• Pimozide
• Pipotiazine
• Pirmenol
• Prajmaline
• Probucol
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Promethazine
• Propiomazine
• Protriptyline
• Quinidine
• Ranolazine
• Recainam
• Sotalol
• Terfenadine
• Thiethylperazine
• Thioridazine
• Tizanidine
• Trifluoperazine
• Triflupromazine
• Trimeprazine
• Trimipramine
• Ziprasidone

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Acarbose
• Acecainide
• Acetohexamide
• Acetophenazine
• Ajmaline
• Alfuzosin
• Alosetron
• Amiodarone
• Amisulpride
• Amitriptyline
• Amoxapine
• Arsenic Trioxide
• Astemizole
• Azimilide
• Benfluorex
• Bretylium
• Chloral Hydrate
• Chloroquine
• Chlorpromazine
• Chlorpropamide
• Clarithromycin
• Clomipramine
• Desipramine
• Dibenzepin
• Disopyramide
• Dofetilide
• Dolasetron
• Dothiepin
• Doxepin
• Droperidol
• Encainide
• Erythromycin
• Ethopropazine
• Flecainide
• Fluconazole
• Fluoxetine
• Fluphenazine
• Foscarnet
• Gliclazide
• Glimepiride
• Glipizide
• Gliquidone
• Glyburide
• Guar Gum
• Halofantrine
• Haloperidol
• Hydroquinidine
• Ibutilide
• Imipramine
• Insulin
• Insulin Aspart, Recombinant
• Insulin Glulisine
• Insulin Lispro, Recombinant
• Isradipine
• Levomethadyl
• Lidocaine
• Lidoflazine
• Lofepramine
• Mefloquine
• Metformin
• Methadone
• Methotrimeprazine
• Mexiletine
• Miglitol
• Moricizine
• Nortriptyline
• Octreotide
• Opipramol
• Paliperidone
• Pentamidine
• Perphenazine
• Pipotiazine
• Pirmenol
• Prajmaline
• Prednisone
• Probucol
• Procainamide
• Prochlorperazine
• Promazine
• Promethazine
• Propafenone
• Propiomazine
• Protriptyline
• Quetiapine
• Quinidine
• Recainam
• Risperidone
• Sematilide
• Sertindole
• Sotalol
• Spiramycin
• Sucralfate
• Sulfamethizole
• Sultopride
• Tedisamil
• Theophylline
• Thiethylperazine
• Tizanidine
• Tocainide
• Tolazamide
• Tolbutamide
• Trifluoperazine
• Triflupromazine
• Trimeprazine
• Trimethoprim
• Trimipramine
• Troglitazone
• Vasopressin
• Warfarin
• Ziprasidone
• Zolmitriptan
• Zotepine

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Brain or spinal cord disease, including hardening of the arteries in the brain or epilepsy or other seizures—Fluoroquinolones may cause nervous system side effects

• Diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes)—Levofloxacin may cause changes in blood sugar, which could lead to problems in controlling blood sugar

• Diarrhea—May be a sign of colon problems and taking fluoroquinolones could make this problem worse. Your doctor will want to check you before you begin taking your medicine.

• Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity defect (problem with an enzyme that your body makes)—If you have this condition and you take a fluoroquinolone, you could have problems with anemia.

• Heart disease—Gatifloxacin, gemifloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin or sparfloxacin may make this problem worse

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease—Patients with kidney disease or liver disease may have an increased chance of side effects with any of the fluoroquinolones

• Myasthenia gravis (muscle disease)—This condition may become worse when taking a fluoroquinolone and cause your respiratory muscles to become weak which is life-threatening. Be sure and tell your doctor if you have this condition.

• Sensitivity of the skin to sunlight (previous)—Patients taking sparfloxacin or any of the other fluoroquinolones may have an increased risk of severe reactions to sunlight

• Tendinitis (previous)—Fluoroquinolones may increase the risk of tendon injury