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- The proper way to use
- Precautions to keep in mind
- Common known side effects
The proper way to use
Do not take fluoroquinolones if you are pregnant. Do not give fluoroquinolones to infants, children, or teenagers unless otherwise directed by your doctor. These medicines have been shown to cause bone development problems in young animals.
Fluoroquinolones should be used only to treat bacterial infections and not viral infections like the common cold. To help clear up your infection completely, keep taking your medicine for the full time of treatment, even if you begin to feel better after a few days. If you stop taking this medicine too soon, your symptoms may return.
Fluoroquinolones are best taken with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Several additional glasses of water should be taken every day, unless you are otherwise directed by your doctor. Drinking extra water will help to prevent some unwanted effects of ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin.
Norfloxacin should be taken on an empty stomach
Ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, or sparfloxacin may be taken with meals or on an empty stomach. Ciprofloxacin should NOT be taken with dairy products or calcium-fortified juices alone, but may be taken with a meal that contains these products
This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood or urine. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses at evenly spaced times, day and night. For example, if you are to take two doses a day, the doses should be spaced about 12 hours apart. If this interferes with your sleep or other daily activities, or if you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.
If you need to take this medicine for anthrax, your doctor will want you to begin taking it as soon as possible after you are exposed to anthrax.
Dosing
The dose medicines in this class will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For ciprofloxacin:
- For long-acting oral dosage form (extended-release tablets):
- Adults: 500 to 1000 milligrams (mg) every twenty-four hours for three to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For regular (short-acting) oral dosage form (oral suspension or tablets):
- Adults: 100 to 750 milligrams (mg) every twelve hours for three to twenty-eight days, depending on the medical problem being treated. Bone and joint infections are usually treated for at least four to six weeks. Gonorrhea is usually treated with a single oral dose of 250 mg. Inhalational anthrax is usually treated for sixty days with 500 mg every twelve hours.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers, except in the case of inhalational anthrax. Inhalational anthrax is usually treated for sixty days with 15 mg per kilogram (kg) (6.8 mg per pound) of body weight every twelve hours.
- For injection dosage form:
- Adults: 200 to 400 mg every eight to twelve hours.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers, except in the case of inhalational anthrax. Inhalational anthrax is usually treated for sixty days with 10 mg per kg (4.5 mg per pound) of body weight every twelve hours.
- For injection dosage form:
- For regular (short-acting) oral dosage form (oral suspension or tablets):
- For long-acting oral dosage form (extended-release tablets):
- For gatifloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (oral suspension or tablets):
- Adults: 200 to 400 mg every twenty four hours for seven to fourteen days, depending on the medical problems being treated. Gonorrhea and certain bladder infection are usually treated with a single oral dose of 400 mg.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- Adults: 200 to 400 mg every twenty four hours for seven to fourteen days, depending on the medical problems being treated. Gonorrhea and certain bladder infection are usually treated with a single oral dose of 400 mg.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- For oral dosage form (oral suspension or tablets):
- For gemifloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adults: 320 mg once a day for 5 to 7 days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For levofloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adults: 250 to 750 mg once a day for three to twenty-eight days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- Adults: 250 to 750 mg, injected slowly into a vein, once a day for three to twenty-eight days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For lomefloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adults: 400 mg once a day for three to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For moxifloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adult: 400 mg once a day for five to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- Adult: 400 mg injected in a vein once a day for five to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For norfloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adults: 400 mg every twelve hours for three to twenty-eight days, depending on the medical problem being treated. Gonorrhea is usually treated with a single oral dose of 800 mg.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For ofloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- Adults: 200 to 400 mg every twelve hours for three to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated. Prostatitis is usually treated for six weeks. Gonorrhea is usually treated with a single oral dose of 400 mg.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- Adults: 200 to 400 mg, injected slowly into a vein, every twelve hours for three to fourteen days, depending on the medical problem being treated. Prostatitis is usually treated for six weeks. Gonorrhea is usually treated with a single dose of 400 mg.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For injection dosage form:
- For oral dosage form (tablets):
- For sparfloxacin:
- For oral dosage form (tablet):
- Adults: 400 mg on the first day, then 200 mg once a day for an additional nine days.
- Children up to 18 years of age: This medicine is not recommended for use in infants, children, or teenagers.
- For oral dosage form (tablet):
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ciprofloxacin oral suspension may be refrigerated. However, keep this medicine from freezing.
Gatifloxacin oral suspension may be stored in the tightly closed bottle in a refrigerator for 14 days. Shake thoroughly prior to each use.
