Floxin

Floxin is a prescription medication used to treat certain bacterial infections including bronchitis, pneumonia, and infections of the skin, bladder, urinary tract, reproductive organs, and prostate (a male reproductive gland). Floxin belongs to a group of drugs called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. It works by killing bacterial cells that cause infection.

This medication comes in oral tablet form and is usually taken 2 times a day.

Common side effects of Floxin include nausea, insomnia, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, and itching.

Floxin can also cause blurred vision, drowsiness, and dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Floxin affects you.

This brand name product is no longer available in the United States. Generic alternatives are available.

Floxin is a prescription medication used to treat certain bacterial infections including bronchitis, pneumonia, and infections of the skin, bladder, urinary tract, reproductive organs, and prostate (a male reproductive gland.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

• Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals

Serious side effects have been reported with Floxin. See the “Floxin Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Floxin include the following:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• constipation
• gas
• vomiting
• stomach pain or cramps
• change in ability to taste food
• loss of appetite
• dry mouth
• headache
• dizziness
• excessive tiredness
• pain, swelling, or itching of the vagina

This is not a complete list of Floxin side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• other antibiotics
• anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• certain antidepressants
• antipsychotics (medications to treat mental illness)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• diuretics ('water pills')
• insulin and oral medications for diabetes such as glyburide (DiaBeta, in Glucovance, Micronase, others)
• certain medications for irregular heartbeat such as amiodarone (Cordarone), quinidine,
• oral or injectable steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexpak), methylprednisolone (Medrol), or prednisone (Sterapred)
• procainamide (Procanbid), and sotalol (Betapace, Betapace AF, Sorine)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, others)
• probenecid (in Col-Probenecid, Probalan)
• theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Uniphyl, others)

This is not a complete list of Floxin drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Floxin including the following:

Tendinopathy and tendon rupture. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you experience pain, swelling, or inflammation of a tendon.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms:

• severe diarrhea (watery or bloody stools) that may occur with or without fever and stomach cramps (may occur up to 2 months or more after your treatment)
• confusion
• hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• nightmares
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
• depression
• thoughts about killing or harming yourself
• anxiety
• not trusting others or feeling that others want to harm you
• restlessness
• vision changes
• rash
• hives
• itching
• peeling or blistering of the skin
• fever
• swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, lips, tongue, throat, hands, feet, ankles or lower legs
• hoarseness
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• fast heartbeat
• fainting
• loss of consciousness
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• dark urine
• decreased urination
• seizures
• unusual bruising or bleeding
• joint or muscle pain

Floxin can also cause blurred vision, drowsiness, and dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Floxin affects you.

Do not take Floxin if you

• are allergic to Floxin or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to any fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Floxin, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Make sure you drink plenty of water while taking Floxin.

Before taking Floxin, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Floxin or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to any fluoroquinolone antibiotic
• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have tendon problems
• have central nervous system problems such as epilepsy
• have kidney problems
• have rheumatoid arthritis or joint problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Floxin falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Floxin has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Floxin, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Take Floxin exactly as prescribed.

Floxin comes in tablet form and is taken twice a day.

You may take Floxin with or without food, but you should drink plenty of water while taking Floxin.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Floxin at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking

The recommended dose range of Floxin is 200 to 400 mg every 12 hours.

If you take too much Floxin, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Floxin is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Floxin tablets at room temperature.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun while taking Floxin.
• Do not take antacids within 2 hours of taking Floxin.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.

WARNING: Fluoroquinolones, including ofloxacin, are associated with an increased risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture in all ages. This risk is further increased in older patients usually over 60 years of age, in patients taking corticosteroid drugs, and in patients with kidney, heart or lung transplants.