Ofloxacin

Ofloxacin 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).Ofloxacin also treats bacterial infections of the ears and eyes.Ofloxacin 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. It is also available solutions for eye drops and ear drops. The eye drops are usually instilled into the affected eye(s) 4 times a day and the ear drops are usually instilled into the affected ear(s) 1 to 2 times a day.

Common side effects of oral ofloxacin include nausea, insomnia, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, and itching. Common side effects of ofloxacin eye drops include eye discomfort, tearing, and dryness. Common side effects of ofloxacin ear drops include itching, ear pain, and headache.

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

Oral:

Ofloxacin 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.

Topical:

Ofloxacin is a prescription medication that is used to treat bacterial infections of the ears and eyes.

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

Ofloxacin may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Floxin

• Ocuflox

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

Oral:

Common side effects of oral ofloxacin 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

Topical:

Common side effects of ofloxacin for the ears include the following:

• ear itching or pain
• change in taste
• dizziness

Common side effects of ofloxacin for the eyes include the following:

• eye burning or discomfort
• eye stinging or redness
• tearing eyes
• sensitivity to light
• blurred vision
• dry eyes

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

Oral:

Serious side effects have been reported with oral ofloxacin 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

Topical:

Serious side effects have been reported with ofloxacin ear and eye drops including the following:

• skin rash
• hives
• itching
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

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

Do not take ofloxacin if you

• are allergic to ofloxacin 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 ofloxacin, 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 ofloxacin.

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

• are allergic to ofloxacin 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.

Ofloxacin 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.

Ofloxacin has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from ofloxacin, 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 ofloxacin exactly as prescribed.

Oral:

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

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

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 ofloxacin at the same time.

Topical:

Ofloxacin comes in a solution for ear drops. Do not use the ear drops in the eyes.

Ofloxacin comes in a solution for eye drops. Do not use the eye drops in the ears.

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 ofloxacin at the same time.

Oral:

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 oral ofloxacin is 200 to 400 mg every 12 hours.

Topical:

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
• your age

The recommended dose range of ofloxacin for the ear is 5 to 10 drops into the affected ear once daily.

The recommended dose range of ofloxacin for the eye is 1 to 2 drops into the affected eye every 4 to 6 hours.

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

If ofloxacin 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.

• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.

Oral:

• Store ofloxacin oral tablets at room temperature.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun while taking ofloxacin.
• Do not take antacids within 2 hours of taking oral ofloxacin.

Topical:

• Store ofloxacin eye and ear drops at room temperature.

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.