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| Pronunciation |
|
 (lee
voe FLOKS a
sin) |
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| Brand Names |
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| Levaquin™; QUIXIN™
Ophthalmic |
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| Therapeutic
Categories |
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Antibiotic, Quinolone |
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| Reasons not to take this
medicine |
|
|
- If you have an allergy to another quinolone antibiotic, levofloxacin,
or any other part of the medicine.
- If you are pregnant or
breast-feeding.
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|
| What is this medicine used
for? |
|
|
- This medicine is used as a treatment for a variety of bacterial
infections.
- The eye solution is used to treat an eye
infection.
|
|
|
| How does it work? |
|
|
- Levofloxacin inhibits metabolic activities in the bacteria causing its
death.
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| How is it best taken? |
|
|
- To gain the most benefit, do not miss doses.
- Use all the medicine even if feeling better.
- Oral:
- Take with or without food. Take with food if medicine causes an upset
stomach.
- Do not take dairy products, antacids, didanosine, multivitamins,
minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium), nutritional supplements, or
sucralfate within 2 hours of this medicine.
- Make sure you are drinking enough fluids unless told to drink less by
healthcare provider. Avoid products with caffeine.
- Eye:
- For the eye only.
- Do not touch the bottle or tube tip to the eye, lid, or other skin.
- Contact lenses should not be worn during treatment.
- Wash hands before using.
- Open eye, look at ceiling and apply the drops.
- After using medicine keep your eyes closed. Apply pressure to the
inside corner of the eye. Do this for 3-5 minutes. This keeps medicine in the
eye.
- Separate each eye medicine by 5 minutes. Give one and wait 5 minutes
before using the
next.
|
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|
| What do I do if I miss a
dose? |
|
|
- Take a missed dose as soon as possible.
- If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one. Return to
your regular schedule.
- Do not take a double dose or extra
doses.
|
|
|
| What are the precautions when
taking this
medicine? |
|
|
- Not recommended in children younger than 18 years of age.
- Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor). Alcohol may make
infection more difficult to treat.
- You can get sunburned more easily. Avoid lots of sun. Use sunscreen;
wear protective clothing and eyewear.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make
sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling
about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of
face, lips, tongue, throat; or any other symptoms involved.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting
pregnant.
- Do not use if you are
breast-feeding.
|
|
|
| What are the common side effects
of this
medicine? |
|
|
- Oral:
- Belly pain and cramps.
- Nausea or vomiting. Small frequent meals, frequent mouth care, sucking
hard candy, or chewing gum may help.
- Diarrhea. Yogurt, Bifidobacterium bifidum
, or Lactobacillus acidophilus
may help. These products are available at health food stores or in some
pharmacies.
- Eye:
- Difficulty seeing clearly. Only after putting in drops.
- Burning, pain, discomfort after putting in drops. Goes away quickly.
- Bothered by light.
- Headache, sore
throat.
|
|
|
| What should I monitor? |
|
|
- Oral:
- Severe nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.
- Watch for change in temperature or worsening of infection.
- Eye:
- Watch for improvement in
eye.
|
|
|
| Reasons to call healthcare
provider
immediately |
|
|
- Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing;
tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits;
swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Pain in back of the ankle. The part called the Achilles tendon.
- Any rash.
- No improvement in condition or feeling worse.
- Continued pain, burning, vision changes, swelling, or itching of the
eye.
|
|
|
| How should I store this
medicine? |
|
|
- Store at room
temperature.
|
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| General statements |
|
|
- Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's
medicine.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
- Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements,
vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider
(doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
- Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine,
including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs,
vitamins).
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Copyright © 1978-2001 Lexi-Comp Inc. All Rights Reserved
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The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions, warnings, interactions, and contraindications before administering any drug, herb, or supplement discussed herein.
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