Ofloxacin, Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Generic and brand names: ofloxacin, oral; Floxin

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is an antibiotic used to treat various infections in the body. It may be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

This medicine may be taken by mouth, or given by injection.

This medicine will not cure viral infections such as colds or flu.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before taking this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• diabetes
• a prolonged QT interval (a serious electrical defect of the heart) or if you have a close relative who has prolonged QT interval syndrome.
• arrhythmia (heart rhythm problems)
• depression or thoughts of suicide
• kidney disease
• liver disease
• myasthenia gravis
• seizures.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have recently had a heart attack or stroke.

Females of childbearing age: This medicine is not usually given during pregnancy. Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

Take this medicine exactly as your healthcare provider prescribes. Take it regularly for as long as prescribed, even if you start to feel better. The infection may return if you stop taking the medicine too soon.

Take the medicine at the same time each day to help you remember to take it. Take each dose with a full glass of water. Drink plenty of fluids while you are taking this medicine.

Food (especially dairy products such as milk and yogurt) may affect the way this medicine works. Take this medicine 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise.

Take this medicine 4 hours before or 8 hours after medicines, vitamins, or supplements that contain calcium, iron, or zinc; antacids containing aluminum or magnesium; sucralfate (Carafate); or didanosine (Videx). Do not take antacids (for example, Maalox or Mylanta) at the same time as this medicine.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your healthcare provider.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause diarrhea. Severe bloody diarrhea may be a sign of a life-threatening condition called pseudomembranous colitis. If you develop diarrhea while taking this medicine, contact your healthcare provider right away. Do not take medicine to treat diarrhea without your provider's approval. Some diarrhea medicine will make your diarrhea worse.

If you are a diabetic using insulin or taking diabetes medicine by mouth and you have symptoms of low blood sugar, contact your healthcare provider right away. Symptoms of low blood sugar include confusion, shaking, weakness, strong hunger, cold sweats, headache, nausea, vision problems, and feeling faint.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and to indirect light through glass, even when you use sunscreen lotions. This may lead to painful sunburns. While you are taking this medicine and for 5 days after you stop taking it, avoid long exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen lotion when you need to be outdoors. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your healthcare provider right away.

This medicine may cause joint pain or damage if given to people under 18 years of age. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

This medicine may increase the effects of caffeine in coffee, black tea, and colas. You may have a fast heartbeat, feel shaky, and have trouble sleeping.

This medicine may cause rupture of the Achilles tendon or other tendons. Contact your healthcare provider if you have pain or swelling in the back of your knee or ankle, in your shoulder or elbow, or in your hand or wrist.

You may develop a different infection while you are taking this medicine. Report any signs of infection to your healthcare provider.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Continuous or severe bloody diarrhea; fast or pounding heartbeat; seizures; tremors (shaking); hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there); depression or thoughts of suicide; fainting; severe pain or swelling in your ankle or tendons; chest pain; yellow skin or eyes; burning, numbness, or tingling in your hands or feet.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dry mouth, change in sense of taste, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, sensitivity to the sun, restlessness.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• antacids containing aluminum, calcium, or magnesium such as Maalox, Mylanta, TUMS, or Amphojel (take at least 4 hours apart from this medicine)
• antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dirithromycin (Dynabac), and erythromycin (Erythrocin, E.E.S., EryPed, E-Mycin)
• antiarrhythmia medicine such as quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide (Norpace), dofetilide (Tikosyn), sotalol (Betapace), propafenone (Rythmol), amiodarone (Cordarone), and mexiletine (Mexitil)
• bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban)
• calcium acetate (Phos-Lo)
• corticosteroids such as cortisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisolone, and prednisone
• didanosine (Videx)
• herbal products such as dong quai and St. John's wort
• insulin and diabetes medicines taken by mouth such as glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase), glipizide (Glucotrol), metformin (Glucophage), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and pioglitazone (Actos)
• iron medicines such as Feosol, Mol-Iron, Fergon, Femiron, Slow-Fe, and Fer-In-Sol
• medicines, foods, or drinks containing large amounts of caffeine
• multivitamins or supplements containing , calcium, magnesium, iron, or zinc (take 3 hours before or 2 hours after a dose of this medicine)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), ketoprofen (Orudis), nabumetone (Relafen), and indomethacin (Indocin)
• phenothiazines such as prochlorperazine (Compazine), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), perphenazine, trifluoperazine (Stelazine), promazine (Sparine), thioridazine, fluphenazine (Prolixin), and thiothixene (Navane)
• sevelamer (Renagel)
• sucralfate (Carafate)
• theophylline (Slo-Bid)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine (Anafranil) desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil), trimipramine (Surmontil), and doxepin (Sinequan)
• warfarin (Coumadin)
• ziprasidone (Geodon).

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.