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Brand name:

Floxin

Pronounced: FLOCKS-in
Generic name: Ofloxacin

Why is this drug prescribed?

Floxin is an antibiotic. Floxin tablets have been used effectively to treat lower respiratory tract infections, including chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases (except syphilis), pelvic inflammatory disease, and infections of the urinary tract, prostate gland, and skin. Floxin Otic solution is used to treat ear infections.

Most important fact about this drug

Floxin kills a variety of bacteria, and is frequently used to treat infections in many parts of the body. However, you should stop taking the drug and notify your doctor immediately at the first sign of a skin rash or any other allergic reaction. Although quite rare, serious and occasionally fatal allergic reactions have been reported, some after only one dose. Signs of an impending reaction include swelling of the face and throat, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, rapid heartbeat, tingling, itching, and hives.

How should you take this medication?

You may take Floxin tablets with or without food. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids while taking the tablets.

Do not take mineral supplements, vitamins with iron or minerals, Videx chewable tablets and pediatric powder, or antacids containing calcium, aluminum, or magnesium within 2 hours of taking Floxin tablets.

Floxin Otic solution should be administered as follows:

1. Wash hands.
2. Clean the outer ear of any discharge. Do not insert any object into the ear canal.
3. Warm the drops by holding the bottle in your hand for one or two minutes.
4. Have the individual receiving the drops lie on his or her side with the affected ear up.
5. Place the prescribed number of drops in the ear.
6. Do not touch the applicator to the ear or your fingers.
7. If a middle ear infection is involved, gently press the flap in front of the ear canal 4 times to help push the drops inward. For an outer ear canal infection, gently pull the ear upward and backward while giving the drops.
8. Keep the ear facing upward for 5 minutes to allow drops to be absorbed into the ear.

Take Floxin exactly as prescribed. You need to complete the full course of therapy to obtain best results and decrease the risk of a recurrence of the infection.

--If you miss a dose...

Take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular schedule. Never take 2 doses at the same time.

--Storage instructions...

Store at room temperature in a tightly closed container.

What side effects may occur?

Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Floxin.

FLOXIN TABLETS

• More common side effects may include:
  Diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, headache, itching of genital area in women, nausea, vaginal inflammation, vomiting

• Less common or rare side effects may include:
  Abdominal pain and cramps, aggressiveness or hostility, agitation, anemia, anxiety, asthma, blood in the urine, blurred vision, body pain, bruising, burning or rash of the female genitals, burning sensation in the upper chest, changeable emotions, changes in thinking and perception, chest pain, confusion, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), continual runny nose, constipation, cough, decreased appetite, depression, difficult or labored breathing, disorientation, disturbed dreams, disturbed sense of smell, double vision, dry mouth, exaggerated sense of well-being, excessive perspiration, fainting, fatigue, fear, fever, fluid retention, frequent urination, gas, hallucinations, hearing disturbance or loss, hepatitis, hiccups, high or low blood pressure, high or low blood sugar, hives, inability to urinate, increased urination, indigestion, inflammation of the colon, inflammation or rupture of tendons, intolerance to light, involuntary eye movement, itching, joint pain, kidney problems, lack of coordination, light-headedness, liver problems, menstrual changes, muscle pain, nervousness, nightmares, nosebleed, pain, pain in arms and legs, painful or difficult urination, purple or red areas/spots on the skin, rapid heartbeat, rash, reddened skin, restlessness, ringing in the ears, seizures, sensitivity to light, severe allergic reaction, skin inflammation and flaking or eruptions, sleepiness, sleep problems, sore mouth or throat, speech difficulty, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (severe skin eruptions), stomach and intestinal upset or bleeding, taste distortion, thirst, throbbing or fluttering heartbeat, tingling or pins and needles, tremor, unexplained bleeding from the uterus, vaginal discharge, vaginal yeast infection, vague feeling of illness, vertigo, visual disturbances, weakness, weight loss, yellowing of eyes and skin

FLOXIN OTIC SOLUTION

• More common side effects may include:
  Abnormal or bitter taste, itching

• Less common side effects may include:
  Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, bad breath, bleeding from the ear, coughing, decreased sense of touch, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, discomfort upon application, dizziness, dry mouth, earache, fever, headache, hives, hot flushes, increased muscle movement, indigestion, inflammation or rupture of a tendon, nausea, nose inflammation, outer ear infection, pain, rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus inflammation, skin inflammation and flaking or sores, throat inflammation, tingling or pins and needles, vertigo, vomiting

Why should this drug not be prescribed?

Do not take Floxin if you are sensitive to or have ever had an allergic reaction to it or other quinolone antibiotics such as Cipro and Noroxin.

Special warnings about this medication

Floxin tablets, used in high doses for short periods of time, may hide or delay the symptoms of syphilis, but is not effective in treating syphilis. If you are taking Floxin for gonorrhea, your doctor will test you for syphilis and then perform a follow-up test after 3 months of treatment.

Convulsions, increased pressure in the head, psychosis, tremors, restlessness, light-headedness, nervousness, confusion, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and hallucinations have occasionally been reported with this type of antibiotic. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor immediately.

Like all antibiotics, Floxin has been known to cause serious inflammation of the bowels. Notify your doctor if you develop diarrhea during or after a course of therapy with this drug.

Floxin can cause a rupture in the muscle tendons in your hand, shoulder, or heel. If you notice any pain and inflammation in a tendon, rest and avoid exercise until you have seen your doctor.

If you are prone to seizures due to kidney disease, a brain disorder, or epilepsy, make sure your doctor knows about it. Floxin tablets should be used with caution under these conditions.

If you have liver or kidney disease, your doctor will watch you closely while you are taking Floxin tablets.

Avoid being in the sun too much; you can develop sun poisoning while you are taking Floxin tablets.

Floxin tablets may make you feel dizzy or light-headed. Be careful driving, operating machinery, or doing any activity that requires full mental alertness until you know how you react to this medication.

Never put Floxin eardrops in the eyes or mouth. When placed in the ear, they may cause dizziness if they have not been sufficiently warmed.

Floxin tablets have not been tested in children under 18. Floxin eardrops have not been tested in children under 1.

Possible food and drug interactions when taking this medication

If Floxin is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Floxin with the following:

Antacids containing calcium, magnesium, or aluminum
Blood thinners such as Coumadin
Calcium supplements such as Caltrate
Cimetidine (Tagamet)
Cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral)
Didanosine (Videx)
Insulin
Iron supplements such as Feosol
Multivitamins containing zinc
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Motrin and Naprosyn
Oral diabetes drugs such as Diabinese and Micronase
Probenecid (Benemid)
Sucralfate (Carafate)
Theophylline-containing drugs, such as Theo-Dur

Special information if you are pregnant or breastfeeding

The effects of Floxin during pregnancy have not been adequately studied. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor immediately. This medication should not be used during pregnancy unless your doctor has determined that the benefit to you outweighs the risk to the unborn baby. Floxin appears in breast milk and could affect a nursing infant. If this medication is essential to your health, your doctor may advise you to stop breastfeeding until your treatment with Floxin is finished.

Recommended dosage

FLOXIN TABLETS

The usual dose is 400 milligrams every 12 hours for 10 days, for a total daily dose of 800 milligrams.

Pneumonia

The usual dose is 400 milligrams every 12 hours for 10 days, for a total daily dose of 800 milligrams.

Gonorrhea

The usual dose is 400 milligrams taken once.

Sexually Transmitted Infections of the Cervix or Urethra

The usual dose is 300 milligrams every 12 hours for 7 days, for a total daily dose of 600 milligrams.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

The usual dose is 400 milligrams every 12 hours for 10 to 14 days, for a total daily dose of 800 milligrams.

Mild to Moderate Skin Infections

The usual dose is 400 milligrams every 12 hours for 10 days, for a total daily dose of 800 milligrams.

Bladder Infections

The usual dose is 200 milligrams every 12 hours for a total daily dose of 400 milligrams. This dose is taken for 3 days for infections due to E. coli or K. pneumoniae. For infections due to other microbes, it is taken for 7 days.

Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

The usual dose is 200 milligrams every 12 hours for 10 days, for a total daily dose of 400 milligrams.

Prostatitis

The usual dose is 300 milligrams every 12 hours for 6 weeks, for a total daily dose of 600 milligrams.

FLOXIN OTIC SOLUTION

For adults and children over 12, the usual dose is 10 drops in the affected ear 2 times a day for 10 days. For children from 1 to 12 years of age, the usual dose is 5 drops in the affected ear 2 times a day for 10 days.

Acute Otitis Media (Severe Middle Ear Infection) in Children with Ear Tubes

For children from 1 to 12 years of age, the usual dose is 5 drops in the affected ear 2 times a day for 10 days.

Chronic Otitis Media with Perforated Eardrum and Pus

For adults and children over 12, the usual dose is 10 drops in the affected ear 2 times a day for 14 days.

Overdosage

Any medication used in excess can have serious consequences. If you suspect an overdose, seek medical treatment immediately.

• Symptoms of Floxin overdose may include:
  Disorientation, dizziness, drowsiness, hot and cold flashes, nausea, slurring of speech, swelling and numbness in the face