In rare cases, levofloxacin may cause damage to your aorta, which could lead to dangerous bleeding or death. Get emergency medical help if you have severe and constant pain in your chest, stomach, or back.
Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone flor-o-KWIN-o-lone antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body. Levofloxacin is used to treat different types of bacterial infections. Levofloxacin is also used to treat people who have been exposed to anthrax or certain types of plague. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause serious or disabling side effects. Levofloxacin should be used only for infections that cannot be treated with a safer antibiotic.
You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to levofloxacin or other fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin, gemifloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, and others. Levofloxacin may cause swelling or tearing of a tendon the fiber that connects bones to muscles in the body , especially in the Achilles' tendon of the heel.
This can happen during treatment or up to several months after you stop taking levofloxacin. Tendon problems may be more likely in certain people children and older adults, or people who use steroid medicine or have had an organ transplant.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
Use the medicine exactly as directed. Take levofloxacin with water, at the same time each day. Drink extra fluids to keep your kidneys working properly while taking this medicine. Take levofloxacin oral solution liquid on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. Measure liquid medicine carefully. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device not a kitchen spoon.
Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses can increase your risk of infection that is resistant to medication.
Levofloxacin will not treat a viral infection such as the flu or a common cold. This medicine may affect a drug-screening urine test and you may have false results. Tell the laboratory staff that you use levofloxacin.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use. Take the medicine as soon as you can, but skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next dose.
Do not take two doses at one time. Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired. Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor before using anti-diarrhea medicine. Levofloxacin could make you sunburn more easily.
Avoid sunlight or tanning beds. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen SPF 30 or higher when you are outdoors. Tell your doctor if you have severe burning, redness, itching, rash, or swelling after being in the sun. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat or a severe skin reaction fever, sore throat, burning in your eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.
Levofloxacin can cause serious side effects, including tendon problems, side effects on your nerves which may cause permanent nerve damage , serious mood or behavior changes after just one dose , or low blood sugar which can lead to coma. In rare cases, levofloxacin may cause damage to your aorta, the main blood artery of the body. This could lead to dangerous bleeding or death. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Some medicines can make levofloxacin much less effective when taken at the same time. If you take any of the following medicines, take your levofloxacin dose 2 hours before or 2 hours after you take the other medicine.
If you stop taking levofloxacin too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics. Levofloxacin is also sometimes used to treat endocarditis infection of the heart lining and valves , certain sexually transmitted diseases, salmonella an infection that causes severe diarrhea , shigella an infection that causes severe diarrhea , inhalation anthrax a serious infection that may be spread by anthrax germs in the air on purpose as part of a bioterror attack , and tuberculosis TB.
Levofloxacin is also sometimes used to prevent or treat traveler's diarrhea. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition. This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Levofloxacin may cause problems with bones, joints, and tissues around joints in children.
Levofloxacin should not normally be given to children younger than 18 years of age unless they have plague or have been exposed to plague or anthrax in the air. If your doctor prescribes levofloxacin for your child, be sure to tell the doctor if your child has or has ever had joint-related problems. Call your doctor if your child develops joint problems, such as pain or swelling, while taking levofloxacin or after treatment with levofloxacin.
Levofloxacin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily.
To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location — one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program.
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to levofloxacin. If you have diabetes, your doctor may ask you to check your blood sugar more often while taking levofloxacin. Before having any laboratory test, tell your doctor and the laboratory personnel that you are taking levofloxacin.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your prescription is probably not refillable. If you still have symptoms of infection after you finish taking levofloxacin, call your doctor. It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription over-the-counter medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements.
You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies. Generic alternatives may be available. Levofloxacin pronounced as lee voe flox' a sin. Why is this medication prescribed? How should this medicine be used?
Other uses for this medicine What special precautions should I follow? What special dietary instructions should I follow? What should I do if I forget a dose? What side effects can this medication cause? What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication? Brand names. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking levofloxacin.
Other uses for this medicine. What special precautions should I follow? Before taking levofloxacin, tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic or have had a severe reaction to levofloxacin; any other quinolone or fluoroquinolone antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin Cipro , delafloxacin Baxdela , gemifloxacin Factive , moxifloxacin Avelox , and ofloxacin, or any other medications, or if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in levofloxacin preparations.
Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: anticoagulants 'blood thinners' such as warfarin Coumadin, Jantoven ; certain antidepressants; antipsychotics medications to treat mental illness ; diuretics 'water pills' ; insulin or other medications to treat diabetes such as chlorpropamide, glimepiride Amaryl, in Duetact , glipizide Glucotrol , glyburide DiaBeta , tolazamide, and tolbutamide; certain medications for irregular heartbeat such as amiodarone Nexterone, Pacerone , procainamide, quinidine in Nuedexta , and sotalol Betapace, Betapace AF, Sorine, Sotylize ; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as ibuprofen Advil, Motrin, others and naproxen Aleve, Naprosyn, others ; or theophylline Elixophyllin, Theo, Uniphyl, others.
Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
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