Use levofloxacin 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.
- In immature dogs (4 to 5 months old), oral doses of 10 mg/kg/day for 7 days and intravenous doses of 4 mg/kg/day for 14 days of levofloxacin resulted in arthropathic lesions.
- Animal studies have indicated some potential risks to the fetus, but in certain cases, the benefits of taking the medication may outweigh these risks.
- By blocking these enzymes, levofloxacin disrupts the bacteria’s ability to multiply and spread, ultimately leading to their death.
- Levofloxacin tablets are indicated for treatment of plague, including pneumonic and septicemic plague, due to Yersinia pestis (Y. pestis) and prophylaxis for plague in adults and pediatric patients, 6 months of age and older see Dosage and Administration (2.2).
Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully. 8.7 Hepatic Impairment Pharmacokinetic studies in patients with hepatic impairment have not been conducted.
1 Serious and Otherwise Important Adverse Reactions
In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive. Levofloxacin belongs to the class of medicines known as quinolone antibiotics. However, this medicine will not work for colds, flu, or other virus infections.
Ceftriaxone is used for bacteremia, bacterial endocarditis prevention, bacterial infection, bone … Augmentin is a prescription antibiotic combining amoxicillin and clavulanate to treat bacterial … Clindamycin (Cleocin) is used to treat serious infections caused by bacteria. Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium is a combination antibiotic used to treat bacterial … Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how levofloxacin will affect you.
Step 2: Determining the Correct Dosage
Get emergency medical help if you have severe and constant pain in your chest, stomach, or back. 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). Tell your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. If you take too much, call your healthcare provider or get medical help immediately. Microbiologic eradication rates in the Microbiologically Evaluable population levofloxacin oral route proper use at TOC for individual pathogens recovered from patients randomized to LEVAQUIN® treatment are presented in Table 21. Levofloxacin has been shown to be active against Bacillus anthracis both in vitro and by use of plasma levels as a surrogate marker in a rhesus monkey model for anthrax (post-exposure) see Indications and Usage (1.13), Clinical Studies (14.9).
Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis (Off-label)
It is very important that your doctor check your or your child’s progress at regular visits to make sure the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it. Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Get up-to-date information on side effects, precautions, warnings, and proper storage to ensure safe usage. Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not give LEVAQUIN® to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have.
Dosage for skin and skin structure infections
- Call your doctor if your infection doesn’t get better within a week of finishing this drug.
- Three hundred ninety-nine patients were enrolled in an open-label, randomized, comparative study for complicated skin and skin structure infections.
- This risk is further increased in patients receiving concomitant corticosteroid therapy.
- Efficacy studies of levofloxacin tablets could not be conducted in humans with plague for ethical and feasibility reasons.
The safety of levofloxacin in pediatric patients treated for more than 14 days has not been studied see Indications and Usage (1.13), Dosage and Administration (2.2) and Clinical Studies (14.9). No significant effect of levofloxacin on the peak plasma concentrations, AUC, and other disposition parameters for cyclosporine was detected in a clinical study involving healthy volunteers. However, elevated serum levels of cyclosporine have been reported in the patient population when coadministered with some other fluoroquinolones.
Q3:Q3. What Should I Do if I Miss a Dose of Levofloxacin?
Prolonged use may result in overgrowth of non-susceptible organisms, including fungi. If superinfection occurs, discontinue use and institute alternative therapy. Patients should be advised not to wear contact lenses if they have signs and symptoms of corneal ulcer. Avoid contaminating the applicator tip with material from the eye, fingers or other source.
3 Postmarketing Experience
In immature rats and dogs, the oral and intravenous administration of levofloxacin resulted in increased osteochondrosis. Histopathological examination of the weight-bearing joints of immature dogs dosed with levofloxacin revealed persistent lesions of the cartilage. Other fluoroquinolones also produce similar erosions in the weight-bearing joints and other signs of arthropathy in immature animals of various species see Animal Toxicology and/or Pharmacology (13.2). Geriatric patients are at increased risk for developing severe tendon disorders including tendon rupture when being treated with a fluoroquinolone such as LEVAQUIN®. Caution should be used when prescribing LEVAQUIN® to elderly patients especially those on corticosteroids. Patients should be informed of this potential side effect and advised to discontinue LEVAQUIN® and contact their healthcare provider if any symptoms of tendinitis or tendon rupture occur see Boxed Warning; Warnings and Precautions (5.1); and Adverse Reactions (6.3).
If Levofloxacin is not the right medication for you, there are alternative treatments available for the conditions it commonly treats. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your treatment plan. Our telemedicine providers are available to discuss these alternatives with you. For the intravenous form, a healthcare professional will administer it.