Levofloxacin
About Levofloxacin
Levofloxacin belongs to the class of 'antibiotics', primarily used to treat bacterial infections. Bacterial infection occurs when harmful bacteria grow in the body and causes illness. It can infect any part of the body and multiply very quickly.
Levofloxacin is composed of 'Levofloxacin' that belongs to a class of quinolone antibiotics. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called gyrase, responsible for the growth and development of bacterial DNA. Thereby, inhibits bacterial growth and treats bacterial infection.
Levofloxacin will be administered by a healthcare professional. Levofloxacin may cause a few side effects, although not everybody gets them. Common side effects of Levofloxacin include constipation, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, light-headedness, trouble sleeping/insomnia, pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site. Most of these side effects do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. If these side effects persist longer, please consult your doctor.
Let your doctor know if you have any allergic reactions to medicines, liver/kidney problems, fits, diabetes, tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon, a tissue connecting muscle and bone), myasthenia gravis (muscular weakness), high blood pressure, low blood potassium (hypokalaemia), and mood disorders. Levofloxacin should be used only with a doctor's advice during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Levofloxacin may cause light-headedness/dizziness; in such cases, please do not drive until you are alert. Levofloxacin may cause dizziness; hence avoid or limit alcohol consumption.
Uses of Levofloxacin
Medicinal Benefits
Levofloxacin treats various bacterial infections, including infections of the lower respiratory tract (lungs), urinary tract (kidneys and bladder), skin, soft tissues, and prostate gland. It contains Levofloxacin, a quinolone antibiotic that inhibits bacterial DNA gyrase, an enzyme required for the replication, transcription, and repair of the DNA. Thereby, inhibits bacterial growth and treats bacterial infection. It is also used to treat anthrax (a rare but serious bacterial illness) and certain types of plague.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Levofloxacin
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Light-headedness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Trouble sleeping/insomnia
- Pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site
Drug Warnings
Brief your medical history to the doctor if you are allergic to any of the components in Levofloxacin. Let your doctor know if you have any allergic reactions to medicines, liver/kidney diseases, diabetes, fits, tendon problems, high blood pressure, hypokalaemia, and mood disorders before starting Levofloxacin. Levofloxacin can make myasthenia gravis worse; hence you should take Levofloxacin only under a doctor's supervision. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before starting this medicine. Levofloxacin may cause dizziness; hence drive or operate machinery only when you are alert. Avoid alcohol consumption to prevent any undesired effects like dizziness while undergoing treatment.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Levofloxacin may interact with antibiotics (erythromycin, azithromycin), blood thinners (warfarin), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, respiratory medication (theophylline), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine), heart-related medicines (digoxin), gout medicines (probenecid), antacids (cimetidine), medicines treating abnormal heart rhythm (quinidine), antidepressants (amitriptyline), antipsychotics, anti-diabetic drugs, and multivitamins with minerals.
Drug-Food Interaction: Alcohol consumption should be avoided to prevent adverse effects
Drug-Disease Interaction: Before taking Levofloxacin, let your doctor know if you have any liver or kidney diseases, tendonitis, bursitis, fits, diabetes, myasthenia gravis, dialysis, high blood pressure, nerve problems, mood disorders (depression), aneurysm, blockage of the aorta or other blood vessels, and connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAlcohol consumption may worsen the side effect of Levofloxacin like dizziness. It is better to avoid alcohol while you are being treated with Levofloxacin.
Pregnancy
cautionPlease consult your doctor before taking Levofloxacin if you are pregnant or planning to conceive.
Breast Feeding
cautionLevofloxacin is excreted into breast milk. Please consult your doctor before taking Levofloxacin if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
cautionLevofloxacin may cause side effects like dizziness that could affect your driving ability. Do not drive or operate machinery in such cases. Drive only when you are mentally alert.
Liver
cautionLevofloxacin to be taken with caution if you have a history of liver diseases/conditions.
Kidney
cautionLet your doctor know if you have any history of kidney diseases or impairment before taking Levofloxacin.
Children
cautionLevofloxacin should be used for children only when prescribed by a doctor The dose may depend on the child's age and body weight.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Wash your hands often to maintain cleanliness.
- Avoid sharing personal items like shaving razors.
- Include whole-grain foods like multigrain bread and brown rice in your diet.
- Taking probiotics after an antibiotic treatment reduces the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Try taking yoghurt, cheese, sauerkraut, and kimchi that help restore the intestine's good bacteria.
- Include more fibre-enriched food in your diet that is easily digested by your gut bacteria. Fibre foods may also help restore healthy gut bacteria after a course of antibiotics.
- Avoid intake of alcoholic beverages as it can make you dehydrated and affect your sleep.
- Manage stress, eat healthily, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep.
Special Advise
- Levofloxacin can cause serious tendon problems and nerve damage; hence you should be cautious. If you experience any symptoms like severe headaches, extreme hunger, irritability, numbness, tingling, burning pain, confusion, agitation, and memory problems, please stop using this medicine and seek immediate medical advice.
- Levofloxacin might produce false-positive urine screening results for opiates. Inform the laboratory staff that you are taking Levofloxacin if you are due to undergo any tests.
- Levofloxacin may cause mental health-related side effects; hence patients with mood disorders should take advice accordingly.
- If you are diabetic, monitor your blood sugar levels regularly since Levofloxacin may affect blood glucose levels.
- Quinolone antibiotics like Levofloxacin may cause QT prolongation (heart muscle takes longer than normal to recharge between beats) in electrocardiogram (ECG) in some patients.
- Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) is reported during the usage of antibiotics. Please consult your doctor if you experience prolonged diarrhoea.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Bacterial infection occurs when harmful bacteria grow in the body and causes illness. It can infect any part of the body and multiply very quickly. Bacteria occur in three basic shapes: spherical, rod and spiral-shaped. Bacteria may be gram-positive (have a thick cell wall) or gram-negative (do not have a cell wall). Some common symptoms of a bacterial infection include cough, fever, shortness of breath, chills, muscle pain, fatigue, and tiredness. Untreated bacterial infections may lead to serious life-threatening conditions like sepsis.
FAQs
Levofloxacin belongs to the class of 'antibiotics', primarily used to treat bacterial infections. Bacterial infection occurs when harmful bacteria grow in the body and causes illness. It can infect any part of the body and multiply very quickly. Levofloxacin is an antibiotic that treats bacterial infections. It works by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis, which retards bacterial growth.
Levofloxacin should be used with proper caution and doctor consultation if you have any allergic reactions to medicines, liver or kidney diseases, hypokalaemia, diabetes, joint or tendon problems (tendonitis, bursitis), mood disorders (depression), myasthenia gravis (muscle weakness), peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage), fits, aneurysm (weakening of an artery), blockage of the aorta or other blood vessels, high blood pressure, and connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Levofloxacin may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels). Inform your doctor if you have diabetes and monitor your blood sugar levels regularly if prescribed.
Levofloxacin can affect the live vaccines like typhoid vaccine and decrease its effectiveness. Please consult a doctor before you start Levofloxacin if you are undergoing any vaccinations.
Antacids and multivitamins with minerals can decrease the efficacy of Levofloxacin. Hence, it is recommended to take Levofloxacin 2 to 4 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after taking magnesium/aluminium antacids, sucralfate, zinc or iron preparations, and multivitamins with minerals.
Diarrhoea can be a side-effect of Levofloxacin. Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) is also reported during usage of antibiotics like Levofloxacin. Therefore, when the patient has diarrhoea, undergoing an examination is advised to rule out the chances of CDAD following Levofloxacin therapy.
