What is Levofloxacin: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects and More

Physical therapy can be beneficial for tendon injuries caused by levofloxacin. Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can levofloxacin oral route proper use restore mobility and reduce pain. Avoid intense physical activity during recovery to prevent further damage. Off-label use should only occur under your healthcare provider’s supervision. Avoid self-medicating with levofloxacin, as improper use can lead to antibiotic resistance. It is not known if levofloxacin tablets are safe and effective in children under 6 months of age.

Serious Adverse Effects

Problems with tendons can happen in people who are taking levofloxacin or who have taken it in the past several months. This can possibly lead to tendon swelling, also called tendonitis, or tearing of the tendon. It is most common with the tendon on the back of your ankle, called the Achilles tendon, but can also happen with other tendons. Stop taking levofloxacin, rest the affected area, and get medical help right away if you hear or feel a snap, see bruising right after an injury, or cannot move or put weight on a limb.

While these are uncommon, it’s important to be aware of them and seek medical help if you notice any unusual symptoms. Levofloxacin may cause a rare, dangerous heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation and torsade de pointes. Tell your health care provider right away if you faint or have changes in your heart rate or rhythm, such as a fast or skipping heartbeat.

• A balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals supports recovery.
• Levofloxacin isn’t suitable for everyone, and your doctor will carefully consider your medical history before prescribing it.
• If these reactions are especially bothersome, check with your doctor.

What is Levofloxacin: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects and More

Levofloxacin is a widely prescribed respiratory fluoroquinolone by many clinicians for a broad spectrum of bacterial infections. Healthcare staff should counsel patients to maintain adequate hydration to prevent crystalluria and avoid antacids to enhance bioavailability. As levofloxacin excretion is primarily via the kidney, clinicians should carefully adjust the dose in the presence of renal insufficiency to prevent levofloxacin accumulation. Consultation with an infectious diseases specialist is required to treat resistant infections. Antibacterial drugs including levofloxacin should only be used to treat bacterial infections. Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone commonly prescribed for conditions like pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and skin infections.

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 used to treat bacterial infections in many different parts of the body. It is also used to treat anthrax infection after inhalational exposure. Levofloxacin is also used to treat and prevent plague (including pneumonic and septicemic plague). Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that fights bacterial infections by stopping their growth.

Dosage Guidelines for Levofloxacin

It’s been around longer and has more research behind it for certain conditions. For urinary tract infections, your doctor might consider nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, or fosfomycin. These medications are often preferred for uncomplicated UTIs and may have fewer side effects. Pregnant women should generally avoid levofloxacin unless the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, as it may affect the developing baby’s bones and joints. The medication can also pass into breast milk, so nursing mothers need to discuss alternatives with their doctor.

Clinical guidelines – Diagnosis and treatment manual

Nerves are the fibers that carry sensations from your body to the brain. Damage to these nerves, called peripheral neuropathy, can happen in people who are taking levofloxacin. Stop taking levofloxacin and call your health care provider if you develop pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feet. Levofloxacin injection should be administered for adult and pediatric patients by slow IV infusion over 60 minutes (250 to 500 mg) and over 90 minutes (for 750 mg).

Levofloxacin tablets are also used to treat children who are 6 months of age or older and may have breathed in anthrax germs, have plague, or been exposed to plague germs. Studies of levofloxacin tablets for use in the treatment of plague and anthrax were done in animals only, because plague and anthrax could not be studied in people. Most people start feeling better within 2-3 days of starting the medication, but the bacteria may still be present in smaller numbers. Stopping too early can allow these remaining bacteria to multiply again and potentially become resistant to the antibiotic.

• Stop taking levofloxacin tablets at the first sign of a skin rash and call your healthcare provider.
• A household spoon is not an accurate measuring device and may cause you to take the wrong dose.
• Tell your doctor about any previous allergic reactions to antibiotics, even if they seemed mild.
• Levofloxacin is generally not recommended for children under 18 due to potential risks to developing joints and muscles.

Always inform your healthcare provider about all your medications and supplements to avoid harmful interactions. An overdose might cause symptoms like severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, or confusion. In serious cases, it could affect your heart rhythm or cause seizures, which is why getting medical help quickly is important. Let your healthcare provider know about all your diabetes medications, including insulin, as they may need to adjust your doses temporarily.

Patients should drink fluids liberally while taking levofloxacin to avoid formation of a highly concentrated urine and crystal formation in the urine. Do not drive or do other activities that require alertness or coordination until you know how levofloxacin affects you. Do not share levofloxacin with other people, even if they have the same condition as you. Your pharmacist can tell you all of the ingredients in the specific levofloxacin products they stock. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking levofloxacin or giving levofloxacin to your child. Before you have any medical tests, tell the medical doctor in charge that you are using this medicine.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you need to take this medicine for anthrax infection or plague, your doctor will want you to begin taking it as soon as possible after you are exposed to anthrax or bacteria causing the plague.

1 Tendinopathy and Tendon Rupture

If your infection does not get better while you take levofloxacin tablets, it may mean that the bacteria causing your infection may be resistant to levofloxacin tablets. If your infection does not get better, call your healthcare provider. If your infection does not get better, levofloxacin tablets and other similar antibiotic medicines may not work for you in the future.

Levofloxacin can increase the pressure around the brain, a serious condition called pseudotumor cerebri (or increased intracranial pressure). Stop taking levofloxacin and call your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms. 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.