Levofloxacin tablets for infection

About levofloxacin

Levofloxacin is given to treat a bacterial infection. It is useful for treating infections such as sinusitis, chest infections, urine infections, prostatitis, and some skin and soft tissue infections. It works by killing the bacteria which are the cause of the infection.

Other antibiotics are usually prescribed in preference to levofloxacin. Levofloxacin is reserved for infections which have not improved with other antibiotic treatment. It is also used if other, more preferred, antibiotics cannot be prescribed for some reason.

Levofloxacin is also available as eye drops for the treatment of eye infections. For more information on this use see the leaflet Levofloxacin eye drops.

Before taking levofloxacin tablets

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking levofloxacin it is important that your doctor knows:

• Wenn Sie schwanger sind, ein Kind erwarten oder stillen.

• Wenn Sie unter 18 Jahre alt sind.

• If you have ever experienced a problem with your tendons, called tendonitis.

• Wenn Sie Probleme mit der Funktionsweise Ihrer Nieren haben.

• Wenn Sie an Epilepsie oder einer anderen Erkrankung leiden, die Anfälle verursacht.

• If you have ever had mental health problems.

• Wenn Sie ein Herzleiden haben oder wenn Ihnen gesagt wurde, dass Sie einen ungewöhnlichen Herzschlag haben.

• If you have aortic aneurysm or a family history of aneurysm disease.

• Wenn Sie an einer Erkrankung leiden, die zu müden und schwachen Muskeln führt, der so genannten Myasthenia gravis.

• Wenn Sie wissen, dass Sie einen Glukose-6-Phosphat-Dehydrogenase-Mangel (G6PD) haben. Dies ist eine genetische Störung, die nach dem Verzehr von Lebensmitteln wie Favabohnen Probleme verursacht.

• Wenn Sie andere Arzneimittel einnehmen. Dazu gehören alle Arzneimittel, die Sie einnehmen und die rezeptfrei erhältlich sind, sowie pflanzliche und ergänzende Arzneimittel.

• If you have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine. It is particularly important that you tell your doctor if you have had a problem after taking another quinolone antibiotic (these are called norfloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and nalidixic acid).

How to take levofloxacin tablets

• Before you start taking the tablets, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. The manufacturer's leaflet will give you more information about levofloxacin and a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take levofloxacin exactly as your doctor tells you to. The usual dose is 500 mg daily, although for some types of infection a dose of 250 mg daily is sufficient, and for others, 500 mg twice daily is needed. Read the label carefully to make sure you know what dose is right for you.

• You can take levofloxacin before or after meals. If you are taking one dose a day, it is preferable to take it in the morning. If you are taking more than one dose a day, try to space out your doses - so ideally, take a tablet every 12 hours.

• Many people find it helps to swallow the tablets with a drink of water. You may break the tablets in half along the score line if needed, but do not crush or chew the tablets.

• Do not take indigestion remedies (antacids) or medicines containing iron or zinc (such as multivitamin tablets) during the two hours before you take levofloxacin, or during the two hours after you have taken a dose. This is because these medicines interfere with the way levofloxacin is absorbed by your body, and stop it from working fully.

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If when you remember, your next dose is due then take the dose which is due but leave out the forgotten one. Do not take two tablets together to make up for a missed dose.

• Even if you feel your infection has cleared up, keep taking the antibiotic until the course is finished (unless you are told to stop by your doctor). This is to prevent the infection from coming back. A course of treatment usually lasts for 7-14 days. If you still feel unwell after finishing the course of tablets, go back to see your doctor.

Das Beste aus Ihrer Behandlung herausholen

• Denken Sie daran, alle Routinetermine bei Ihrem Arzt wahrzunehmen. So können Ihre Fortschritte überwacht werden.

• Levofloxacin may cause your skin to become more sensitive to sunlight than normal. Protect your skin by using a sunscreen, particularly if you are exposed to strong sunlight for a prolonged period of time. Do not use sunbeds.

• If you buy any medicines, check with a pharmacist that they are safe to take with this antibiotic. In particular, do not take painkillers called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, while you are taking levofloxacin.

• Manche Menschen entwickeln nach der Einnahme von Antibiotika Soor (Rötung und Juckreiz im Mund oder in der Vagina). Wenn Sie glauben, dass Sie Soor haben, fragen Sie Ihren Arzt oder Apotheker um Rat.

• Dieses Antibiotikum kann die Wirkung der Schluckimpfung gegen Typhus beeinträchtigen. Wenn Sie geimpft werden, stellen Sie sicher, dass die behandelnde Person weiß, dass Sie dieses Medikament einnehmen.

• Levofloxacin may make you feel light-headed and impair your ability to concentrate. Make sure your reactions are normal before you drive and before you use tools or machines.

• If you have diabetes, you may need to check your blood sugar (glucose) levels more regularly, as levofloxacin can affect the levels of sugar in your blood.

Can levofloxacin cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with levofloxacin. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Wenn Sie andere Symptome haben, von denen Sie glauben, dass sie auf die Tabletten zurückzuführen sind, fragen Sie Ihren Arzt oder Apotheker um Rat.

How to store levofloxacin

• Bewahren Sie alle Arzneimittel außerhalb der Reichweite und Sichtweite von Kindern auf.

• An einem kühlen, trockenen Ort aufbewahren, vor direkter Hitze und Licht schützen.
  

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