CIPRO

Who is Cipro for ?

Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia; gonorrhea; infectious diarrhea; typhoid fever; anthrax; and bone, joint, skin, and urinary tract infections. Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. this medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Ciprofloxacin also is used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis who have lung infections. It also is used to treat some malignant ear infections and tuberculosis (TB). Ciprofloxacin may be used with another medicine to treat disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Ciprofloxacin is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections. Cipro works by interfering with an enzyme that allows bacteria to reproduce. This enzyme interference halts the growth of bacteria and eventually leads to death of the bacteria.

When should I be careful taking Cipro ?

Before taking ciprofloxacin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to ciprofloxacin, enoxacin (Penetrex), levofloxacin (Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), cinoxacin (Cinobac), nalidixic acid (NegGram), erythromycin, or any other drugs.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially other antibiotics, anticoagulants ("blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin), cancer chemotherapy agents, cimetidine (Tagamet), cinoxacin (Cinobac), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), enoxacin (Penetrex), levofloxacin (Levaquin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), medications with caffeine (NoDoz, Vivarin), nalidixic acid (NegGram), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin), phenytoin (Dilantin), probenecid (Benemid), sparfloxacin (Zagam), sucralfate (Carafate), and vitamins.
• do not take with antacids (Mylanta, Maalox), iron or zinc supplements, or vitamins that contain iron or zinc. Take them 2 hours before or 4 hours after ciprofloxacin.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease, epilepsy, colitis, stomach problems, vision problems, heart disease, or history of stroke.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking ciprofloxacin, call your doctor immediately.
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell the doctor or dentist that you are taking ciprofloxacin.
• plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Ciprofloxacin may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.
• you should know that this drug may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and tiredness. Do not drive a car or work on dangerous machines until you know how ciprofloxacin will affect you.

Side Effects

Although side effects from ciprofloxacin are not common, they can occur. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• upset stomach
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• stomach pain
• headache
• restlessness

If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• skin rash
• itching
• hives
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face or throat
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• dark urine
• pale or dark stools
• blood in urine
• unusual tiredness
• sunburn or blistering
• seizures or convulsions
• vaginal infection
• vision changes
• pain, inflammation, or rupture of a tendon