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Floxin |
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What is Floxin and why is it prescribed? Floxin is an antibiotic. Floxin tablets have been used effectively to treat lower respiratory tract infections, including chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic inflammatory disease, and infections of the urinary tract, prostate gland, and skin. Floxin Otic solution is used to treat ear infections. Floxin kills a variety of bacteria, and is frequently used to treat infections in many parts of the body. However, you should stop taking the drug and notify your doctor immediately at the first sign of a skin rash or any other allergic reaction. Although quite rare, serious and occasionally fatal allergic reactions have been reported, some after only one dose. Signs of an impending reaction include swelling of the face and throat, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, rapid heartbeat, tingling, itching, and hives. How should you take Floxin? Follow your doctors directions for taking Floxin. You may take Floxin tablets with or without food. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids while taking the tablets. Do not take mineral supplements, vitamins with iron or minerals, Videx chewable tablets and pediatric powder, or antacids containing calcium, aluminum, or magnesium within 2 hours of taking Floxin tablets. Floxin Otic solution should be administered as follows: (1) Wash hands, (2) Clean the outer ear of any discharge. Do not insert any object into the ear canal, (3) arm the drops by holding the bottle in your hand for one or two minutes, (4) Have the individual receiving the drops lie on his or her side with the affected ear up, (5) Place the prescribed number of drops in the ear. (6) Do not touch the applicator to the ear or your fingers, (7) If a middle ear infection is involved, gently press the flap in front of the ear canal 4 times to help push the drops inward. For an outer ear canal infection, gently pull the ear upward and backward while giving the drops, and (8) Keep the ear facing upward for 5 minutes to allow drops to be absorbed into the ear. Take Floxin exactly as prescribed. You need to complete the full course of therapy to obtain best results and decrease the risk of a recurrence of the infection. If you miss a dose take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the one you missed and go back to your regular schedule. Never take two doses at the same time. Store Floxin at room temperature in a tightly closed container. Are there any Floxin side effects? Floxin side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, inform your doctor as soon as possible. For tablets more common Floxin side effects may include diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, headache, itching of genital area in women, nausea, vaginal inflammation, and vomiting. For tablets less common or rare Floxin side effects may include abdominal pain and cramps, aggressiveness or hostility, agitation, anemia, anxiety, asthma, blood in the urine, blurred vision, body pain, bruising, burning or rash of the female genitals, burning sensation in the upper chest, changeable emotions, changes in thinking and perception, chest pain, confusion, conjunctivitis, continual runny nose, constipation, cough, decreased appetite, depression, difficult or labored breathing, disorientation, disturbed dreams, disturbed sense of smell, double vision, dry mouth, exaggerated sense of well-being, excessive perspiration, fainting, fatigue, fear, fever, fluid retention, frequent urination, gas, hallucinations, hearing disturbance or loss, hepatitis, hiccups, high or low blood pressure, high or low blood sugar, hives, inability to urinate, increased urination, indigestion, inflammation of the colon, inflammation or rupture of tendons, intolerance to light, involuntary eye movement, itching, joint pain, kidney problems, lack of coordination, light-headedness, liver problems, menstrual changes, muscle pain, nervousness, nightmares, nosebleed, pain, pain in arms and legs, painful or difficult urination, purple or red areas/spots on the skin, rapid heartbeat, rash, reddened skin, restlessness, ringing in the ears, seizures, sensitivity to light, severe allergic reaction, skin inflammation and flaking or eruptions, sleepiness, sleep problems, sore mouth or throat, speech difficulty, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, stomach and intestinal upset or bleeding, taste distortion, thirst, throbbing or fluttering heartbeat, tingling or pins and needles, tremor, unexplained bleeding from the uterus, vaginal discharge, vaginal yeast infection, vague feeling of illness, vertigo, visual disturbances, weakness, weight loss, and yellowing of eyes and skin. For the otic solution more common Floxin side effects may include abnormal or bitter taste and itching. For the otic solution less common or rare Floxin side effects may include abdominal pain, allergic reaction, bad breath, bleeding from the ear, coughing, decreased sense of touch, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, discomfort upon application, dizziness, dry mouth, earache, fever, headache, hives, hot flushes, increased muscle movement, indigestion, inflammation or rupture of a tendon, nausea, nose inflammation, outer ear infection, pain, rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus inflammation, skin inflammation and flaking or sores, throat inflammation, tingling or pins and needles, vertigo, and vomiting. What are the possible food and drug interactions when taking Floxin? If Floxin is taken with certain other drugs, the effects of either could be increased, decreased, or altered. Be sure to inform your doctor of all the prescription and over the counter medications you are taking. It is especially important to check with your doctor before combining Floxin with Antacids containing calcium, magnesium, or aluminum, Blood thinners (such as Coumadin), Calcium supplements (such as Caltrate), Cimetidine (Tagamet), Cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral), Didanosine (Videx), Insulin, Iron supplements (such as Feosol), Multivitamins containing zinc, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Motrin and Naprosyn), Oral diabetes drugs (such as Diabinese and Micronase), Probenecid (Benemid), Sucralfate (Carafate), or Theophylline-containing drugs (such as Theo-Dur). Are there any special warnings about Floxin? Floxin tablets, used in high doses for short periods of time, may hide or delay the symptoms of syphilis, but is not effective in treating syphilis. If you are taking Floxin for gonorrhea, your doctor will test you for syphilis and then perform a follow-up test after 3 months of treatment. Convulsions, increased pressure in the head, psychosis, tremors, restlessness, light-headedness, nervousness, confusion, depression, nightmares, insomnia, and hallucinations have occasionally been reported with this type of antibiotic. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop taking the drug and contact your doctor immediately. Like all antibiotics, Floxin has been known to cause serious inflammation of the bowels. Notify your doctor if you develop diarrhea during or after a course of therapy with this drug. Floxin can cause a rupture in the muscle tendons in your hand, shoulder, or heel. If you notice any pain and inflammation in a tendon, rest and avoid exercise until you have seen your doctor. If you are prone to seizures due to kidney disease, a brain disorder, or epilepsy, make sure your doctor knows about it. Floxin tablets should be used with caution under these conditions. If you have liver or kidney disease, your doctor will watch you closely while you are taking Floxin tablets. Avoid being in the sun too much; you can develop sun poisoning while you are taking Floxin tablets. Floxin tablets may make you feel dizzy or light-headed. Never put Floxin eardrops in the eyes or mouth. When placed in the ear, they may cause dizziness if they have not been sufficiently warmed. Floxin tablets have not been tested in children under 18. Floxin eardrops have not been tested in children under 1. |
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