Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is a type of medicine that kills bacteria and stops them from infecting your body. It is only given to you when your healthcare provider prescribes it.

Some bacterial infections treated with ciprofloxacin include:

• An infection of your body’s system for making urine, such as an infection of the kidney caused by bacteria.
• Infections that affect your nose, throat and lungs.
• A sexually transmitted infection such as Gonorrhoea.
• An infection of the digestive system that makes you pass loose stools frequently.

Ciprofloxacin is an antibacterial drug that kills bacteria in your body. Your doctor may prescribe this medicine when safer antibiotics have not worked to treat an infection. Ciprofloxacin treats illnesses like typhoid and gonorrhoea. This medicine will not work for viral infections, like the common cold. It is only given when your healthcare provider prescribes it.

• Ciprofloxacin is taken by mouth as tablets or injected directly into your blood by a healthcare provider.
• It is also available as an eye drop to treat eye infections and as an ear drop to treat ear infections.
• Ciprofloxacin is usually taken every 12 hours for at least 5 days. Your healthcare provider will advise what is appropriate for your case.
• If you skip a dose, take it as soon as you remember but if you remember at a time close to your next dose, then take only the next dose.
• Do not take more of your medicine than was prescribed or intentionally skip a dose. Ciprofloxacin may become ineffective against your infection because of this.
• If you take more of this medicine than was prescribed for you, go to the nearest health centre (with the remaining medicine) and report the overdose.

You may experience mild, uncomfortable effects of this medicine. They will usually go away within 2 to 3 days. You should mention these or other uncomfortable effects to your healthcare provider, especially if the effects stay longer than a week.
Here are some common side-effects you may experience. You may:

• Pass several loose stools.
• Vomit.
• Feel like you want to faint.
• Experience sensitivity of your eyes to light.
• Have a headache.
• Have trouble sleeping.

This is not a complete list of all the side effects of using Ciprofloxacin. If you experience this or other side effects, mention them to your healthcare provider.
If you experience severe side effects like the following, you should go to the health centre closest to you immediately:

• Difficulty breathing, have a swollen face and tongue, or a burning sensation on your skin and in your eyes.
• Bruising on your skin with no actual accident.
• A sudden change in the amount or colour of the urine you produce.

You should inform your healthcare provider if you have any disease conditions, like heart disease or pain and swelling in your joints. This will help them check your risk for any severe unpleasant effects.

• If you have a condition that causes pain or swelling in your joints and muscles (arthritis), this medicine can make it worse.
• Do not take ciprofloxacin if you reacted to it before, like a rash that went away when you stopped taking it.
• If you have low blood sugar, you should take a meal before using this medicine.
• Ciprofloxacin may affect how your body's ability to break down some drugs. This affects drugs used for treating depression and seizures. This can make them less effective or more dangerous for you.
• Patients with heart disease, especially if your heartbeats are irregular, should not take this medicine.