Ciprofloxacin is a class of quinolone antibiotics, which is being used to treat bacterial infections caused by gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Ciprofloxacin is the second UTI antibiotic after Ofloxacin. It is being used to treat urinary tract infection, acromegaly, GI Infection, typhoid, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, pneumonia, gonorrhea, iron deficiency anemia, prostate, after surgery, respiratory tract infection, skin and soft tissue infection, surgical prophylaxis, and inhalation anthrax, etc.
Side Effects of Ciprofloxacin
Side Effects on Gastro-Intestinal Tract: Most common side effects of ciprofloxacin on the gastro-intestinal tract include diarrhea, nausea, digestive disorders, vomiting, upset stomach, abdominal pain, anorexia, and flatulence.
Side effects on the Nervous System: Ciprofloxacin also affects the nervous system. It can cause dizziness, insomnia, headache, sweating, agitation, paralgesia, visual disturbance, double vision, tension and anxiety, nightmare and confusion, etc.
Hypersensitivity Side Effects: Common hypersensitive reaction includes rashes, pruritus, facial, edema, petechiae, vasculitis and drug fever, etc.
Side Effects on the Cardiovascular System: Ciprofloxacin also affects the cardiovascular system as well. These side effects include tachycardia, migraine, and hot flushes, etc.
Side Effects on General Body: Some common and adverse side effects include, joint pain, weakness, kidney failure, tinnitus, and muscular pain, etc.
Side Effects on blood and blood constituents: Side effects on blood and blood constituents include eosinophilia, anemia, leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, leucocytopenia, and altered prothrombin levels, etc.
Pregnancy and Lactation
You need to consult your physician if you are pregnant because there is no adequate research has been done on pregnancy. Secondly, ciprofloxacin is excreted in breast milk; therefore lactation mothers should not use ciprofloxacin while feeding their children.
Warnings
Do not use ciprofloxacin with alcohol.
Interactions
When you are using ciprofloxacin for the first time, do not use it with aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide, because it will reduce its absorption. Therefore you should use ciprofloxacin before 4 hours of any antacid. Ciprofloxacin should be taken before or after a meal.
Administration Period
The administration of ciprofloxacin depends on the severity and clinical course of the illness and other measurements. Normally ciprofloxacin is been given up to 12 days for typhoid, 1 day for gonorrhea, 7 days for kidney and urinary tract infection, 2 months for osteomyelitis, and 7- 14 days for other infections. You can stop ciprofloxacin when the clinical symptoms have been disappeared or the temperature returns to normal.
Overdosage
Reversible renal toxicity has been reported in acute overdosage. In such a case you need to induce vomiting through gastric lavage. In such a chase, carefully observe the patient and give reasonable treatment by monitoring urinary PH, blood pressure, acidity, and renal function, etc. Secondly, the use of magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide or an antacid can reduce the absorption of ciprofloxacin, therefore better to use any antacid like Dimeco, Gaviscon, etc.