Levon 500 mg 5 coated tablets
Levofloxacin 500 mg tablets
What is levofloxacin and what is it used for?
Levofloxacin is an antibiotic that belongs to a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones. It is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with bacterial infections in the following body parts:
• Lungs and bronchi.
• Urinary tract (bladder and kidneys)
• Sinuses
• Prostate
• Skin
Do not take levofloxacin.
If you are allergic to levofloxacin, other quinolones, or any of the ingredients in this medication, tell your doctor about the allergy and any signs you experience.
Warnings and precautions
• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you experience allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, rash, swelling of the face or neck, low blood pressure and dizziness.
• This medication may increase your risk of developing tendinitis (inflammation of the cords that connect muscles to bones). Contact your doctor if you experience muscle or joint pain and stiffness. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are age 60 or older, take steroids, or have had a kidney, heart, or lung transplant.
• This medication may cause blood problems such as thrombocytopenia (low platelet count, which is responsible for wound healing and stopping bleeding) and other blood problems. Be sure to monitor for bleeding, delayed wound healing, easy bruising, feeling tired or dizzy, fever, and paleness.
• This medication may cause liver problems. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience side effects of liver problems such as pale skin, yellowing of the eyes, white stools, dark urine, fatigue, and abdominal bloating.
• This medicine may cause confusion, anxiety, convulsions, depression, and difficulty sleeping after the first dose.
• Use of this medicine may be associated with Clostridium difficile diarrhea (a bacterial infection in the intestines that causes diarrhea). Be sure to tell your doctor if you experience diarrhea.
• This medication may cause tingling and numbness in your extremities. If this happens, be sure to tell your doctor to prevent irreversible nerve damage.
• Be sure to tell your doctor about other medications you are taking to prevent QT prolongation (a heart problem that causes a type of irregular heartbeat).
• Be sure to tell your doctor if you have low levels of potassium in your blood, QT prolongation, or other heart problems.
Possible side effects of levofloxacin
Possible side effects of levofloxacin include: allergic reactions, liver problems, tendinitis (inflammation of the cords that connect muscles to bones), such as muscle or joint pain and stiffness, confusion, dizziness, diarrhea, tingling and numbness in the extremities, signs of QT prolongation (such as lightheadedness, palpitations, weakness and blurred vision), photosensitivity (skin reactions after skin is exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light), headache, nausea, insomnia (trouble sleeping), constipation and dizziness.
Other medications and levofloxacin
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any of the following medicines:
• If you are taking sucralfate or antacids containing aluminum or magnesium (used for heartburn).
• If you are taking warfarin (a blood thinner).
• If you are taking antidiabetic medications (used to lower blood sugar levels).
• If you are taking didanosine (used to treat HIV).
• If you are taking iron supplements.
• If you are taking multivitamin preparations containing zinc.
How to take levofloxacin
Adults:
Hospital-acquired pneumonia:
750 mg (750 mg tablet) orally once daily for 7-14 days.
Community-acquired pneumonia:
500 mg (one 500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 7–14 days or 750 mg (one 750 mg tablet) orally once daily for 5 days.
Acute bacterial sinusitis (sinusitis):
750 mg (one 750 mg tablet) orally once daily for 5 days or 500 mg (one 500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 10-14 days.
Acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs):
500 mg (500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 7 days.
Acute skin and skin structure infections:
750 mg (750 mg tablet) orally once daily for 7–14 days.
Non-acute skin and skin structure infections (mild skin and mucous membrane infections):
500 mg (500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 7-10 days.
Chronic bacterial prostatitis:
500 mg (500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 28 days.
Acute urinary tract infection or acute pyelonephritis:
750 mg (750 mg tablet) orally once daily for 5 days or 250 mg (250 mg tablet) orally once daily for 10 days.
Non-acute urinary tract infection (not involving the kidneys):
250 mg (250 mg tablet) orally once daily for 3 days.
After exposure to inhalation anthrax (a serious type of infection caused by inhaling anthrax spores):
500 mg (500 mg tablet) orally once daily for 60 days.
children:
This medicine is not recommended for use in children and is restricted to inhalation anthrax. The recommended dose for this purpose is: 8 mg/kg (maximum dose: 250 mg) orally twice daily for 60 days for children 6 months of age or older who weigh less than 50 kg. For children 6 months of age or older who weigh more than 50 kg: Follow the adult doses for this type of infection. The medicine is not used in children under 6 months of age.
• Take the tablets with or without food.
• Take the tablet with a full glass of water.
• Take the solution orally one hour before or two hours after food.
• Take the solution or tablet by mouth at least 2 hours before or after taking the following medicines: didanosine (used for HIV), antacids (containing aluminum or magnesium), sucralfate, iron supplements, and vitamin preparations containing zinc.
• Take the medicine at the same time every day.
• Do not take more or less than prescribed by your doctor.
• Do not stop taking the medicine before the end of the specified period, even if you start to feel better.
• Drink plenty of fluids while taking this medicine.
How to store levofloxacin
• Store tablets and oral solution at 15 to 30°C.
• Keep this medicine out of reach of children and pets.
• Do not use the medicine after the expiry date shown on the carton.
• Keep the medicine in its original package to protect it from moisture and light.
• Do not use damaged grains.
• Do not dispose of medicines in wastewater or household waste.