Cipro Q
Has anyone used Cipro? That’s an antibiotic I’m on right now. Got 250mg (8)
last Friday. The instructions were: If you are taking an antacid, sucralfate,
bismuth subsalicylate or products containing calcium, iron or zinc, do not take
them within 4 hours before or 2 hours after the dose of this medicine.
Pharmacist said to be sure to take them with food because I might be dizzy.
I got 20 500mg tabs yesterday at a diff. pharmacy and the instructions
say: Best taken 2 hours after a meal. Avoid antacids, iron, zinc, within 6 hours
of a dose. This Pharmacist said to take them on an empty stomach with water.
Side effects: nausea, diarrhea, sun sensitivity, dizziness, headache. WOW! It
says nothing about calcium so I asked. He said not to take calcium (milk and
cheese too) for an hour. HOW CONTRADICTORY to the first dosage/instructions.
And, why didn’t it say no calcium on these instructions?
What has someone else gone through with this?
Jan
August 22nd, 2003 at 7:44 am
Hi Jan:
Fron Nurse Practitioner’s Drug Handbook:
Cipro (ciprofloxacin) Fluroquinolone antibiotic
Indications:
Mild to moderate urinary tract infection caused by susceptible bacteria 250
mg q 12 hrs.
Infectious diarrhea, mild to moderate respiratory tract infections, bone and
joint infections, severe or complicated urinary tract infections. 500 mg. q
12 hrs
Severe or complicated infections of the respiratory tract, bones, joints,
skin, or skin structures; mycobacterial infections (TB) 750 mg. q 12 hrs.
70% absorbed after oral administration.
Food delays rate of absorption but not extent.
Excretion primarily renal.
Contraindicated in patients sensitive to fluoroquinolone antibiotics.
Use cautiously in patients with Central Nervous System disorders or those at
risk for seizures.
Interactions:
Aluminum, calcium, magnesium containing antacid supplements may interfere
with ciprofloxacin absoprtion.
Separate administration by at least 2 hours. (that’s to allow for adequate
absorption of the drug).
Suffice it to say: it can interreact with other medications which can make
you toxic. Take longer to eliminate other medications, including caffeine.
Will affect blood clotting if on blood thinners.
vitamins, minerals , and iron may interfere with absorption of Cipro.
Worst side effects:
headache, restlessness, tremor, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, insomnia,
depression, light-headedness, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, numbness.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.
Joint pain, photosensitivity, rash…
The list goes on…if you want to read more, log on to medline.com for more.
If the infection is sensitive to other antibiotics that are not as "potent"
or with the potential to cause less severe side effects, you should speak to
your health care provider. Sometimes physicians prescribe a medication
because it’s the most popular one on the block for right now and the detail
rep may have encouraged him to write more prescriptions for it…the
realities of medicine and health care!
hope this helps…Joan