Warnings
What are the risks of taking ciprofloxacin (Cipro)?
Ciprofloxacin can cause serious health problems, especially in certain high-risk patients. Talk to your healthcare professionals if these are a concern for you. Other risks of ciprofloxacin (Cipro) use include:
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What should I tell my doctor before starting ciprofloxacin (Cipro)?
Tell your doctor if you have an allergy to ciprofloxacin or any other fluoroquinolone or quinolone antibiotics (examples include Factive, Baxdela, Levaquin, Avelox, and others). Also, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the active or inactive ingredients in ciprofloxacin tablets or oral suspension. Your pharmacist can give you a list of ingredients.
Give your doctor a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, vitamins, and herbal/natural products. This can help avoid serious drug interactions.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions. Ciprofloxacin may not be right for people with certain health conditions. Tell your doctor if you or someone in your family has prolonged QT intervals. Also, tell your doctor if you have heart rhythm abnormalities, heart failure, aortic aneurysm, high blood pressure, poor circulation, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, low magnesium or potassium levels, diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Also, tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
What precautions should I take while on ciprofloxacin (Cipro)?
Keep all your appointments with your healthcare provider. Your doctor may want to adjust the dosage or check blood tests to see if your infection has cleared and to keep an eye on your overall health.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while on ciprofloxacin.
Do not drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or do anything that requires focus and attention until you know how ciprofloxacin affects you.
Avoid prolonged sun exposure and tanning beds while taking ciprofloxacin. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen when you step outdoors. Call your doctor if you develop skin redness and swelling like a bad sunburn while on ciprofloxacin.
You should not take ciprofloxacin with only dairy products or calcium-fortified foods. You can, however, take this antibiotic with a meal that contains these foods. Take oral ciprofloxacin at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after other drugs such as antacids (Mylanta, Maalox, Tums); zinc, iron, or calcium supplements; didanosine (Videx); sucralfate (Carafate); lanthanum carbonate (Fosrenol); and sevelamer (Renvela, Renagel).
You should avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, colas, energy drinks, and chocolate while taking ciprofloxacin. Ciprofloxacin can worsen the nervousness, sleeplessness, pounding heart, and anxiety caused by caffeine. Drink plenty of water and fluids during ciprofloxacin treatment.
You will probably start to feel better after a few days of ciprofloxacin treatment. If you do not feel better or if your symptoms worsen, tell your doctor. Do not stop taking ciprofloxacin before you finish your prescription, even if your symptoms are gone. Skipping doses of an antibiotic or not finishing the prescribed course can lead to incomplete treatment of your infection and cause the bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.
What are ciprofloxacin (Cipro) interactions?
Taking ciprofloxacin with certain medications can affect how the medicines work or increase the risk of severe adverse reactions. Your doctor or pharmacist may choose a different medication for you, change the dose or frequency of one or both medicines, and/or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known drug interactions between ciprofloxacin and your other medicines.
Your doctor will advise you not to take ciprofloxacin if you are taking the following medications:
- Tizanidine (Zanaflex), which is a muscle relaxer
There can also be interactions between ciprofloxacin and the following medicines:
- Anticoagulants or blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
Medications used to treat mental illnesses such as some antidepressants (Cymbalta) and antipsychotics (Clozaril, Zyprexa)
Some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Naprosyn)
Certain medicines used to treat irregular heartbeat (Pacerone, Norpace, Betapace, Sorine, Sotylize)
Ropinirole (Requip)
Diuretics or water pills
Antibiotics like azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax), clarithromycin (Biaxin, in Prevpac), and erythromycin (Eryped, Eryc, E.E.S.)
Medications that contain caffeine (Vivarin, Excedrin)
Phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
Pentoxifylline (Pentoxil)
Sildenafil (Viagra, Revatio)
Cyclosporine (Neoral, Gengraf, Sandimmune)
Insulin and oral medications used to treat diabetes (Amaryl, Glucotrol, DiaBeta)
Tolazamide and tolbutamide
Methotrexate (Trexall, Rasuvo, Otrexup)
Probenecid (Probalan)
Zolpidem (Ambien)
Theophylline (Theo-24, Elixophyllin, Uniphyl)
This list does not describe all possible ciprofloxacin interactions. Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, vitamins, and natural or herbal products. Also tell your doctor or pharmacist if you smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medications.
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