Levoflox 500 Tablet - Uses, Side Effects, Composition, Dosage & Price

Manufactured by - Cipla Limited

Levoflox 500 Composition - Each Levoflox Tablet 500 MG, 10’S (10 tablets per strip) contains Levofloxacin Hemihydrate IP - equivalent to Levofloxacin 500mg

Overview

Levoflox 500mg tablet (Levofloxacin), is an antibiotic that belongs to a class of third-generation fluoroquinolones. This drug is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, most importantly bronchitis (Inflammation of lung passages), acute pneumonia (Lung infection), skin infections, and urinary tract infections etc. where the bacteria pose severe risk of infection and make a person sick by faster replication. 

• Levofloxacin is available in oral and intravenous formulations. It is a broad-spectrum antibiotic of fluoroquinolone drug class, active against wide range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and atypical microorganisms. 
• Levofloxacin is proven to be effective clinically and bacteriologically by treating infections caused by penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant variants of S. Pneumoniae. This drug is usually well tolerated in patients, but with some of the phototoxic or hepatic adverse effects observed in a few patients when concomitantly administered with other quinolone class of drugs.
• The drug also has a pharmacokinetic profile compatibility with once-a-day administration and allows for sequential intravenous to oral therapy. Recent approvals in the US for its use in the treatment of nosocomial pneumonia and chronic bacterial prostatitis and the introduction of a short-course, high-dose regimen for use in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) further extended the role of levofloxacin in treating the bacterial infections. 
• This antibiotic was patented in 1987 and received FDA approval in the year 1996 for medical use. 

Levoflox Price

Levoflox tablet uses

Guidelines to follow while taking the Levofloxacin (Levoflox 250, 500 & 750) tablet

Levofloxacin 500 mg is recommended to be taken as prescribed by the physician, within the prescribed strength of the drug formulations

• Levofloxacin is unavailable for administration through intramuscular (IM), intrathecal, or subcutaneous (SQ) routes. 
• In general, the available oral dosage strengths are levofloxacin 250mg, levofloxacin 500mg, and levofloxacin 750mg. Oral dosing must be taken with/without meals. However, the oral solution should be taken 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals. 
• It is not recommended to use antacids and levofloxacin concomitantly. In such case, a time gap of two hours should be maintained between antacids with Mg+ or Al+ salts and levofloxacin. To prevent crystalluria, the patient must be hydrated sufficiently.

Levofloxacin Mechanism of action

• Levofloxacin is a bactericidal antibiotic belonging to the fluoroquinolone drug class that directly inhibits bacterial DNA synthesis. This drug helps to break DNA strands by inhibiting DNA-gyrase in susceptible organisms by inhibiting the supercoiled DNA relaxation.
• A growing concern about drug resistance to fluoroquinolones exists worldwide, which can occur through chromosome-encoded or plasmid-mediated mechanisms.
  

Levofloxacin (Levoflox 250, 500 & 750) Side Effects

It is recommended to avoid prescribing levofloxacin to older patients and patient with a history of Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 

Common side effects of Levofloxacin (Levoflox 500)

The most common side effects of levofloxacin 500 side effects include:

• Headache
• Nausea (vomiting sensation)
• Diarrhea (loose, watery stools)
• Insomnia (sleeping disorder)
• Constipation (hard-to-pass stools)
• Dizziness 

Serious side effects of Levofloxacin

Though very rare, some severe side effects of levofloxacin could be caused by medication non-compliance. Some of the severe side effects of levofloxacin tablets are given below. 

• Peripheral neuropathy (Changes in sensation and possible nerve damage) 
• Liver damage (Hepatotoxicity)
• Aortic aneurysm and dissection (aortic increases the risk of a tear in the aortic lining, known as a dissection)
• Intestinal infection (Pseudomembranous colitis) 
• Sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity)

NOTE: if any of the above symptoms are seen, immediately contact the concerned doctor or a physician.

Side Effects of Levofloxacin on Specific Organs

• Renal impairment: The standard dose of levofloxacin is usually reduced to half in case of renally impaired patients.
• Hepatic impairment: The dose adjustment is generally not required for levofloxacin in case of hepatic impaired patients, as this drug is eliminated primarily by the kidneys and undergoes negligible hepatic metabolism. This antibiotic can be used in patients with cirrhosis to prevent spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and in patients allergic to cephalosporins.
  

Levofloxacin (Levoflox 250, 500 & 750) Dosage

Levofloxacin tablet dosage is prescribed by the general physician based on the patient's age, weight, and disease symptoms. 

Levofloxacin dosage for Adults

• The recommended oral dose regimen of levofloxacin would be 750 mg (once a day) to treat nosocomial pneumonia and skin structure infections for a period of 1–2 weeks. 
• Daily dosing of levofloxacin 500 mg (once a day) is recommended to treat acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and acute bacterial sinusitis.
• The daily dosing of levofloxacin 250 mg (once a day) is recommended for patients with complicated urinary tract infections, acute pyelonephritis, or uncomplicated urinary tract infections. 

Levofloxacin Paediatric dose

• Levofloxacin is used to treat children aged six months or older who may have breathed in anthrax germs, have plague, or been exposed to plague germs.
• Vomiting sensation or nausea is commonly seen in children of six months and older age under levofloxacin medication to treat anthrax disease or plague. 

Levofloxacin in Geriatrics

• Geriatric patients on corticosteroid therapy who take levofloxacin are at a higher risk of experiencing severe tendon disorders, including rupture, several months after the fluoroquinolone treatment. If any symptoms occur, prompt discontinuation of the drug is necessary. 
• Discontinuation of levofloxacin is recommended in elderly population with potential QT interval cardiac output. 

Levofloxacin in Pregnancy

• Acute and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI) in pregnant women recommend using agents other than levofloxacin, such as amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or cefuroxime.
• In patients with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, levofloxacin can be considered even if the patient is pregnant, in case if the benefits of treatment to the mother outweigh the harm. 

Levofloxacin in Breastfeeding infants

• Levofloxacin has not been used in infants because of consideration of adverse consequences on the infants’ developing joints. Levofloxacin may cause problems with bones, joints, and tissues around joints in children. 
• Breast milk has a low concentration of levofloxacin, which is unlikely to cause damaging effects in breastfeeding babies. Using levofloxacin in breastfeeding mothers is acceptable with monitoring the infant for possible gastrointestinal (GI) tract adverse effects (diarrhea or candidiasis).
  

Levofloxacin drug interactions with foods, drugs and diseases 

A drug interaction is a reaction between two or more drugs, whereas it is called a food interaction if the interaction is between the food and the drug. In case of an interaction between a disease and a drug, it is called a disease-drug interaction.

Drug interactions

• When levofloxacin is concomitantly administered with oral hypoglycaemic agents like Glimepiride, there is an increased risk of decreased blood sugar levels in the patient.
• Levofloxacin along with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as diclofenac can cause seizures.
• When levofloxacin and thioridazine are administered together, there is a risk of QTc prolongation and reduces the absorption of levofloxacin. 

Food interactions

• It is recommended to avoid milk and other dairy products and alcohol.
• Vitamin supplements that contain magnesium, aluminium, calcium, iron, and other minerals may interfere with the absorption of levofloxacin.

Disease interactions

• A person with colitis, neurological disorders, myasthenia gravis, peripheral neuropathy, tendonitis, and crystalluria conditions should use the medication under the supervision of a doctor only. 
  

Levofloxacin Storage