Levofloxacin 500 mg/100 ml, solution for infusion
Levofloxacin
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you are given this medicine because it contains
important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. This includes any
possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet:
1.
What Levofloxacin is and what it is used for.
2.
What you need to know before you are given Levofloxacin.
3.
How Levofloxacin is given.
4.
Possible side effects.
5.
How to store Levofloxacin.
6.
Contents of the pack and other information.
1.
What Levofloxacin is and what it is used for
The name of your medicine is Levofloxacin. Levofloxacin contains a medicine called
levofloxacin. This belongs to a group of medicines called antibiotics. Levofloxacin is a
'quinolone' antibiotic. It works by killing the bacteria that cause infections in your body.
Levofloxacin can be used to treat infections of the:
- Lungs, in people with pneumonia
- Urinary tract, including your kidneys or bladder
- Prostate gland, where you have a long lasting infection
- Skin and underneath the skin, including muscles. This is sometimes called 'soft tissue'.
In some special situations, levofloxacin may be used to lessen the chances of getting a pulmonary
disease named anthrax or worsening of the disease after you are exposed to the bacteria causing
anthrax.
2.
What you need to know before you are given Levofloxacin
Do not have this medicine and tell your doctor if:
• You are allergic to levofloxacin, any other quinolone antibiotic such as moxifloxacin,
ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
Signs of an allergic reaction include: a rash, swallowing or breathing problems, swelling of
your lips, face, throat or tongue
• You have ever had epilepsy
• You have ever had a problem with your tendons such as tendonitis that was related to
treatment with a 'quinolone antibiotic'. A tendon is the cord that joins your muscle to your
skeleton
• You are a child or a growing teenager
• You are pregnant, might become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant
• You are breast-feeding
Do not have this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your
doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you are given levofloxacin.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before you have your medicine if:
• You are 60 years of age or older
• You are using corticosteroids, sometimes called steroids (see section "Other medicines and
levofloxacin")
• You have ever had a fit (seizure)
• You have had damage to your brain due to a stroke or other brain injury
• You have kidney problems
• You have something known as 'glucose - 6 - phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency'. You are
more likely to have serious problems with your blood when taking this medicine
• You have ever had mental health problems
• You have ever had heart problems: caution should be taken when using this kind of medicine,
if you were born with or have family history of prolonged QT interval (seen on ECG,
electrical recording of the heart), have salt imbalance in the blood (especially low level of
potassium or magnesium in the blood), have a very slow heart rhythm (called 'bradycardia'),
have a weak heart (heart failure), have a history of heart attack (myocardial infarction), you
are female or elderly or you are taking other medicines that result in abnormal ECG changes
(see section "Other medicines and levofloxacin").
• You are diabetic
• You have ever had liver problems
• You have myasthenia gravis.
If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist
before being given levofloxacin.
Other medicines and Levofloxacin
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other
medicines. This is because levofloxacin can affect the way some other medicines work. Also
some medicines can affect the way levofloxacin works.
In particular, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines. This is
because it can increase the chance of you getting side effects, when taken with levofloxacin:
• Corticosteroids, sometimes called steroids - used for inflammation. You may be more likely
to have inflammation and/or rupture of your tendons.
• Warfarin - used to thin the blood. You may be more likely to have a bleed. Your doctor may
need to take regular blood tests to check how well your blood can clot.
• Theophylline - used for breathing problems. You are more likely to have a fit (seizure) if
taken with Levofloxacin.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) - used for pain and inflammation such as
aspirin, ibuprofen, fenbufen, ketoprofen, indomethacin. You are more likely to have a fit
(seizure) if taken with Levofloxacin.
• Ciclosporin - used after organ transplants. You may be more likely to get the side effects of
ciclosporin.
• Medicines known to affect the way your heart beats. This includes medicines used for
abnormal heart rhythm (antiarrhythmics such as quinidine, hydroquinidine, disopyramide,
sotalol, dofetilide, ibutilide and amiodarone), for depression (tricyclic antidepressants such as
amitriptyline and imipramine), for psychiatric disorders (antipsychotics), and for bacterial
infections ('macrolide' antibiotics such as erythromycin, azithromycine and clarithromycin).
• Probenecid - used for gout and cimetidine - used for ulcers and heartburn. Special care
should be taken when taking either of these medicines with Levofloxacin. If you have kidney
problems, your doctor may want to give you a lower dose.
Urine tests for opiates
Urine tests may show 'false-positive' results for strong painkillers called 'opiates' in people
having levofloxacin. If your doctor has prescribed a urine test, tell your doctor you are having
levofloxacin.
Tuberculosis tests
This medicine may cause "false negative" results for some tests used in laboratory to search for
the bacteria causing tuberculosis.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Do not have this medicine if:
• You are pregnant, might become pregnant or think you may be pregnant
• You are breast-feeding or planning to breast-feed
Driving and using machines
You may get side effects after being given this medicine, including feeling dizzy, sleepy, a
spinning feeling (vertigo) or changes to your eyesight. Some of these side effects can affect you
being able to concentrate and your reaction speed. If this happens, do not drive or carry out any
work that requires a high level of attention.
Levofloxacin contains sodium
This medicine contains 354 mg of sodium per 500 mg dose. This should be taken into
consideration by patients on a controlled sodium diet.
3.
How Levofloxacin is given
How Levofloxacin is given
• Levofloxacin is a medicine for use in hospitals
• It will be given to you by a doctor or nurse as an injection. The injection will be into one of
your veins and be given over a period of time (this is called an intravenous infusion)
• For 500 mg levofloxacin, the infusion time should be 60 minutes or more
• Your heart rate and blood pressure should be closely monitored. This is because an unusual
fast beating of the heart and a temporary lowering of blood pressure are possible side effects
that have been seen during the infusion of a similar antibiotic. If your blood pressure drops
noticeably while you are being given the infusion, it will be stopped straight away.
How much Levofloxacin is given
If you are not sure why you are being given levofloxacin or have any questions about how much
levofloxacin is being given to you, speak to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
• Your doctor will decide on how much levofloxacin you should have
• The dose will depend on the type of infection you have and where the infection is in your
body
• The length of your treatment will depend on how serious your infection is
Adults and the elderly
• Pneumonia: 500 mg once or twice daily
• Infection of urinary tract, including your kidneys or bladder: 500 mg once daily
• Prostate gland infection: 500 mg once daily
• Infection of skin and underneath the skin, including muscles: 500 mg once or twice daily.
Adults and the elderly with kidney problems
Your doctor may need to give you a lower dose.
Children and Teenagers
This medicine must not be given to children or teenagers.
Protect your skin from sunlight
Keep out of direct sunlight while having this medicine and for 2 days after you stop having it.
This is because your skin will become much more sensitive to the sun and may burn, tingle or
severely blister if you do not take the following precautions:
• Make sure you use high factor sun cream
• Always wear a hat and clothes which cover your arms and legs
• Avoid sun beds
If you have more Levofloxacin than you should
It is unlikely that your doctor or nurse will give you too much medicine. Your doctor and nurse
will monitor your progress, and check the medicine you are given. Always ask if you are not sure
why you are getting a dose of medicine.
Having too much levofloxacin may cause the following effects to happen: convulsive fits
(seizures), feeling confused, dizzy, less conscious, having tremor and heart problems - leading to
uneven heart beats as well as feeling sick (nausea).
If you miss a dose of Levofloxacin
Page 4 of 9
Your doctor or nurse will have instructions on when to give you this medicine. It is unlikely that
you will not be given the medicine as it has been prescribed. However, if you do think you have
missed a dose, tell your doctor or nurse.
If you stop having Levofloxacin
Your doctor or nurse will continue giving you levofloxacin, even if you feel better. If it is
stopped too soon, your condition may get worse or the bacteria may become resistant to the
medicine. After a few days treatment with the solution for infusion, your doctor may decide to
switch you to the tablet form of this medicine to complete your course of treatment.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, nurse, or
pharmacist.
4.
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. These
effects are normally mild or moderate and often disappear after a short time.
Stop having levofloxacin and tell a doctor or nurse straight away if you notice the following
side effect:
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
• You have an allergic reaction. The signs may include: a rash, swallowing or breathing
problems, swelling of your lips, face, throat, or tongue.
Stop having levofloxacin and tell a doctor or nurse straight away if you notice any of the
following serious side effects - you may need urgent medical treatment:
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• Watery diarrhoea which may have blood in it, possibly with stomach cramps and a high
temperature. These could be signs of a severe bowel problem
• Pain and inflammation in your tendons or ligaments which could lead to rupture. The
Achilles tendon is affected most often
• Fits (convulsions)
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
• Burning, tingling, pain, or numbness. These may be signs of something called
'neuropathy'
Other:
• Severe skin rashes which may include blistering or peeling of the skin around your lips,
eyes, mouth, nose and genitals
• Loss of appetite, skin and eyes becoming yellow in colour, dark-coloured urine, itching,
or tender stomach (abdomen). These may be signs of liver problems which may include a
fatal failure of the liver
If your eyesight becomes impaired or if you have any other eye disturbances whilst taking
levofloxacin, consult an eye specialist immediately.
Tell your doctor if any of the following side effects gets serious or lasts longer than a few
days:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
• Sleeping problems
• Headache, feeling dizzy
• Feeling sick (nausea, vomiting) and diarrhoea
• Increase in the level of some liver enzymes in your blood
• Reactions at the site of infusion
• Inflammation of a vein
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
• Changes in the number of other bacteria or fungi, infection by fungi named Candida,
which may need to be treated
• Changes in the number of white blood cells shown up in the results of some blood tests
(leukopenia, eosinophilia)
• Feeling stressed (anxiety), feeling confused, feeling nervous, feeling sleepy, trembling, a
spinning feeling (vertigo)
• Shortness of breath (dyspnoea)
• Changes in the way things taste, loss of appetite, stomach upset or indigestion
(dyspepsia), pain in your stomach area, feeling bloated (flatulence) or constipation
• Itching and skin rash, severe itching or hives (urticaria), sweating too much
(hyperhidrosis)
• Joint pain or muscle pain
• Blood tests may show unusual results due to liver (bilirubin increased) or kidney
(creatinine increased) problems
• General weakness
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
• Bruising and bleeding easily due to a lowering in the number of blood platelets
(thrombocytopenia)
• Low number of white blood cells (neutropenia)
• Exaggerated immune response (hypersensitivity)
• Lowering of your blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia). This is important for people that
have diabetes.
• Seeing or hearing things that are not there (hallucinations, paranoia), change in your
opinion and thoughts (psychotic reactions) with a risk of having suicidal thoughts or
actions
• Feeling depressed, mental problems, feeling restless (agitation), abnormal dreams or
nightmares
• Tingly feeling in your hands and feet (paraesthesia)
• Problems with your hearing (tinnitus) or eyesight (blurred vision)
• Unusual fast beating of your heart (tachycardia) or low blood pressure (hypotension)
Muscle weakness. This is important in people with myasthenia gravis (a rare disease of
the nervous system).
Changes in the way your kidney works and occasional kidney failure which may be due to
an allergic kidney reaction called interstitial nephritis.
Fever
Other side effects include:
• Lowering in red blood cells (anemia): this can make the skin pale or yellow due to
damage of the red blood cells; lowering in the number of all types of blood cells
(pancytopenia)
• Fever, sore throat and a general feeling of being unwell that does not go away. This may
be due to a lowering in the number of white blood cells (agranulocytosis).
• Loss of circulation (anaphylactic like shock)
• Increase of your blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia) or lowering of your blood sugar
levels leading to coma (hypoglycaemic coma). This is important for people that have
diabetes.
• Changes in the way things smell, loss of smell or taste (parosmia, anosmia, ageusia)
• Problems moving and walking (dyskinesia, extrapyramidal disorders)
• Temporary loss of consciousness or posture (syncope)
• Temporary loss of vision
• Impairment or loss of hearing
• Abnormal fast heart rhythm, life-threatening irregular heart rhythm including cardiac
arrest, alteration of the heart rhythm (called 'prolongation of QT interval', seen on ECG,
electrical activity of the heart)
• Difficulty breathing or wheezing (bronchospasm)
• Allergic lung reactions
• Pancreatitis
• Inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)
• Increased sensitivity of your skin to sun and ultraviolet light (photosensitivity)
• Inflammation of the vessels that carry blood around your body due to an allergic reaction
(vasculitis)
• Inflammation of the tissue inside the mouth (stomatitis)
• Muscle rupture and muscle destruction (rhabdomyolysis)
• Joint redness and swelling (arthritis)
• Pain, including pain in the back, chest and extremities
• Attacks of porphyria in people who already have porphyria (a very rare metabolic disease)
• Persistent headache with or without blurred vision (benign intracranial hypertension)
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects.
able 1: Dosage in Adult Patients with Normal Renal Function (creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min)
| Type of Infection* |
Dosed Every 24 hours |
Duration (days)† |
| Nosocomial Pneumonia |
750 mg |
7 to 14 |
| Community Acquired Pneumonia ‡ |
500 mg |
7 to 14 |
| Community Acquired Pneumonia§ |
750 mg |
5 |
| Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections (SSSI) |
750 mg |
7 to 14 |
| Uncomplicated SSSI |
500 mg |
7 to 10 |
| Chronic Bacterial Prostatitis |
500 mg |
28 |
Inhalational Anthrax (Post-Exposure), adult and pediatric patients > 50 kg Þ,ß
Pediatric patients < 50 kg and ≥ 6 months of age Þ,ß |
500 mg
see Table 2 below (2.2) |
60ß
60ß |
Plague, adult and pediatric patients > 50 kg à
Pediatric patients < 50 kg and ≥ 6 months of age |
500 mg
see Table 2 below (2.2) |
10 to 14
10 to 14 |
| Complicated Urinary Tract Infection (cUTI) or Acute Pyelonephritis (AP)¶ |
750 mg |
5 |
| Complicated Urinary Tract Infection (cUTI) or Acute Pyelonephritis (AP)# |
250 mg |
10 |
| Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection |
250 mg |
3 |
| Acute Bacterial Exacerbation of Chronic Bronchitis (ABECB) |
500 mg |
7 |
| Acute Bacterial Sinusitis (ABS) |
750 mg |
5 |
| 500 mg |
10 to 14 |
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