Ofloxacin Tablet: Uses, Dosage, and Common Side Effects
What is Ofloxacin Tablet?
Ofloxacin is a type of broad-spectrum antibiotic that is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections. It belongs to a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones and functions by inhibiting the bacterial enzyme “DNA-gyrase”. Attacking this enzyme gradually stops the cells of a bacterium from going through mitosis and this ultimately destroys them. Sometimes, Ofloxacin is combined with another antibiotic, Cefixime, the main function of which is to prevent the growth of the protective membrane present in the bacteria that facilitates the survival of the bacteria inside the body.
Ofloxacin tablets come in various strengths such as 200 mg, 300 mg, and 400 mg.
Some common Ofloxacin tablets from reputed brands available in India include:
- Zanocin, from Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
- Oflin, a brand by Zydus Cadila
- Oflox, a Cipla Ltd brand of Ofloxacin
- Zenflox and Flora, two different brands of Ofloxacin, manufactured and sold by Mankind Pharma Ltd
- Norilet O, from Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd
- Oflomac, a brand of Ofloxacin from Macleods Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd
Uses of Ofloxacin Tablet:
Ofloxacin is especially effective against the following diseases stemming from bacterial infections:
- Bronchitis is an acute inflammation of the mucous lining of the bronchial tubes, that causes coughs and shortness of breath.
- Pneumonia, is a type of inflammation of one or both lungs, sometimes causing fluid to fill up in them.
- Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can cause severe medical conditions in both men and women.
- Gonorrhea is another sexually transmitted bacterial infection that affects the throat, urethra, or rectum.
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), is a sexually transmitted disease that affects the female reproductive organs such as the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovary.
- Various Skin Infections: For skin infections, Ofloxacin is either administered orally or intravenously and is especially beneficial for patients who have been suffering from skin infections stemming from diabetes.
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Ofloxacin has proven itself as a suitable antibiotic for treating both acute and as well as chronic urinary tract infections.
- Prostate Gland Infections: Ofloxacin has been proven to be very effective in the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis.
Ofloxacin Tablet Courses and Dosage
As with all other types of antibiotics medicines, you cannot just stop taking Ofloxacin when you begin to feel better. All antibiotics have a prescribed course of treatment depending on the symptoms they are used to treat, and Ofloxacin is no exception. Also, as is the case with all other antibiotics, it is absolutely essential that you do not skip any doses of Ofloxacin as have been prescribed by your doctor.
The common dosage considerations of Ofloxacin for various ailments are listed below.
Treatment of Bronchitis: For treating bronchitis, the most common dosage consideration for an adult is 400 mg orally, usually in tablet form, every 12 hours for 10 days.
Treatment of Pneumonia: For treating pneumonia, the most common dosage consideration for an adult is 400 mg orally, usually in tablet form, every 12 hours for 10 days.
Treatment of Gonorrhea: For the treatment of gonorrhea, the patient only needs a single dose of 400 milligrams of Ofloxacin, to be administered orally.
Treatment of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): For the treatment of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), the usual dose of Ofloxacin for a fully-grown adult is 400 mg orally, usually in tablet form, every 12 hours for 10 – 14 days.
Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): For the treatment of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), the usual dose of Ofloxacin for a fully-grown adult is 200 mg orally, usually in tablet form, every 12 hours for 10 – 14 days.
Treatment of Traveller’s Diarrhea: For treating traveler’s diarrhea, the usual dose of Ofloxacin is 300 mg orally, usually in tablet form, every 12 hours for 1 – 3 days.
Also Read: Top Zerodol-SP Tablet Dealers & Suppliers in India
Common Side Effects of Ofloxacin Tablets
Ofloxacin is known to cause several side effects, some trivial, others serious. These include:
- Diarrhea
- Stomachache or abdominal pain
- Black and/or tarry stools are caused by dried blood in the digestive system.
- Bloody or cloudy urine
- Fresh blood in stools
- Anxiety, restlessness, and cold sweats
- Nausea
- Chest pain
- Rashes and Itching
- Sore Throat
- Fever
- Sleeplessness and other sleep disorders
- Headache, lightheadedness, or dizziness
- Tendon Problems and Muscle Damage
Ofloxacin is known to reduce your level of alertness, thus it is absolutely imperative that you do not ingest ofloxacin tablets before driving, riding a motorcycle, or operating heavy machinery. Ofloxacin should also never be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women without the explicit recommendations of their physicians.
While most of the side effects of ofloxacin such as diarrhea and nausea are reversible, the more serious side effects such as tendon problems may be irreversible as well as disabling. This is because prolonged fluoroquinolone use potentially causes irreparable muscle damage and affects people of all ages. Ofloxacin particularly impacts the Achilles tendon in the ankle.
Lastly, Ofloxacin has also been known to cause bleeding of the aorta, resulting in death. However, these conditions are extremely rare and will not affect the vast majority of Ofloxacin users.
Interactions of Ofloxacin with Other Drugs
While there is no reported case of Ofloxacin having any severe interactions with other drugs, it does have serious interactions with over 40 drugs, moderate interactions with over 160 drugs, and mild interactions with nearly 100 other drugs. As such, it is in your best interest to let your physician know of your complete medical history, especially what other medicines you are currently using.
Warnings and Precautions while Prescribing or Using Ofloxacin
While prescribing or using Ofloxacin, the following precautions must be taken:
- Avoid taking Ofloxacin tablets before undergoing urine opiate screening. Ofloxacin is known to cause false positives in such cases.
- Ofloxacin is no longer recommended for the treatment of gonorrhea around the United States, so physicians need to be more vigilant while prescribing it to their patients.
- As with any other antibiotic, prolonged use of Ofloxacin may cause super-infections in a patient and must be avoided.
- While Ofloxacin is relatively safer for use by adult humans, its use in pediatrics is limited because of its more adverse effects on infants and young children.
- Some more serious complications arising from the use of Ofloxacin are elevated intracranial pressure and toxic psychosis.
- In the case of orally administered doses of Ofloxacin, the probability of acute onset of retinal detachment was observed to grow by over four times.
- Ofloxacin should never be administered to patients suffering from tendon injuries, broken or weak bones, arthritis, or other complications involving the joints.
Drugs Similar or Related to Ofloxacin
There are several other pharmaceutical drugs that are either related to Ofloxacin or are very similar, such as:
- Amoxicillin
- Doxycycline
- Ciprofloxacin
- Azithromycin
- Cephalexin
- Metronidazole
- Clindamycin
FAQs: Ofloxacin Tablet
Q. Is ofloxacin tablet used to treat infections?
Ans. Yes, ofloxacin tablets are used to treat bacterial infections. They are antibiotics of the class fluoroquinolones. Ofloxacin is usually powerless against infections caused by other non-bacterial microorganisms such as viruses, protozoa, and fungi.
Q. How quickly does the ofloxacin tablet take effect?
Ans. There is no fixed time frame for the complete cure of ailments via the administration of Ofloxacin. It all depends on the ailment being treated. For example, treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and pelvic inflammatory disease could take anywhere from 10 days to two weeks. On the other hand, diarrhea and gonorrhea typically take much lesser time to heal.
Q. Is the ofloxacin tablet causing you to sleep?
Ans. While Ofloxacin is known to cause side effects such as lightheadedness, dizziness, drowsiness, or a lack of alertness, it is not known to cause people to be sleepy. On the contrary, Ofloxacin tablets are known to make some people suffer from sleeplessness.
Q. Which is more effective, amoxicillin or ofloxacin tablets?
Ans. As part of a study conducted in 1990, R Khajotia, M Drlicek, and N Vetter administered Ofloxacin to 59 test subjects (patients suffering from lower respiratory tract infections) and amoxicillin to another 33 subjects suffering from the same condition. While the patients to whom Ofloxacin was administered did not suffer from any major side effects, the ones using amoxicillin fared far worse. In fact, two of the 33 test subjects died. On the basis of these results, the trio concluded that Ofloxacin tablets are not only more effective than amoxicillin tablets, but they are also far safer.
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