Ciprofloxacin

Common side effects include:
Oral tablets

• Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite
• Eat mild tasting food, and avoid rich or spicy meals.
• Take this medication after meals.
• Diarrhoea
• Drink plenty of water with oral rehydration salts to replenish your fluids and electrolytes.
• Speak to your healthcare professional if the diarrhoea is severe or bloody.
• Dizziness, drowsiness
• Rest, and wait for it to go away before resuming daily activities.
• Avoid driving or operating machinery if affected.
• Increased sensitivity to sunlight
• Apply sunblock, wear long sleeves and trousers, and avoid being exposed to direct sunlight especially during the hottest time of the day.
  
  Eye preparations
• Temporary blurring of vision after use
• Do not drive or operate machinery until you can see clearly again

Rare but serious side effects include:

• Painful swelling of the joints or tendons
• Sudden chest, stomach or back pain
• Burning, tingling or numbing sensations or muscle pain/weakness
• Changes in behaviour, attention or thinking
• Seizures (fits)
• Severe and bloody diarrhoea
• Drug allergy-symptoms may include swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue, difficulty in breathing, skin rashes over your whole body
• Eye preparations: redness or irritation to the eyes that do not go away
• Ear drops:  irritation or pain in the ears that do not go away

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You have any other medical conditions such as:
• Epilepsy (fits or seizures)
• Myasthenia gravis (a long-term immune condition that causes muscle weakness)
• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies
• You have existing heart problems or are on any medicine that regulates your heartbeat
• You have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency

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Avoid consuming the following foods or medications together with Ciprofloxacin:

• Milk-containing products or dairy products
• Indigestion remedies (e.g Antacids)
• Medicines (e.g. Sucralfate) or supplements that contain aluminium, calcium, iron, magnesium or zinc
• Medicines that act as binders (e.g. Lanthanum, Sevelamer)

You should take Ciprofloxacin 2 hours before or 6 hours after the above products as taking them together with Ciprofloxacin reduces the absorption of Ciprofloxacin into your body.

You should avoid consuming milk feeds 1-2 hours before and after Ciprofloxacin.

Certain medications may increase the risk of side effects of Ciprofloxacin if taken together with Ciprofloxacin. These medications are (but not limited to):

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
• Theophylline
• Cyclosporin
• Probenecid

Consult your healthcare professional if you can continue taking them with Ciprofloxacin.