Levofla or levofloxacin is an antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone family that has an active ingredient known as levofla. This particular antibiotics is very effective and highly sensitive for treatment of infections caused by mainly micro-organisms (bacteria). This drug comes in various forms like oral tablet, oral liquid, ocular solution or eye drop. It can also be given intravenously which must be administered by a health personnel. Levofla is not formulated to treat infections caused by viruses like common cold or flu. It is meant to treat bacterial infections. Levofla can come in various measurement like:
- Tablet form – 250mg, 500mg and 750mg. 750mg should only be taken by adults.
- Liquid form comes in 25mg/ml
- Injection ready-to-use – 250mg/50ml, 500mg/100ml and 750mg/150ml. The biggest quantity which is 150ml is only administered to adults.
WHAT DOES LEVOFLA DO?
Levofla is a drug that can be used in treating:
- Kidney infection
- Prostate infection
- Skin and soft tissue infection
- Anthrax infection including inhalation anthrax
- Sinus infections
- Bronchitis, pneumonia and other respiratory tract infection
- Urinary tract infections affecting the bladder, urethra and kidney.
- Endocarditis
- Certain sexually transmitted diseases
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Plague caused by Yersinia pestis
- Tuberculosis
- Traveler’s diarrhea
Before using Levofla to treat any of the disease, it must be administered by a health personnel and taken in the right dosage. Do not try to treat any of these infections with Levofla without consulting your doctor first.
HOW DOES LEVOFLA WORK
Levofla is an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone antibiotic class. When taken into the body, Levofla destroys the bacteria and germs that cause the illness.
Levofla works by killing bacteria. It kills them by turning two enzymes (bacterial) which are DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV into dangerous enzymes that weaken or lessen DNA formation, reunion or repair thereby killing the bacteria.
HOW SHOULD YOU TAKE LEVOFLA
You are expected to follow your doctor’s instructions and read the directions or guide on the product package leaflet. Do not try to take more dosage to improve effectiveness or reduce the dosage. Take the full prescription during the length of time given, do not skip the medicine even if you feel your symptoms have improved. Skipping the medicine will increase the chances of the bacteria recurring and may make the infection to become resistant to medications.
If you are taking the oral tablets, you may take food before taking the medicine or without food.
The liquid Levofla should be measured with the dosing syringe provided or a medicine dose device. Take the solution 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal, this to make sure your stomach is or almost empty. For intravenous forms, the health personnel will use the required dosage.
Whether tablet, solution, intravenous or ocular solution, Levofla should be taken once a day and at almost the same time.
TYPICAL DOSAGE FOR LEVOFLA
There are different dosage for the drug according to the age and weight.
i. Adults: Adults can take 250 mg, 500 mg, or 750 mg every 24 hours orally.
ii. Children: Children from 6 months and older
The weight if the child will determine how much dosage he or she will be given. Note that Levofla is used in treating anthrax or plague in children.
i. 50kg (110 lb.) or more should take 500mg every 24 hours.
ii. 30kg (66 lb.) to 50kg (110 lb.) and can swallow tablets should be given 250mg orally every 24 hours.
iii. Less than 50kg (100 lb.) and cannot swallow tablets should take 8mg of the liquid Levofla orally every 12 hours. The maximum dosage should not be above 250mg.
Other factors that can determine how much dosage you will be given are:
- Age
- Body Weight
- The nature of your illness
- Other medical issues.
If you skip a dose, you should take it as soon as possible but if the timing is close to your next dose, you can skip the missed dose. This is to prevent taking overdose of the medicine. If you overdose, you should seek the attention of a medical doctor immediately.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE TAKING LEVOFLA
Levofla is not to be used by those who are allergic to it or other fluoroquinolones like moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin and others. It should also be avoided by breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women. Levofla can cause joint deformities in young species. Before giving the drug to a child, make sure it is prescribed by a health personnel.
Cancel out any driving or hazardous activities before taking the drug there may be serious reactions. You can experience sunburn, so make sunscreen your friend.
Before taking the drug, you should tell your doctor if you have or have had:
- Kidney disease
- Epilepsy
- High blood pressure or other heart problems
- Head injury
- Brain tumor
- Diabetes
- Nerve or muscle disorder
- Joint, tendon or bone problems
- Blood circulation problems
- Genetic disease
- Cases of low levels of potassium in your blood.
ARE THERE SIDE EFFECTS OF LEVOFLA (LEVOFLOXACIN)?
Just like any other drugs, there are some common side effects you may experience after taking the medicine. Other side effects can be very serious and require medical attention. The common side effects can go after some days or couple of weeks. Some common side effects are:
- Constipation
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Headache
- Diarrhea
- Trouble with sleeping
Levofla can cause some allergic reactions like:
- Fast heart rate
- Swelling of the tongue, lips and face
- Tightness of the throat
- Hives
- Skin rashes
- Fainting
- Difficulty in breathing and swallowing.
Tendon injury can occur in the knee and elbow, some tendon injuries are:
- Weakness
- Numbness
- Difficulty in moving
- Pain
- Discomfort in the muscles and joints
- Nerve damage
The central nervous system can be affected. You may experience:
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Suicidal thoughts
- Seizures
- Anxiety
- Feeling of nervousness and excitement
- Confusion
- Tremors
- Lightheadedness
- Constant headache
- Blurred vision
- Nightmares
- Paranoia
Liver damage may occur, some symptoms are:
- Itching
- Weakness
- Abdominal pain
- Tiredness
- Dark urine
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fever
- Colorful stool
- Whitening of the eyes
- Yellowing of the skin
You may also experience severe diarrhea, cramps, irregular heart rhythm and loss of consciousness. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience these severe side effects.
IS LEVOFLA SAFE?
It is safe to use?, if you are taking the right dosage, also make sure that you are taking the drug based on a doctor’s prescription because even a little dose of the drug can cause minor side effects. You should never take more than the prescribed dose to make the drug more effective, doing so will only make you have severe effects like hallucinations and depression.
Levofla is very safe provided you are taking the right dosage and only when prescribed. It may interest you to know that this drug is used as a last option because of the high severe effects it has.
WHEN TO STOP TAKING LEVOFLA
Stay away from the drug if you have:
- Renal disease
- Allergies
- Sun sensitivity
- Severe diarrhea
- Myasthenia gravis
- Tremors
- Nerve problem
- Kidney problems
- Diabetes and others
DRUG INTERACTIONS WITH LEVOFLA
Levofla can interact with other drugs if they are taken together. Some drugs can reduce the effectiveness of Levofla while others may increase negative side effects.
Some drugs that interact with the drug and worsen side effects are:
- Diabetic drugs and insulin like pioglitazone, nateglinide, rosiglitazone and others can affect the level of blood sugar.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, naproxen can stimulate the central nervous system and cause seizures.
- Warfarin can cause bleeding
- Theophylline can cause irregular heartbeat and low blood pressure.
Some drugs that reduce how effective Levofla will act in the body are:
- Antacids that contain iron, magnesium, calcium or zinc
- Sucralfate
- Didanosine
Dairy products like milk can also interfere with the absorption of the drug by the body.
HOW MUCH IS LEVOFLA AND WHERE CAN YOU GET IT
Levofla costs between $2 to $136.17 depending on the kind of pill required. You can get the drug from local drugstores near you, hospitals or online drugstores. You can only buy this drug with a prescription from a doctor. Some legitimate online stores to get it are Safeway, Walmart, Kroger Pharmacy, Walgreens and others.
CONCLUSION
Levofla is a drug that is used to treat various bacterial infections. The dosage to be taken is determined by the age of the patient, weight and severity of the sickness. You must not exceed the prescribed dosage even if it seems like your symptoms are not reducing.
Use the drug as long as you were instructed, do not skip the medications on your own terms. Levofla should not be self medicated, so avoid giving or prescribing the medicine to other people even if their symptoms are similar to yours.