Levofloxacin is an antibiotic which is used to treat bacterial infections of the 

• sinuses 
• lungs, in people with long-term breathing problems or 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 Tablets 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.

Always take Levofloxacin Tablets exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. 

• Take this medicine by mouth 
• Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water 
• The tablets may be taken during meals or at any time between meals 

Protect your skin from sunlight 

Keep out of direct sunlight while taking this medicine and for 2 days after you stop taking 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 sunbeds 

Children and adolescents: 

This medicine must not be given to children or teenagers. 

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines. This is because Levofloxacin tablets can affect the way some other medicines work. Also some medicines can affect the way Levofloxacin tablets work. 

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 tablets:

Corticosteroids,Vitamin K antagonists such as Warfarin, Theophylline, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – used for pain and inflammation such as aspirin, ibuprofen, fenbufen, ketoprofen and indomethacin., Ciclosporin – used after organ transplants, 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, azithromycin 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 tablets. If you have kidney problems, your doctor may want to give you a lower dose. 

Do not take Levofloxacin tablets at the same time as the following medicines. This is because it can affect the way Levofloxacin tablets work: 

Iron tablets (for anemia), zinc supplements, magnesium or aluminium-containing antacids (for acid or heartburn), didanosine, or sucralfate (for stomach ulcers). 

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 taking Levofloxacin Tablets and see a doctor or go to a hospital straight away if you notice the following side effect: 

Very rare: a rash, swallowing or breathing problems, swelling of your lips, face, throat, or tongue Stop taking Levofloxacin Tablets and see a doctor straight away if you notice any of the following serious side effects – you may need urgent medical treatment.

Rare: Watery diarrhea which may have blood in it, possibly with stomach cramps and 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) ,Widespread rash, high body temperature, liver enzyme, elevations, blood abnormalities (eosinophilia), enlarged lymph nodes and other body organs. 

Very rare: Burning, tingling, pain or numbness.

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 diarrhea 
• Increase in the level of some liver enzymes in your blood 

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 

Other side effects include: 

• Lowering in red blood cells (anaemia): 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 

Do not take Levofloxacin 

If you are allergic to Levofloxacin or any other quinolone antibiotic such as moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin 

If your eyesight becomes impaired or if your eyes seem to be otherwise affected, consult an eye specialist immediately. 

If 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’. 

You are a child or a growing teenager. 

You are pregnant, trying to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. 

Do not take this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Levofloxacin Tablets.

Warnings and precautions: 

Before taking this medicine, you should not take fluoroquinolone/quinolone antibacterial medicines if you have experienced any serious adverse reaction in the past when taking a quinolone or fluoroquinolone. In this situation, you should inform your doctor as soon as possible. 

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Levofloxacin Tablets if: 

• You are 60 years of age or older. 
• You are using corticosteroids, sometimes called steroids. 
• 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 
• You are diabetic 
• You have ever had liver problems 
• You have myasthenia gravis 
• You have ever developed a severe skin rash or skin peeling, blistering and/or mouth sores after taking levofloxacin. 
• Serious skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) have been reported with the use of levofloxacin If you develop a serious rash or another of these skin symptoms, stop taking levofloxacin and contact your doctor or seek medical attention immediately. 
• Whilst taking Levofloxacin Tablets you are advised to stay out of strong sunlight and not to use a sun lamp. This is because some patients may become more sensitive to light whilst taking the tablets and get a sun-burn like reaction. 
• Levofloxacin is not an optimal therapy for most severe cases of Pneumococcal pneumonia. 
• Infections from a hospital during treatment due to P.aeruginosa may require combination therapy. 
• Levofloxacin is not effective against infections caused by MRSA. In infections suspicious for MRSA levofloxacin should be combined with an agent approved to treat MRSA infections. 
• If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Levofloxacin Tablets.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: 

Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby. 

Driving and using machines: 

You may get side effects after taking 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.