General Information on Levaquin
The generic name of Levaquin is levofloxacin and it is in the class of fluoroquinolones. It is used to treat a number of bacterial infections, many of them often life threatening. Some of these include urinary tract infection, respiratory tract infections, chlamydial infections, gonorrhea, pelvic inflammatory disease, etc. In general, Levaquin is one of the most multipurpose medications for different types of infections. Levaquin is also a medication to prevent or slow down after anthrax exposure. Just like other fluoroquinolones, Levaquin inhibits DNA gyrase, resulting in breakage of bacterial chromosome. The half-life of levofloxacin is between 6 to 8 hours. If you buy Levaquin, it should be continued to the prescribed number of days even if the infection has cleared to get the maximum effectiveness.
Side effects of Levaquin
Just like other fluoroquinolones, Levaquin is associated with a number of side effects from minor to major. Some side effects will abate during treatment as the body adjusts to the medication and hence there is no need to seek a physician. Some of these are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. However, if they persist for a longer period of time, consult your physician immediately. Some of the serious side effects with Levaquin include peripheral neuropathy, tendinitis or tendon damage. In addition to this, patients should always tell the physicians about allergic reactions such as hives, rashes, itching during a course of Levaquin as allergic reactions are quite common with Levaquin.
Geriatric patients are more at risk from side effects of Levaquin, the most significant of them is tendon rupture and then Levaquin can be also toxic to the heart and can cause arrhythmias.
Some very rare side effects of Levaquin include stomach cramps, mood disturbance, psychosis, hallucinations, diaphoresis.
Precautions
Since Levaquin is an anti-bacterial medication; it should not be used for treating viral pathology. Before you buy Levaquin, always consult your physician about some preexisting conditions. Some of the notable ones are diabetes and hypokalemia. In case of diabetic patients who are mostly insulin or other oral drug dependant, Levaquin can cause low blood sugar levels, which results in passing out and needs emergent treatment. Patients with hypokalemia or bradycardia can also experience irregular heart rate and rhythm with the use of Levaquin. Also it is recommended to stay out of direct sunlight when being on course of Levaquin.
Levaquin Dosage
Levaquin can be administered both orally and intravenously. The recommended dose for most of the common and uncomplicated infections is Levaquin 250 mg to 500 mg once a day for 7 to 14 days. Alternately, Levaquin 750 mg once a day for 5 days can be used for acute complicated infections. Administration intravenously should be by slow infusion and concentrate must be diluted prior. Intravenous route should be only used in patients where oral route is contraindicated initially and should be switched to oral soon as appropriate.
Interactions
Levaquin is known to have interactions with a large number of other drugs. Apart from this, antacids rich in calcium, magnesium and aluminum taken concurrently with Levaquin tend to decrease the effectiveness of Levaquin. It is advisable in such condition to have intake of Levaquin one to two hours before or after such antacids. Although there are significant number of interactions to many kinds of drugs and foods, the benefits of Levaquin outweigh the risk of interactions.
