What is Cipro?
Cipro is an antibacterial drug. It is used to kill any bacteria in the body that are causing infection. It may be used for bacterial infections in patients with Crohn's disease.
How is Cipro taken?
Cipro is taken orally in tablet form. It is important to maintain a constant level of Cipro in the blood. Therefore, it must be taken at regular intervals without missing any doses. Take Cipro with 8 ounces of water (one glass). It should never be taken at the same time as antacids, iron, or zinc supplements (including mutlivitamins with these minerals) but only 6 hours before or 2 hours after.
Why is Cipro prescribed?
Cipro is used to fight or prevent a bacterial infection. It is used for a wide variety of infections including pneumonia, gonorrhea, infectious diarrhea, typhoid fever, and bone, joint, skin, and urinary tract infections.
What do I do if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose should be taken soon, just take that dose. Don't double up, or take more than one dose at a time.
Who should not take Cipro?
Tell your doctor if you are planning on having any surgery while taking Cipro, including dental surgery.
Before taking Cipro, tell your doctor if you have, or have ever had:
- Allergic reaction to any drug
- Currently pregnant or breast feeding
- Epilepsy
- Heart Disease
- History of stroke
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Tendonitis
If I start to feel better, can I stop taking Cipro?
NO. As you are treated with Cipro, you may start to feel better, but that does not mean the infection is entirely gone. Take all of the medication that was prescribed to you unless instructed to stop taking it by a health care professional. Stopping the medication before the bacterial infection is completely gone can result in serious consequences. A stronger strain of bacteria may develop, or the infection may come back again and be more difficult to treat.
What are the side effects?
Some uncommon but serious side effects from Cipro include difficulty breathing or swallowing, sunburn or blistering, and seizures or convulsions. If you experience these symptoms call your doctor immediately.
Cipro may also cause sensitivity to sunlight (including tanning beds or lamps). Reactions can include sunburn, skin rash, redness, and itching. Take precautions such as wearing protective clothing (long pants and shirts, hats, sunglasses) and a sunscreen.
Cipro may increase the effects that caffeine has on the body such as nervousness. Caffeine is found in many soft drinks, tea, coffee, and even chocolate.
Other side effects include dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, restlessness, and tiredness. See the Cipro side effects page for a complete list.
What medications can Cipro interact with?
Cipro can interact with several drugs. Tell the prescribing physician about all drugs and nutritional supplements you are taking, especially those from the following list that may interact with Cipro.
- antacids
- caffeine
- cancer chemotherapy agents
- cinoxacin
- cyclosporine
- cimetidine
- enoxacin
- glyburide
- iron
- levofloxacin
- lomefloxacin
- nalidixic acid
- norfloxacin
- ofloxacin
- other antibiotics
- phenytoin
- probenecid
- sparfloxacin
- sucralfate
- theophylline
- warfarin
- zinc
Is Cipro safe during pregnancy?
The FDA has classified Cipro as a type C drug. The effect that Cipro has on an unborn child has not been studied extensively in humans, but has been shown to increase bone development problems in animals. Notify the prescribing doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Cipro. Cipro is not recommended during breast feeding as it does pass into breast milk and could affect a nursing infant.
Won't this antibiotic make my diarrhea from IBS or IBD worse?
Antibiotics kill off bacteria in the body. They can't distinguish between "good" and "bad" bacteria. Therefore, "good" bacteria in the colon may be killed along with the "bad", resulting in diarrhea. For more information on antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and how to treat it, see this article: Antibiotics Making You Sick?.
How long can I take Cipro?
Use of Cipro for long periods of time may result in yeast infections in the mouth, rectum, or vagina. Crystals in the kidney are also a risk, but is lessened by drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water each day.
