Ciprofloxacin
Prescription status is set country by country — the label where you live is the one that applies.
Beta: the medication section is still being tested, and its data may contain errors. Do not rely on it for a decision about your own treatment.
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. It blocks the bacterial enzymes that coil and uncoil DNA, so the bacteria cannot copy their genetic material and die. It is used for bacterial infections, particularly of the urinary tract, gut and other sites where the class is active.
A usual adult range, not a national label — the dose and the timing differ by country and by product.
Approved uses differ by country — some of these may be off-label or unapproved where you live.
It is taken with or without food, but kept apart from dairy, calcium-fortified juice, antacids and mineral supplements, because calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc bind it into a complex the gut cannot absorb, and it lowers those minerals in turn. Strong sun and tanning beds are avoided, as the skin burns more easily on this drug; probiotics are spaced a few hours away, and the course is finished in full. It raises the effect of the anticoagulant warfarin, and creatinine and ALT are monitored because the kidneys clear it and the liver can react to it.
Pain, swelling or snapping sensation in a tendon, most often the Achilles, means stopping activity and seeing a doctor, as tendon rupture is a rare but real risk. Palpitations or fainting from QT prolongation, new numbness or tingling, blistering sunburn, or severe or bloody diarrhoea also warrant medical review.
Reference information, not medical advice. Discuss any change with your doctor.