Generic Medication guide:
What is the medication marketed as Levaquin? When is Levaquin used?
Levaquin is a brand registered by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical and currently owned by the consumer and pharmaceutical goods giant Johnson & Johnson. The formulation on which it is based
is called Levofloxacin. It can be also marketed by other companies because the formula is free to use for anyone who has a license to produce drugs. It means that if a patient needs to buy Levaquin, he or she can opt for a less known version simply making sure that the active substance name is Levofloxacin. On the original package of all medications, the name of the active agent is indicated below the trademark so it is not hard to detect the proper medication. And the point of buying the medication made by other manufacturer is that so-called generic versions are usually significantly cheaper.
Levofloxacin is an antibacterial medication from the group of fluoroquinolones of the III generation. It has an antibacterial activity twice than that of Ofloxacin. The medication is more frequently called an antibacterial rather than an antibiotic because it is completely synthetically made and has no natural analogs. The formulation has a broad range of activity and acts by inhibiting the enzymes needed by bacteria to replicate, transcript, repair, and recombine their DNA.
Levaquin and its analogs can be appointed for the treatment of:
- Community-acquired and other types of pneumonia;
- Bacterial urological diseases;
- Bacterial-induced prostatitis;
- Infections of the skin;
- Medication-resistant tuberculosis;
- Prevention and treatment of anthrax in airborne infection;
- Acute sinusitis;
- A flare-up of chronic bronchitis.
Please note that before you buy generic Levaquin it is crucial to consult your physician about the therapy. The medication can be suitable or unsuitable for you. Besides, you need to clarify if it is indeed prescribed what form do you need – injectable or oral.
Clinical data
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Trade names
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Levaquin, Tavanic, Iquix, others
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License data
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EU EMA: by INN
US FDA: Levofloxacin
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Pregnancy category
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US: C (Risk not ruled out)
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Routes of administration
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By mouth, IV, eye drops
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Drug class
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Fluoroquinolone
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Legal status
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Legal status
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In general: RX (Prescription only)
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Pharmacokinetic data
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Bioavailability
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99%
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Protein binding
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31%
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Metabolism
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<5% desmethyl and N-oxidemetabolites
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Elimination half-life |
6.9 hours |
Excretion |
Renal, mostly unchanged (83%) |
Contraindications for Levaquin use
The formulation use is prohibited in:
- Hypersensitivity to the formulation or other quinolones;
- Epilepsy;
- Myasthenia gravis;
- Tendons damage associated with the use of fluoroquinolones antibacterials in medical history;
- In children and adolescents under 18;
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Besides these strict contraindications, it is also not advised to use the medication in the presence of the following conditions:
- Predisposition to seizures for instance, in CNS diseases or in patients who take medicines which elevate the likelihood of seizures, and so on;
- Deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase;
- Kidney failure;
- QT interval elongation;
- Elderly age;
- Electrolytes imbalance;
- Heart diseases;
- Diabetes type II with the use of oral hypoglycemic medications;
- History of adverse effects to other fluoroquinolones;
- History of psychoses and/or other mental disorders.
Levaquin dosing
If you buy Levofloxacin upon your doctor’s recommendations, follow them and neglect the instruction. Here we provide the recommendations from the official instruction for information only.
The pills are taken either one time or two times a day. The daily norm is based on the severity and type of the disease. The course duration is contingent on the progression of the disease. It is advised to continue the therapy for 2-4 days after the manifestations are eliminated and the body temperature is normalized.
The pills must be swallowed entirely with or without meals.
The regular dosages for adults with normal kidney function are the following:
- Acute sinusitis – 0.5 grams one time a day for ten to fourteen days;
- A flare-up of bronchitis – 0.25-0.5 grams one time a day for seven to ten days;
- Community-acquired pneumonia – 0.5 grams one or two times a day for seven to fourteen days;
- Simple urological infections – 0.25 grams one time a day for three days;
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis – 0.5 grams one time a day for twenty-eight days;
- Complicated urological diseases – 0.25 grams one time a day for seven to ten days.
- Infections of the skin - 0.25-0.5 grams one or two times a day for seven to fourteen days.
Dosing for individuals with kidney failure with creatinine clearance lower than 50 ml per minute:
- CC 20-50 ml per min – based on the severity of kidney failure, the first dosage is 250 mg or 500 mg, the following ones 125 mg or 250 mg every 24 hours. In severe infections, the first dosage is 500mg and the following ones are 250 mg every 12 hours.
- CC 10-19 ml per minute – based on the severity of kidney failure, the first dosage is 0.25 grams, the following ones 0.125 grams every 48 hours. Alternatively (at a doctor’s discretion), the first dosage can be 0.5 grams with the subsequent use of 0.125 grams every 24 hours or 0.5 grams with the subsequent use of 0.125 grams every 12 hours.
- CC lower than 10 ml per minute as well as patients on hemodialysis – the first dosage is 0.25 grams with the subsequent use of 0.125 grams every 48 hours. Alternatively (at a doctor’s discretion), the first dosage can be 500 mg with the following use of 0.125 grams every 24 hours.
Dosage adjustments for other categories of patients:
- People with liver failure do not require dosage adjustments.
- Senior patients do not require dosage adjustments unless they suffer from kidney failure.
Overdose
An overdose of the medication is manifested in confusion, dizziness, fainting, seizures, hallucinations, tremor, nausea, elongation of QT interval, and others.
The therapy is symptomatic, i.e. aimed at the elimination of the negative symptoms. Taking into account the possible QT interval elongation, monitoring of heart condition trough electrocardiography is recommended.
Levaquin adverse effects
People who buy generic Levofloxacin for the first time and have never used it may develop such adverse effects as:
- Negative effects on the tendons (even in the minimal pain the therapy must be discontinued);
- Aggravation of myasthenia gravis;
- Hypersensitivity reactions including headache, skin rash, anaphylaxis;
- Toxic effect on the liver manifested in the liver dysfunction and/or yellowing of the skin;
- Negative effect on the CNS;
- Diarrhea and possibly of Pseudomembranous colitis development that requires immediate therapy discontinuation;
- Peripheral neuropathy, which may be irreversible;
- QT interval elongation;
- Blood glucose levels fluctuations;
- Sensitivity to light;
- Development of bacterial resistance.
If you have any predisposing conditions, the likelihood of adverse effects is higher so you must discuss your actions and measures to prevent the negative effects with your doctor.
Common (≥ 1%) Adverse Reactions Reported in Clinical Trials with Levofloxacin
System/Organ Class
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Adverse Reaction
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% (N=7537)
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Infections and Infestations
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moniliasis
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1
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Psychiatric Disorders
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insomnia
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4
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Nervous System Disorders
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headache dizziness
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6
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Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders
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dyspnea
nausea
diarrhea
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1
7
5
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Gastro intestinal Disorders
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constipation
abdominal pain
vomiting
dyspepsia
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3
2
2
2
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Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders
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rash
pruritus
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|
Reproductive System and Breast Disorders
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vaginitis
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1
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General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions
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edema
injection site reaction
chest pain
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1
1
1
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Levaquin interactions
If you take any medicines when you order Levaquin, check beforehand that these drugs are compatible.
- Antacid medications that contain magnesium, aluminum, and others that influence the stomach acidity suppressing it influence the amount of the formulation that penetrates into the blood so the intervals between their intake and the antibacterial medication must be at least two hours.
- People who used the antibacterials from the same class as Levaquin and antidiabetic medications claimed blood glucose fluctuations up to hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Thus, the control over the blood glucose is advised in their combination.
- Concurrent use of NSAIDs with the formulation can elevate the risk of the CNS irritation and occurrence of seizures.
These are not all of the interactions with Levaquin so if you take any other medications, please read the instruction or consult your physician about the safety of their combined use.
Precautions
The use of fluoroquinolones is related to a raised risk of tendons damage and even their rupture. This adverse effect is most likely to affect Achilles tendon and occur in senior patients, people who use corticosteroids, as well as individuals with an organ transplant. Other risk factors are intense physical activity, kidney failure, and/or precedent diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Where can you buy Levaquin?
The easiest and cheapest way to get the pills without even leaving your home is to order generic Levaquin from this web page. We offer you to get the best quality generic medications at a fraction of the branded medication price without compromising the effectiveness and safety of your therapy.
Levaquin shipping
You can order the medication shipping to all countries of the world inclusive Canada, the U.S., UK, Europe, and so on. The average shipping time is 7-12 days (express) and 14-25 (standard).
Free prescription
Our doctor prescribes online for free, and there is no doctor’s consultation fee.
Discrete packaging
All orders arrive in discrete unmarked parcels. We leave the shipment description blank.
For more answers see the FAQ section
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