How should I take Cipro?

Take Cipro exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take it in larger doses or for longer than recommended by your doctor.

Take each dose with a full glass of water (8 ounces). Drink several extra glasses of fluid each day while you are taking Cipro.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) for at least 15 seconds just before you measure a dose. To be sure you get the correct dose, measure the liquid with a marked measuring spoon or medicine cup, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.

When taking the oral liquid, swallow it without chewing the medicine beads you may notice in the liquid.

Do not crush, chew or break the extended-release tablet. Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time.

Cipro may be taken with or without food, but take it at the same time each day.

Do not take Cipro with dairy products such as milk or yogurt, or with calcium-fortified juice. You may eat or drink these products as part of a regular meal, but do not use them alone when taking Cipro. They could make the medication less effective.

Take this medication for as many days as it has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Cipro will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

Store Cipro at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Do not allow the liquid medicine to freeze.

What should I avoid while taking Cipro?

Avoid caffeine while you are taking Cipro, because the medication can make the effects of caffeine stronger.

Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, sunlamps, or tanning beds. Cipro make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, and a sunburn may result. Wear protective clothing and use a sunscreen if you must be out in the sun. Call your doctor if you have severe burning, redness, itching, rash, or swelling after being in the sun.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

Cipro can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

What are the possible side effects of Cipro?

Stop using Cipro and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using Cipro and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

 · seizure (black-out or convulsions)

 · confusion, hallucinations, depression, or thoughts of hurting yourself or others

 · sudden pain or swelling near your joints (especially in your arm or ankle)

 · nausea, stomach pain, low fever, lost appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)

 · diarrhea that is watery or bloody

 · urinating more or less than usual

 · numbness, tingling, or unusual pain anywhere in your body

 · chest pain, pounding or fast heartbeats

Other less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:

 · nausea, vomiting

 · dizziness or drowsiness

 · blurred vision

 · sleep problems (insomnia)

 · joint stiffness or muscle pain

 · increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.