What is Avelox?
Avelox (moxifloxacin) is a fluoroquinolone (floor-o-KWIN-o-lone) antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body.
Avelox is used to treat different types of bacterial infections of the skin, sinuses, lungs, or stomach. It is used to treat community acquired pneumonia, plague, bacterial sinusitis, and chronic bronchitis with bacterial infection.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics can cause serious or disabling side effects that may not be reversible.
Avelox should be used only for infections that cannot be treated with a safer antibiotic.
Important Information
You may not be able to use Avelox if you have a muscle disorder. Tell your doctor if you have a history of myasthenia gravis.
Moxifloxacin can cause serious side effects, including tendon problems, nerve damage, serious mood or behavior changes, or low blood sugar.
Stop using this medicine and call your doctor at once if you have symptoms such as: headache, hunger, irritability, numbness, tingling, burning pain, confusion, agitation, paranoia, problems with memory or concentration, thoughts of suicide, or sudden pain or movement problems in any of your joints.
In rare cases, moxifloxacin may cause damage to your aorta, which could lead to dangerous bleeding or death. Get emergency medical help if you have severe and constant pain in your chest, stomach, or back.
Avelox may cause swelling or tearing of a tendon. Stop taking moxifloxacin and call your doctor at once if you have sudden pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, stiffness, or movement problems in any of your joints.
Before taking this medicine
You should not use Avelox if you are allergic to moxifloxacin or other fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, gemifloxacin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, and others).
Avelox may cause swelling or tearing of a tendon (the fiber that connects bones to muscles in the body), especially in the Achilles' tendon of the heel. This can happen during treatment or up to several months after you stop taking Avelox. Tendon problems may be more likely to occur if you are over 60, if you take steroid medication, or if you have had a kidney, heart, or lung transplant.
To make sure Avelox is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- tendon problems, bone problems, arthritis, or other joint problems;
- blood circulation problems, aneurysm, narrowing or hardening of the arteries;
- heart problems, high blood pressure;
- a genetic disease such as Marfan syndrome or Ehler's-Danlos syndrome;
- diabetes;
- a muscle or nerve disorder, such as myasthenia gravis;
- liver or kidney disease;
- seizures or epilepsy;
- a head injury or brain tumor;
- long QT syndrome (in you or a family member); or
- low levels of potassium in your blood (hypokalemia).
Avelox is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.
You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.
How should I take Avelox?
Take Avelox exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
Take Avelox with water, and drink extra fluids to keep your kidneys working properly.
You may take this medicine with or without food, at the same time each day.
Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses can increase your risk of infection that is resistant to medication. Moxifloxacin will not treat a viral infection such as the flu or a common cold.
Do not share Avelox with another person.
Store at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
AVELOX – All There Is To Know.
Avelox acts as an antibacterial agent for any intravenous and oral administration. A common component of Avelox includes a fluoroquinolone called moxifloxacin, which is a monohydrochloride salt. In the molecular structure, it’s a yellow substance. Furthermore, there are additional ingredients like lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose, titanium dioxide, ferric oxide, Hypromellose, and polyethene glycol – all of which are inactive agents.
Types of Avelox
It's available as an injection or as tablets. When consuming the tablets, you should consume the 400mg version. As for the injection, 250ml is enough. The medication is always ready to use, and it's available in flexibags which aren’t made from natural rubber latex. The solution contains the same colour as the tablets, yellow – however, the colour isn’t an indication of the stability of the medication. There are some inactive ingredients in the injection as well. They include; water for injection, USP, sodium chloride, and hydrochloric acid. Communicate with your doctor to know which type of medication will be ideal for you. Besides, that'll ensure that your prescription will get to treat you in no time.
What are the Uses of Avelox
Avelox treats adult patients who have acquired community pneumonia. The main cause of the illness is the susceptible isolated of Streptococcus pneumoniae. With the aid of penicillin, Avelox isolates the bacteria to give your body a fighting chance. Before using Avelox, it’s advisable to read the medication guide. Here, you'll know more about the medication and the patient information before using the moxifloxacin. As for the tablets, you should always consume it by mouth – either with or without food. The dosage should be as your doctor has prescribed, but its mostly once a day. The length of the treatment, on the other hand, is based on your response to the treatment and the medical condition. Unless your doctor says otherwise, always increase your intake of fluids. Ensure you take the medication 8 hours after or 4 hours before taking any other products or medication. Consumption of other products might decrease the effectiveness since they might bind it. Communicate with your doctor or pharmacist if you have other medication to know whether it'll affect Avelox. Take the medicine at the same time daily to make it easier for you to remember. Remember to take the medication until the prescribed amount is finished.
Common Side Effects of Avelox
A doctor will always prescribe medicine because they know your body has the capability of handling it. Therefore, some slight side effects won't necessitate the knowledge of your doctor. However, its always to be on the safe side and disclose any effects with your doctor. Some of the most common effects include diarrhoea, nausea, dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, trouble sleeping, and weakness. As for the serious side effects, you might find signs of new infections, unusual bleeding or bruising, persistent vomiting, nausea, dark urine, yellowing skin and eyes, and signs of kidney and liver problems. For such symptoms, always notify your doctor immediately. A common result will be a change of medication and treatment of the severe symptoms. Some of the rare occurrences when consuming the medication is severe intestinal conditions because of a specific resistant bacterium. The intestinal conditions might occur during treatment or after treatment. Never hesitate to notify your doctor to know how to handle the conditions quickly. Besides, avoid using the medication for a prolonged period. It might cause new yeast infections or oral thrush.
Precautions to Take Before Using Avelox
Before consuming Avelox, ensure your doctor or pharmacist knows about all your allergies. It'll assist them in learning about the different ingredients that might instigate an allergic reaction to the medication. Nonetheless, in case you'll react to an ingredient, they’ll be able to look for the best alternatives – thus avoiding other problems. Your medical history should be another thing to share with your doctor. So doing ensures that they know whether it's safe to prescribe the medication to you. Some of the conditions that'll be necessary for your doctor to know will be heart problems, diabetes, tendon or joint problems, mood or mental disorders, liver diseases, nerve problems, myasthenia gravis or seizure disorders. Avelox might increase some of these risks and ensuring that your doctor knows will assist them in acting accordingly. Another reason you'll need to keep your doctor in the loop is that Avelox might affect or interrupt with your heart rhythm. It might cause irregular heartbeats, which might lead to dizziness and fainting at times. The only reason QT prolongation will appear is when you're consuming other medication that’s conflicting with Avelox or if you have preexisting medical conditions.
Interaction with other medications
It’s a medication that'll be useful in treating your bacterial infections. Even though you can consume Avelox with other medication, blood thinners might not be ideal. Their interaction with Avelox might affect your body negatively, and they might interfere with the effectiveness of the drug. Moreover, consuming Avelox with other medication that contains ofloxacin will quicken QT prolongation. Therefore, always notify your doctor in case of any new medication to ensure that any adverse effects don’t get to appear.
Sutton, Barbara A. M.D
ID/HIV Specialists