Floxin Otic

Floxin Otic is a prescription medication that is used to treat bacterial infections of the ear. Floxin Otic belongs to a group of drugs called fluoroquinolone antibiotics. It works by killing bacterial cells that cause infection.

This medication is available as a solution for ear drops. The drops are usually instilled into the affected ear(s) 1 to 2 times a day.

Common side effects of Floxin Otic include itching, ear pain, and headache.

Floxin Otic can also cause blurred vision, drowsiness, and dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Floxin Otic affects you.

Floxin Otic is a prescription medication that is used to treat bacterial infections of the ears, including outer ear infections in adults and children, chronic (long-lasting) middle ear infections in adults and children with a perforated eardrum (a condition where the eardrum has a hole in it), and acute (suddenly occurring) middle ear infections in children with ear tubes.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Floxin Otic. See the “Floxin Otic Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Floxin Otic include the following:

• ear itching or pain
• change in taste
• dizziness

This is not a complete list of Floxin Otic side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• other antibiotics
• anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven)
• certain antidepressants
• antipsychotics (medications to treat mental illness)
• cimetidine (Tagamet)
• cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
• diuretics ('water pills')
• insulin and oral medications for diabetes such as glyburide (DiaBeta, in Glucovance, Micronase, others)
• certain medications for irregular heartbeat such as amiodarone (Cordarone), quinidine,
• oral or injectable steroids such as dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexpak), methylprednisolone (Medrol), or prednisone (Sterapred)
• procainamide (Procanbid), and sotalol (Betapace, Betapace AF, Sorine)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, others)
• probenecid (in Col-Probenecid, Probalan)
• theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theo-24, Uniphyl, others)

This is not a complete list of Floxin Otic drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with Floxin Otic including the following:

• skin rash
• hives
• itching
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs

Floxin can also cause blurred vision, drowsiness, and dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Floxin affects you.

Do not take Floxin if you

• are allergic to Floxin or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to any fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Floxin Otic, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Floxin Otic, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Floxin Otic or to any of its ingredients
• are allergic to any fluoroquinolone antibiotic
• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have tendon problems
• have central nervous system problems such as epilepsy
• have kidney problems
• have rheumatoid arthritis or joint problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X - are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Floxin Otic falls into category C. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Ofloxacin has been detected in human breast milk following oral administration of the antibiotic. It is not known if Floxin Otic is present in breast milk after topical administration. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from Floxin Otic, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of this medication. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.

Take Floxin Otic exactly as prescribed.

Floxin Otic comes in a solution for ear drops. Do not use Floxin Otic in the eyes.

If you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take 2 doses of Floxin Otic at the same time.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on the following:

• the condition being treated
• other medical conditions you have
• other medications you are taking
• your age

The recommended dose range of Floxin Otic is 5 to 10 drops into the affected ear once daily.

If you take too much Floxin Otic, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Floxin Otic is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

Store Floxin Otic at room temperature.

Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.