Levostar

Description

Do NOT take Levostar if you have:

• Hypersensitivity (allergy) to levofloxacin or other quinolone antibiotics.
• Are a child under 18 years (unless specifically indicated for plague or anthrax prophylaxis/treatment).

Precautions:

• CNS Disorders: Use with caution in patients with known or suspected Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders (e.g., severe cerebral arteriosclerosis, epilepsy) or other risk factors for seizures.
• Sunlight Exposure: Avoid unnecessary exposure to sunlight or artificial UV light due to increased photosensitivity.
• Cardiac Issues: Use with caution if you have a history of prolonged QT interval or uncorrected electrolyte disturbances.
• Diabetes Mellitus (DM): Carefully monitor blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.
• Monitoring: Periodically monitor renal (kidney), hepatic (liver), and haematopoietic (blood-forming) functions during treatment.
• Pregnancy and Lactation: Not recommended during pregnancy. The drug is excreted in breast milk, so it’s not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.
• Elderly: Use with caution in elderly patients.
• Driving/Operating Machinery: May impair ability to drive or operate machinery.

Drug Interactions:

Always inform your doctor about all medications you are taking, especially:

• Class IA (e.g., quinidine, procainamide) or Class III (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol) Antiarrhythmics, Fluoxetine, or Imipramine: Additive effects on QT interval prolongation.
• Sucralfate, Didanosine, Antacids (containing Mg or Al), Dietary supplements (containing Zn, Ca, Mg, or Fe): Can reduce the absorption of levofloxacin. Take levofloxacin at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after these products.
• Antidiabetic Agents (e.g., insulin, glibenclamide): Can alter blood glucose levels.
• Corticosteroids: Increased risk of severe tendon disorders.
• NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs): Increased risk of CNS stimulation and seizures.
• Warfarin: Increased prothrombin time (risk of bleeding).

Possible Side Effects

Levofloxacin can cause various side effects. While not everyone experiences them, some possible effects include:

• Common (1-10%): Nausea, headache, diarrhea, insomnia, constipation, dizziness, dyspepsia, rash, vomiting, chest pain, dyspnea, edema, fatigue, injection-site reaction, moniliasis, pain, pruritus, vaginitis.
• Less Common (<1%):
  • Cardiac: Cardiac arrest, palpitation, ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmia.
  • Nervous System: Tremor, convulsions, paresthesia, vertigo, hypertonia, hyperkinesias, abnormal gait, somnolence, syncope.
  • Metabolic: Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), hyperkalemia.
  • Blood/Lymphatic System: Anemia, thrombocytopenia (low platelets), granulocytopenia.
  • Musculoskeletal/Connective Tissue: Arthralgia (joint pain), tendonitis (inflammation of tendons), myalgia (muscle pain), skeletal pain.
  • Gastrointestinal (GI): Gastritis, stomatitis, pancreatitis, esophagitis, gastroenteritis, glossitis, pseudomembranous/C. difficile colitis.
  • Hepatobiliary (Liver/Gallbladder): Abnormal hepatic function, increased hepatic enzymes, increased alkaline phosphatase.
  • Psychiatric: Anxiety, agitation, confusion, depression, hallucinations, nightmares, sleep disorder, anorexia, abnormal dreaming.
  • Other: Immune hypersensitivity reaction, acute renal failure, urticaria (hives), phlebitis (vein inflammation), epistaxis (nosebleed).
• Potentially Fatal: Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction).