Ciprofloxacin is a commonly used antibiotic that belongs to the class of fluoroquinolones. The drug acts by altering the structure of bacterial DNA. Ciprofloxacin or Cipro is prescribed for acute sinusitis, bone infections, infectious diarrhea, lower respiratory tract infections, skin infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, anthrax and urinary tract infections.
Cipro is available as an infusion, oral suspension, tablets and extended release pills.
This med is associated with a number of side effects including headaches, nausea, diarrhea, rash, vomiting and increased levels of liver enzymes.
Because of these risks, it is advisable to minimize the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Even doctors who use the meds for empirical therapy revert to narrow-spectrum antibiotics once they establish the exact organism that is causing an infection. The overuse of these drugs should be limited at all costs. Otherwise, an epidemic of incurable bacterial diseases will soon be looming over our heads.
