Ciprofloxacin?

Question

Hi. a few days ago, there was a meningococcemia scare in our school hospital. There were two casualties - a resident (doctor) and a med student. The precaution was to take 500 mg of ciprofloxacin. I would just like to ask if ciprofloxacin has any lasting effect and can you take it even if you have not yet been infected. It's supposed to be for prophylaxis but I"m quite disturbed since it has a high dosage and quite a few of us have already taken it. Any enlightenment regarding this subject would be most welcome. Thanks.

Answer 1

CIPRO aka CIPROFLOXACIN

I tried to find some information regarding this medication that may be of more assistance to you. Best I can find it doesn't state that you can or can not take this medication as a precautionary measure.

I have added a very helpful link below. I hope this will answer your question, if not, please consult your family doctor.

Take Care! :-)

Answer 2

You should take it even if you have not been infected. Absolutely!
It is an antibiotic which is frequently used on other infections. You are not going to have any lasting effects. It will save your life if you are exposed to meningococcemia. It is very important to be immunized as well.
People take days and days worth of Ciprofloxacin for infections which are much less serious. Please take this seriously. Dont mess around because you are afraid to take 1 antibiotic tablet.
RN x 12 yrs.

Answer 3

Cipro (Ciprofloxacin) and Avelox (Moxifloxacin). Levaquin gets most of the focus because statistically more people are damaged from it that Cipro or any of the others. There are at least 9 drugs like Levaquin in the Quinolone class that have been approved by the FDA only to be pulled from the market due to unacceptable levels of damaging side effects to patients.

Most people taking Levaquin have no obvious problem with it. But depending on who you talk to, and depending on the symptoms you look for, anywhere from 3%-30% of patients taking Levaquin experience mild to severe side effects.

In my experience, people injured by Levaquin fall into two distinct categories: they either get better in 12 months or less, or they suffer from what appears to be permanent damage, that can be disabling and even continue to get worse.

The most common side effect of Levaquin is Achilles tendon rupture. This means that someone can take even a single dose of Levaquin, potentially experience cramping, anxiety, stiffness and/or pain that night, and when they stand up the next morning, their Achilles tendon literally falls apart. Symptoms can also show up as more mild forms of anxiety, stiffness, and pain.

Levaquin pulls a huge amount of Magnesium from the body (thus causing cramping and spasm, anxiety and claustrophobia), damages mitochondria that manufacture cell energy (thus tendon cells starve and die off in huge numbers allowing tendon to degrade overnight or over time), and can even damage the DNA of connective tissue (such that when new cells grow in they are already damaged, literally you 'heal' bad).

Again, Levaquin helps many many people, but you may want to weigh the pros and cons before taking a prescription, especially if it's for something minor like acne. Yes, people are prescribed this powerful broad spectrum antibiotic for acne! Imagine being 18 years old and being prescribed Levaquin for acne only to get permanent pain and connective tissue damage from it.

Answer 4

For a one time dosage there is no lasting effects, If you want more info on Ciprofloxacin go to web MD. And for the record there is no way to become dependent to it.

Answer 5

I would tke caution with this class of antibiotics. I am not a sensitive person, but I took ONE DOSE of Levaquin, an antibiotic that is like a sister of Ciprofloaxcin, and I landed in the ER that night with a very serious reaction. I broke out in hives, I had trouble breathing, I was having a very irregular heartbeat, and to top it off, it made me have a terrible panic attack. I had to be hospitalized and I was given oxygen, IV drugs to tranquilize me and counteract the side effects. I can only take sulfa antibiotics, or antibiotcs in the cephalosphor catergory. That's quite a variety, but I don't react well to broad spectrum antibiotics. Please be vigilant over the next 4 hours for any reaction, any thing what so ever. I don't care if your heart just skips a few beats. Don't write it off as worry, GO TO THE ER. That's how all my ordeal began with the Levaquin.

In my opinion, this class of drugs are too potent and potentially dangerous to just be passing out like candy as a precaution, and I honestly regard them as poison. Please be careful, and I pray to God you will not suffer as I did. I hope you are OK and don't need the drug in the first place.

Answer 6

Unless you are allergic to it, don't worry. Where I work, we had the same thing happen and we all who were exposed just took a one-time dose of Cipro 500 mg.

Answer 7

Be careful who you take medical advice from....In regards to the response from "JACK JACK" , Cipro cannot be addictive.
1 dose of 500mg is very little. Take it and don't worry about it.
Good luck.

Answer 8

It's an anti-biotic .You should be OK , if you aren't allergic to anti-biotics .What state is that in ? If you are in med school , surely someone has answers for you .

Answer 9

if you take it only once then no affect .,.. if more than once it can be addicting