Levoflox 500 Tablet: Uses, Composition, Side Effects & FAQs

Levoflox 500 is a tablet antibiotic for certain bacterial infections, such as chest, sinus and skin infections, and some urine and prostate infections. It contains levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone medicine that kills bacteria. It is a prescription-only medicine in India and is listed under Schedule H1, so you cannot buy it without a doctor's prescription.

Levoflox 500 tablet is a film-coated tablet antibiotic. Levoflox is one brand of levofloxacin. The strength shown here is the strength printed on the manufacturer's levofloxacin 500 mg tablets. Levofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone that kills many types of bacteria, and the tablets also come in 250 mg and 750 mg.

This page is about the 500 mg tablet only. Check the strength printed on your pack.

Levofloxacin works inside the bacteria, not on your symptoms. It blocks two enzymes that bacteria need to copy and repair their own DNA. Without these enzymes the bacteria cannot multiply, so the infection stops spreading.

Doctors usually prescribe Levoflox 500 for:

• Chest infections (pneumonia), where the air sacs in the lungs fill with fluid and pus
• Flare-ups of long-term bronchitis, where the airways suddenly become infected
• Bacterial sinus infections, where the spaces around the nose become blocked and painful
• Skin and soft tissue infections, such as infected wounds or spreading redness
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis, a long-lasting infection of the prostate gland
• Some urine and kidney infections, which may need a different strength of the tablet

Levofloxacin is not a first-choice antibiotic. In 2019, the European Medicines Agency restricted fluoroquinolone antibiotics. They should not be used for infections that might clear without treatment, such as throat infections. They are also not for non-bacterial prostate problems, or for preventing traveller's diarrhoea or recurring urine infections. And they are not for mild or moderate bacterial infections when another antibiotic can be used. The European Commission made this decision legally binding on 11 March 2019. In India, levofloxacin is a Schedule H1 medicine, so only a doctor can prescribe it for you.

Levofloxacin does not treat viral illnesses such as the common cold or flu, and it is not used for sore throats.

The colour of your phlegm or mucus does not tell you whether an infection is bacterial. Only a doctor can decide, and this tablet should never be started on symptoms alone. Antibiotics do not speed up a viral illness, and they add to antibiotic resistance.

1. Swallow the tablet whole with a full glass of water.
2. Take it with or without food.
3. Keep antacids, sucralfate, and iron, zinc, calcium or magnesium supplements at least 2 hours before or after your dose.
4. Drink plenty of water through the day.
5. Finish the whole course, even if you feel better after 2 or 3 days.

Your doctor decides the dose based on your infection, kidney function, age and weight. Adults are usually given one 500 mg tablet once every 24 hours. The manufacturer's prescribing information lists 7 days for a bronchitis flare-up. Chronic prostatitis is treated for 28 days. Chest infections are treated for 7 to 14 days. Skin infections take 7 to 10 days, and sinus infections 10 to 14 days.

Some urine infections need a different strength, so your tablet may not be 500 mg.

Never increase the dose or take extra tablets on your own. A higher dose does not clear the infection faster, but it does raise the risk of tendon, nerve and heart-rhythm problems.

If your kidneys do not work well, your doctor will lower the dose or space the doses further apart. Never give an adult tablet to a child.

If someone takes too many tablets, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department, and carry the strip with you.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, if your next dose is more than 8 hours away. If it is closer, skip it and take the next one at the usual time. Never take two tablets at once.

Most people notice some improvement within the first few days. Contact your doctor if you are not improving, or if you feel worse during the course.

Store Levoflox 500 at room temperature, between 20°C and 25°C, away from direct light and moisture. Keep the tablets in their tightly closed strip or box, away from children. Do not use them after the expiry date on the pack.

Most people take Levoflox 500 without any trouble. Side effects are usually mild and settle once the course ends.

Common and mild:

• Nausea
• Diarrhoea
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Trouble sleeping
• Constipation
• Stomach pain

Rare but serious (stop the medicine and see a doctor right away):

• Pain, swelling or a snap in a tendon such as the Achilles, or numbness, tingling or weakness in the hands or feet
• Confusion, severe mood changes, hallucinations, or thoughts of harming yourself
• Severe, watery or bloody diarrhoea that starts during treatment or up to two months after it
• Sudden severe chest, stomach or back pain
• A severe skin reaction, or a sunburn-like reaction after sun exposure

The tendon, nerve and brain effects come from levofloxacin itself. They are more likely in people over 60, people on steroid tablets, and transplant patients. Stop the tablet and call your doctor at the first sign.

This medicine carries a boxed warning, the strongest safety notice regulators give a medicine. The prescribing information, revised in December 2022, warns that tendon, nerve and brain effects can be permanent.

• Anyone allergic to levofloxacin or other quinolone antibiotics
• People with myasthenia gravis, a muscle-weakness condition
• Anyone who has had a tendon injury with a quinolone
• Anyone who has had nerve damage with a quinolone

Tell your doctor before taking Levoflox 500 if any of these apply to you:

• Kidney disease (the dose may need to be lowered)
• Age over 60, or steroid tablets such as prednisolone (higher risk of tendon injury)
• Diabetes (blood sugar can rise or fall)
• Heart rhythm problems or low potassium (risk of an irregular heartbeat)
• Epilepsy or any seizure disorder (seizures are more likely)
• An aortic aneurysm, high blood pressure, or a connective tissue disorder such as Marfan syndrome (higher risk of a torn aorta)
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding (ask your doctor before taking it)
• Children (only given for rare infections under specialist care, because of joint and tendon effects)

Always tell your doctor about every medicine, supplement or home remedy you are using. Keep alcohol to a minimum while you are unwell; it adds to dizziness and dehydration.

Get medical help quickly if you have:

• Trouble breathing, or swelling of the face, lips or tongue
• Sudden severe chest, stomach or back pain
• Tendon pain, swelling or a snap, or numbness, tingling or weakness in the arms or legs
• Confusion, a severe mood change, or thoughts of harming yourself (call Tele-MANAS on 14416)
• Severe or bloody diarrhoea
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, or a fever that will not settle

Levoflox 500 is an antibiotic for certain bacterial infections. It is kept for infections where another suitable antibiotic cannot be used, because it can cause serious side effects. Take it exactly as your doctor prescribes, swallow it whole, and finish the full course even after you feel better. Most side effects are mild.