Ciprofloxacin? Questions!!

mercedes10

I'm a bit confused. I got a prescription of Ciprofloxacin (500mg) from my GP to take to India with me. She said to take 2 tablets a day for 5 days. The thing is last year I took the same thing (fortunately never needed it) but was told to take one single dose! (ie. 1 tablet). Does anyone know what the correct course of treatment is?

Also, can anyone advise on when I should consider taking it? My GP wasn't too helpful and I'm not very keen on self-medicating without fully understanding the medication and in what situation I should take it!

Thanks!

john.sw

I always carry cipro with me when I travel and although I have only needed to use it twice, I swear by it!

500mg is a big dose and I have been advised to take it only for as long as needed - unlike other antibiotics, I have been advised that there is no need to "finish the course" - just stop taking it when it has done its job.

Ciprofloxacin belongs to a group of broad spectrum antibiotics called the quinolones. It works by entering the bacterial cell and inhibiting a chemical called DNA-gyrase which is involved in the production of genetic material (DNA). This therefore prevents the bacteria from reproducing and their growth is stopped.

Ciprofloxacin is effective against several types of bacteria that tend to be resistant to other commonly used antibiotics. It is used to treat a wide range of infections, including infections of the chest, urinary tract and of the gastro-intestinal system.

Ciprofloxacin is available at pharmacies in India at a fraction of the cost that we pay in the UK.

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Bigzero

Hi,

Am not a doc and cant give you an advise here on dosage etc, but i can tell you that i finished a course of Ciprofloxacin a couple of weeks back - ( chest/lung infection, fever etc ). The course was 2 tablets for 5 days. ( 500 mg, if i remember correctly ) . I am fit and fine now

Now i am not sure whether you should take antibiotics as preventive medicine...

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mercedes10

Hey Bigzero - not planning to take them as preventative medicine! Just want to have them with me in case I get ill. Apparently they are good for treating travellers sickness/diarrohea.

Bigzero

ok stupid of me to interpret that way..

will go with john here. Ciprofloxacin is freely available in india and for a much lesser price. and better not go for self-medication, doctors are cheap too

hmm..whatcanthisbe

you can also go with ciproflaxing 500 mg OD .... Extended release

AnnaD

Hi Mercedes10

In the first six months I was given cipro 3 times (even without touching street food ) ...

Yes they usually prescribe 500mg twice daily for 5 days.... but once I was given a 'loading dose' of 1g as a single dose (just before an overnight train journey & freaking out ) & that solved the problem ... although it did make me nautious and had to pop something else for that.

When to take it??? Perhaps when you are sitting in the loo 4 times a day and your belly is gurgling like a boilng kettle!!?

Hope this helps (and you never need it ... but do have it with you)

rangss

500 Mg : 2 per day is a big does as John S.w. says. I used to take 250 mg 3 times a day per my doc's prescription due to a severe intestinal infection.

Still, I prefer to listen to my GP if I were you...

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Karan321

Cipro Dosage: 250-500mg twice daily for 5 -10 days depending on infection.
A single dose of 250mg is also given in some cases in specific infection/s

Indications: Urinary Tract Inf, respiratory, ENT, intra-abdominal, Gonorrhoea and GI infections and other severe systemic infections.

shpatel

When I was with my medical team in India, we were told that on the first sign of GI upset or diarrhea, we should begin taking Cipro 500mg twice a day for 3 days. Once you start taking the drug for your GI problems, the symptoms should subside within 2 days but you should continue to take the drug on the 3rd day. That means you will take a total of 6 tablets in all.

This information is coming directly out of the mouths of 2 NZ physicians, 2 American Physicians, and 1 Indian physician.

Hope this helps.

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Casey

Conflicting advice alert: I was told NOT to take Cirpro at the first signs of tummy upset but to make sure that it was an infection due to overuse of anti-biotics. Sometimes "loose stools" are just a result of the change in diet. If pain, fever, etc. are present, then perhaps you have a bit of a bug. As everything else, research and get medical advice. As previously stated, you can get to see a doctor for relatively cheap in India.

rangss

Casey...Im afraid docs in India are Cipro-trigger-happy

shpatel

Cipro can give you yeast infections but only if taken for longer periods of time. This is why it essential that you do not take more than 6 pills in 3 days for GI infections. Also you can supplement this with curd to prevent the depletion of good bacteria in your GI tract.

mercedes10

Thanks for all the advice!

Luckywoman - Immodium is no 'cure' - it simply blocks you up (thereby actually exascerbating the problem) - but is useful if you have a long journey to undertake.

Jorge Reverter

Hi Mercedes10

I'm always taking with me when traveling (not only to India) ciprofloxacino 500. I have taken three or four times in my life (never in India) and is not at all a problem to take longer than 5 days (doctor says). Even the doctor told me that in case of a big infection or just if you are not sure, you can take 750mg twice a day during the first two days. Have a look at tle leaflet and you'll see all the indications.

btw, las Dec my 20 years old son got an stomach problem as ciprofloxacino was the solution.

Jorge