Gemifloxacin, Oral

Type of medicine: fluoroquinolone antibiotic

Generic and brand names: gemifloxacin mesylate, oral; Factive

This medicine is an antibiotic used to treat various infections in the body. It may be used for other conditions as determined by your health care provider.

This medicine will not cure viral infections such as colds or flu.

Before taking this medicine, tell your health care provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• diabetes
• a prolonged QT interval (a serious electrical defect of the heart) or if you have a close relative who has prolonged QT interval syndrome.
• hypokalemia (too little potassium) or hypomagnesemia (too little magnesium) in your blood
• arrhythmia (heart rhythm problems)
• depression or thoughts of suicide
• kidney disease
• myasthenia gravis
• seizures.

Tell your health care provider if you have recently had a heart attack or stroke.

Females of childbearing age: This medicine is not usually given during pregnancy. Talk with your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your health care provider's approval.

Take this medicine exactly as your health care provider prescribes. Take it regularly for as long as prescribed, even if you start to feel better. The infection may return if you stop taking the medicine too soon.

Take the medicine at the same time each day to help you remember to take it. Take each dose with a full glass of water. Drink plenty of fluids while you are taking this medicine.

You may take this medicine with or without food. Taking it with meals may lessen the chance the drug will upset your stomach. Do not break, crush, or chew the tablets. Swallow them whole.

Take this medicine 4 hours before or 8 hours after medicines, vitamins, or supplements that contain iron or zinc; antacids containing aluminum or magnesium; sucralfate (Carafate); or didanosine (Videx). You may take this medicine with milk or vitamins that contain calcium but no other minerals. Do not take iron, magnesium, or zinc. Do not take antacids (for example, Maalox or Mylanta) at the same time as this medicine.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take double doses. If you are not sure of what to do if you miss a dose, or if you miss more than one dose, contact your health care provider.

This medicine may cause diarrhea. Severe bloody diarrhea may be a sign of a life-threatening condition called pseudomembranous colitis. If you develop diarrhea while taking this medicine, contact your health care provider right away. Do not take medicine to treat diarrhea without your provider's approval.

This medicine may make you dizzy or drowsy. Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are fully alert.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun, and to indirect light through glass, even when you use sunscreen lotions. This may lead to painful sunburns. While you are taking this medicine and for 5 days after you stop taking it, avoid long exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen lotion when you need to be outdoors. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your health care provider right away.

This medicine may cause joint pain or damage if given to people under 18 years of age. Talk with your health care provider about this.

This medicine may cause rupture of the Achilles tendon or other tendons. Contact your health care provider if you have pain or swelling in the back of your knee or ankle, in your shoulder or elbow, or in your hand or wrist.

You may develop a different infection while you are taking this medicine. Report any signs of infection to your health care provider.

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your health care provider right away. If you cannot reach your health care provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your health care provider right away): Continuous or severe bloody diarrhea; fast or pounding heartbeat; seizures; tremors (shaking); hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there); depression or thoughts of suicide; fainting; severe pain or swelling in your ankle or tendons; chest pain; burning, numbness, or tingling in your hands or feet.

Other: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dry mouth, change in sense of taste, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, sensitivity to the sun, restlessness.

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• antacids containing aluminum or magnesium such as Maalox or Mylanta (take at least 4 to 8 hours apart from this medicine)
• antibiotics such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), dirithromycin (Dynabac), and erythromycin (Erythrocin, E.E.S., EryPed, E-Mycin)
• antiarrhythmia medicine such as quinidine, procainamide (Pronestyl, Procan, Procanbid), disopyramide (Norpace), dofetilide (Tikosyn), sotalol (Betapace), propafenone (Rythmol), amiodarone (Cordarone), and mexiletine (Mexitil)
• antifungal medicines such as fluconazole (Diflucan) and ketoconazole (Nizoral)
• calcium supplements
• clozapine (Clozaril)
• corticosteroids such as cortisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), prednisolone, and prednisone
• didanosine (Videx)
• digoxin (Lanoxin)
• diuretics or water pills such as furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ or HydroDIURIL), bumetanide (Bumex), metolazone (Zaroxolyn), torsemide (Demadex), and indapamide (Lozol)
• herbal products such as dong quai and St. John's wort
• insulin and diabetes medicines taken by mouth such as glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase) and glipizide (Glucotrol)
• iron medicines such as Feosol, Mol-Iron, Fergon, Femiron, Slow-Fe, and Fer-In-Sol
• medicines, foods, or drinks containing large amounts of caffeine
• multivitamins or supplements containing zinc or iron (take 3 hours before or 2 hours after a dose of this medicine)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), ketoprofen (Orudis), nabumetone (Relafen), and indomethacin (Indocin)
• phenothiazines such as prochlorperazine (Compazine), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), perphenazine (Trilafon), trifluoperazine (Stelazine), promazine (Sparine), thioridazine (Mellaril), fluphenazine (Prolixin), and thiothixene (Navane)
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• sucralfate (Carafate)
• tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, amoxapine, clomipramine (Anafranil) desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), protriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil), trimipramine (Surmontil), and doxepin (Sinequan)
• warfarin (Coumadin)
• ziprasidone (Geodon).

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the container tightly closed. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.