Levofloxacin

What is Levofloxacin?

Levofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. This means it’s effective against a range of bacteria, and can be used to clear chlamydia infections.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial disease in the United States.^[1] Both men and women can carry the infection without having any symptoms, but usual signs to look out for are pain when urinating, unusual discharge from the penis or vagina, and pain in the stomach (for women) or testicles (for men).

The usual treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a course of antibiotics. Levofloxacin is usually taken for a week, and can improve your symptoms within three days.

How does Levofloxacin work?

Levofloxacin belongs to a class of medicines called fluoroquinolones. These are a type of antibiotic. Because they’re a broad-spectrum antibiotic, they can fight a multitude of different bacterias, and are effective at treating conditions like bacterial sinusitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs) and pneumonia.

Fluoroquinolones work by killing the bacteria that cause infections.^[2]

What doses of Levofloxacin are there?

Levofloxacin is available as both 250mg or 500mg tablets. The usual dose is 500mg per day.

A physician can tell you how long you need to take the tablets for — a seven day course is the standard prescription for chlamydia, but you might be told to take less or more depending on your symptoms.

How to take Levofloxacin

Swallow your tablets whole with a glass of water. You can take them with or without food.

While you’re taking Levofloxacin, your skin can become more sensitive to sunlight. If you know you’ll be exposed to the sun, make sure you cover up, or use a high factor sun cream.

How long you need to use the tablets for, and how much you need to take, can be different for each person that uses Levofloxacin. You can ask your physician if you have any concerns about how to take the tablets, or when the best time to take them is.

How long does it take Levofloxacin to work?

You might start to see your symptoms improve within three days of taking the tablets, but sometimes it can take a bit longer than that. For chlamydia, the usual course of treatment is 500mg daily for seven days.

If you’ve taken the tablets for seven days and feel like your symptoms aren’t improving, you should let your physician know. It could be that you need to try a different type of antibiotic.

What should I do if I make a mistake when taking Levofloxacin?

Taking more Levofloxacin than you need to can cause dizziness, confusion, and, at worse, convulsive fits. If you think you’ve taken too many tablets, get urgent help from your nearest hospital. Go to their emergency department, and if you can, bring the bottle your meds came in with you.

If you forget to take a pill, you can take it when you remember, but not if it’s almost time for your next dose. In this instance, just skip the dose you’ve missed and carry on with your normal routine.

It’s important you take all your prescribed pills. Stopping antibiotics before you’ve finished the full course could mean the infection comes back, and increase your risk of passing it on to someone else.