Taking delafloxacin increases the risk that you will develop tendinitis (swelling of a fibrous tissue that connects a bone to a muscle) or have a tendon rupture (tearing of a fibrous tissue that connects a bone to a muscle) during your treatment or for up to several months afterward. These problems may affect tendons in your shoulder, your hand, the back of your ankle, or in other parts of your body. Tendinitis or tendon rupture may happen to people of any age, but the risk is highest in people over 60 years of age. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a kidney, heart, or lung transplant; kidney disease; a joint or tendon disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis (a condition in which the body attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function); or if you participate in regular physical activity. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking oral or injectable steroids such as dexamethasone, methylprednisolone (Medrol), or prednisone (Rayos). If you experience any of the following symptoms of tendinitis, stop taking delafloxacin, rest, and call your doctor immediately: pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, or difficulty in moving a muscle. If you experience any of the following symptoms of tendon rupture, stop taking delafloxacin and get emergency medical treatment: hearing or feeling a snap or pop in a tendon area, bruising after an injury to a tendon area, or inability to move or bear weight on an affected area.
Taking delafloxacin may cause changes in sensation and nerve damage that may not go away even after you stop taking delafloxacin. This damage may occur soon after you begin taking delafloxacin. Tell your doctor if you have ever had peripheral neuropathy (a type of nerve damage that causes tingling, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet). If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking delafloxacin and call your doctor immediately: numbness, tingling, pain, burning, or weakness in the arms or legs; or a change in your ability to feel light touch, vibrations, pain, heat, or cold.
Taking delafloxacin may affect your brain or nervous system and cause serious side effects. This can occur after the first dose of delafloxacin. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had seizures, epilepsy, cerebral arteriosclerosis (narrowing of blood vessels in or near the brain that can lead to stroke or ministroke), stroke, changed brain structure, or kidney disease. If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking delafloxacin and call your doctor immediately: seizures; tremors; dizziness; lightheadedness; headaches that won't go away (with or without blurred vision); difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; nightmares; not trusting others or feeling that others want to hurt you; hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist) or delusions (strange thoughts or beliefs that have no basis in reality); thoughts or actions towards hurting or killing yourself; feeling restless, anxious, nervous, depressed, or confused; memory problems; or other changes in your mood or behavior.
Taking delafloxacin may worsen muscle weakness in people with myasthenia gravis (a disorder of the nervous system that causes muscle weakness) and cause severe difficulty breathing or death. Tell your doctor if you have myasthenia gravis. Your doctor may tell you not to take delafloxacin. If you have myasthenia gravis and your doctor tells you that you should take delafloxacin, call your doctor immediately if you experience muscle weakness or difficulty breathing during your treatment.
Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking delafloxacin.
Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer's patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with delafloxacin. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website ( https://www.fda.gov/Drugs ) or the manufacturer's website to obtain the Medication Guide.
Why is this medicine prescribed?
Delafloxacin is used to treat skin infections and certain types of pneumonia (an infection of the lungs) caused by bacteria in adults. Delafloxacin is in a class of antibiotics called fluoroquinolones. It works by killing the bacteria that cause infections.
Antibiotics such as delafloxacin will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Using antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.
Are there other uses for this medicine?
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
How should this medicine be used?
Delafloxacin comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It is usually taken with or without food twice a day (every 12 hours). Take delafloxacin at around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take delafloxacin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
You should begin to feel better during the first few days of treatment with delafloxacin. If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, call your doctor.
Take delafloxacin until you finish the prescription, even if you feel better. Do not stop taking delafloxacin without talking to your doctor unless you experience certain serious side effects listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING or SIDE EFFECTS sections. If you stop taking delafloxacin too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics.
What special precautions should I follow?
Before taking delafloxacin,
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic or have had a severe reaction to delafloxacin, any other quinolone or fluoroquinolone antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), and ofloxacin, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in delafloxacin tablets. Ask your pharmacist or check the Medication Guide for a list of the ingredients.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take while taking delafloxacin. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
- if you are taking antacids containing aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide (Maalox, Mylanta, others), or certain medications such as didanosine (Videx) solution, sucralfate (Carafate), or vitamin or mineral supplements that contain iron or zinc, take these medications 6 hours before or 2 hours after you take delafloxacin.
- tell your doctor if you have or have ever had an aortic aneurysm (swelling of the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the body), high blood pressure, peripheral vascular disease (poor circulation in the blood vessels), Marfan syndrome (a genetic condition that can affect the heart, eyes, blood vessels and bones), Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a genetic condition that can affect skin, joints, or blood vessels), diabetes, or problems with low blood sugar.
- tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking delafloxacin, call your doctor.
What special dietary instructions should I follow?
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
What should I do if I forget to take a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if you are supposed to take your next dose in 8 hours or less, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
What should I do in case of overdose?
In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help . If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.
What side effects can this medicine cause?
Delafloxacin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- headache
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, stop taking delafloxacin and call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:
- severe diarrhea (watery or bloody stools) that may occur with or without fever and stomach cramps (may occur up to 2 months or more after your treatment)
- rash, itching, hives, shortness of breath, tingling or swelling of the face or throat, or fainting
- extreme thirst or hunger; pale skin; feeling shaky or trembling; fast or fluttering heartbeat; sweating; frequent urination; trembling; blurred vision; or unusual anxiety
- sudden pain in the chest, stomach, or back
Delafloxacin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
What should I know about storage and disposal of this medication?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom).
Keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant. Always lock safety caps. Place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. https://www.upandaway.org
Dispose of unneeded medications in a way so that pets, children, and other people cannot take them. Do not flush this medication down the toilet. Use a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist about take-back programs in your community. Visit the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website https://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for more information.
What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to delafloxacin. If you have diabetes, your doctor may ask you to check your blood sugar more often while taking delafloxacin.
Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your prescription is probably not refillable. If you still have symptoms of infection after you finish the delafloxacin, call your doctor.
Keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines, vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements you are taking. Bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to the hospital. You should carry the list with you in case of emergencies.