Gatifloxacin is a type of antibiotic that can be used to treat a variety of different infections. This medication is often taken orally, though in certain types of infections, in can be applied topically, directly onto the infection. A member of a class of medications known as fluoroquinolones, gatifloxacin stops the spread of bacteria both by killing them and keeping them from replicating. When prescribed, it must be taken exactly as directed in order to prevent serious complications from arising.
There are a number of different conditions that gatifloxacin can be used to treat. It is often given to people with certain bacterial sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea, as well as those with infections of the urinary tract. Bacterial infections of the respiratory system, including pneumonia and upper respiratory infections, may also be treated with this drug. For all of these conditions, the administration method is usually oral and often administered once per day.
Infections of the eyes can also be treated with gatifloxacin. In these cases, the medicine is given as a liquid suspension that is dropped directly onto the affected eye. With this type of medication, patients need to be careful that they do not touch the medicine dropper onto the infected area of the eye, or the medicine could become contaminated.
In some cases, a single dose of gatifloxacin may be enough to completely kill the infection. Other times, a number of doses must be taken. Like other antibiotics, this medicine is most effective when it is taken at regular intervals, which, in the case of gatifloxacin, is usually once every 24 hours. Patients may begin to feel better soon after starting the course of antibiotics, but the infection may not be completely gone until the last dose is taken even if there are no symptoms, so it is important to take all the medication that the doctor prescribes.
A relatively strong antibiotic, there are a number of side effects that are often seen when patients take gatifloxacin. The drug can cause abdominal discomfort, which occasionally leads to vomiting. It can also produce neurological effects, including restlessness, dizziness, confusion, and sometimes hallucinations. Patients who experience these effects should notify a doctor in order to receive a recommendation about whether to continue taking the medication. Side effects will often lessen in severity as the patient adjusts to the drug, and in some cases, the infection may be serious enough to warrant suffering through these uncomfortable effects.