In the modern pharmaceutical market, an abundance of various preparations helps people cope with different infections, including those caused by bacteria. Further down, there is educational information about medication such as Ocuflox. Be responsible and do not neglect the consultation with a doctor if you experience any health problems.
1. What Is Ocuflox?
What is the Ofloxacin preparation? The drug under discussion is widely involved in the therapy of bacterial infections of the eye (ear). The principal active ingredient belongs to a group of drugs that are related to fluoroquinolones. By their nature, these are antibiotics that target a range of certain bacteria.
For the most part, Ocuflox is prescribed by doctors for the treatment of an ocular infection such as bacterial conjunctivitis. The 0.3 eye drops of Ofloxacin directly affect the destruction of bacteria that provoke the disease. This medication may be available under several brand names and/or in several various forms. Any particular brand name for this remedy may not be present in all forms or approved for all conditions discussed in this material.
Your doctor or pharmacist may have recommended this drug for conditions other than those listed in this article. The material is informational, and the termination of therapy without the knowledge of the attending physician is an egregious violation of the treatment plan. Do not stop using Ocuflox medicine without talking to your doctor.
2. What Is Ofloxacin Used For?
The active ingredient Ofloxacin is relatively often used in ophthalmology to treat an extensive range of infectious diseases caused by bacteria. Preparations with this substance are dispensed strictly according to the doctor’s prescription. In no case, a patient must use products that contain Ofloxacin without adequate care and following the instructions of his physician. The two main uses of the Ofloxacin ophthalmic solution are in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. More details are provided below.
2.1 Bacterial Conjunctivitis
Antibiotics are pretty often applied to combat conjunctivitis. Great care should be taken when using antibacterial drugs. Antibiotic treatment for conjunctivitis can only be prescribed by a doctor. The use of antibacterial medicines in the cure of conjunctivitis depends on the nature of the disease. If the cause of eye inflammation is a virus or allergy, then therapy is carried out without receiving antibiotics (NO Ocuflox). With allergic and viral conjunctivitis, antibacterial drugs can only harm. They disrupt the normal microflora of the mucous membrane and worsen the course of the disease.
Antibiotics (Ofloxacin ophthalmic) cannot be avoided when treating bacterial conjunctivitis. They are an essential way to overcome this illness. Antibacterial agents inhibit the growth of bacteria and the development of pathogenic microflora. A type of bacterial conjunctivitis is purulent conjunctivitis. Its characteristic symptom is the discharge of purulent mucus from the eyes. For purulent conjunctivitis, antibiotics (Ocuflox) are also used. Antibiotics for bacterial conjunctivitis destroy pathogens such as:
- Streptococci;
- Gonococci;
- Klebsiella;
- Staphylococci;
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.
IMPORTANT!!! See your doctor if you suspect that you have conjunctivitis of any etiology!
What is the dosage of Ofloxacin eye drops? Most often, when prescribing treatment with the ophthalmic Ofloxacin drug for bacterial conjunctivitis, the specialist sets the following Ocuflox medication regimen:
- For the first two days of therapy, the patient should instill one to two drops every two to four hours into the affected eye or both eyes, if prescribed.
- From the third to the seventh day of the cure, the individual is required to instill one to two drops four times a day.
It is unacceptable to use a large dosage of the Ofloxacin drops for eye or for a longer time than it has been stated by a doctor.
2.2 Corneal Ulcers
A corneal ulcer of bacterial etiology is a severe inflammatory disease characterized by the presence of a purulent yellowish corneal infiltrate, accompanied by significant necrosis and tissue decay, resulting in a defect in the epithelium, superficial, middle, and deep layers of the corneal stroma.
A corneal ulcer belongs to the category of severe and difficult eye diseases to treat and almost always ends in visual impairment, including blindness. Among inflammatory eye diseases, the greatest difficulties in treatment are keratitis and corneal ulcers of bacterial etiology, accounting for 12.9% among corneal pathologies. Severe cases of bacterial ulcers can lead to corneal perforation, endophthalmitis, and loss of the eye. Ulceration can involve any part of the cornea, but the lesion of the central zone is more difficult to treat, and scarring in this zone always leads to loss of vision.
In general, in recent years, the ratio of gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens of bacterial keratitis and corneal ulcers has changed noticeably; there is a shift towards an increase in the proportion of gram-negative pathogens. The ophthalmic solution 0.3 of Ofloxacin is widely used as a part of the cure of this illness of probable high contamination.
In the treatment of corneal ulcers of bacterial etiology, the doctor’s appointment of the following therapeutic measures is indicated:
- Prescription of the local therapy with broad-spectrum antibacterial agents (Ocuflox);
- Use of enhanced subconjunctival antibiotics;
- Cycloplegia;
- Prescription of the use of corticosteroids to prevent the phenomenon of scarring;
- The possibility of surgical intervention is not excluded in the case of corneal perforation.
3. How It Supplied
Ocuflox (Ofloxacin ophthalmic) 0.3% is commercially available in sterile white LDPE small size plastic bottles and white droppers with beige tips. Typically, there are 5 ml of the preparation in the packaging.
4. How to Use Ocuflox Drops
The typical dose of anti-infectives prescribed by the doctor for treating bacterial eye infections is 1–2 drops of Ocuflox into the affected eye or eyes every 2–4 hours for the first 2 days. On the following days, the dosage remains the same, but the dosing interval is 4 times a day. In general, the treatment lasts 7 days.
Many factors can affect the dose of Ofloxacin eye drops, including body weight, comorbidities, and other medications applied. Experts recommend using Ocuflox for the entire prescribed period, as this reduces the likelihood of a return of the disease.
If after reading the instructions for using the Ocuflox drug, you do not understand exactly what you need to do, ask your physician to clarify everything for you. It is very important not to touch the dropper tip to any surface, skin, or eye so as not to provoke complications of the condition of the infected eye/ear.
4.1 For Eye Infection
For inflammation of the eyes (bacterial conjunctivitis), medications are prescribed in the form of eye drops. You need to instill your eyes correctly. Before infusing drops into the eyes, wash your hands. Then, with two fingers of the right/left hand, take the bottle. With the index finger of the left/right hand, pull the lower eyelid. At the same time, the patient looks up, slightly throwing his head back.
Without touching the eyelashes and eyelids of the patient with the end of the bottle with the Ocuflox medicine, instill 1-2 drops of medicine on the conjunctiva of the drawn eyelid. To prevent drops from dripping onto the patient’s cheek and clothes, a cotton ball is placed under the finger that pulls off the eyelid.
Immediately after inducing Ocuflox drops into the eye, press the inner edge of the lower eyelid near the nose with a finger (the nasolacrimal canal passes here) and hold it in this position for about a minute so that the medicine does not immediately leave the eye through the nasolacrimal canal into the nose and nasopharynx.
4.2 For Ear Infection
For the therapy of bacterial ear diseases, doctors prescribe ear drops of Ofloxacin to their patients. However, it will simply be impossible to get the desired effect from the cure if the instillation process is not performed correctly. And although it may seem to many that there is nothing complicated in this matter, everything is a little different. Several features must be taken into account when inducing the ear cavity.
To instill Ocuflox in an adult, you must adhere to the following action plan:
- Sanitize the ear cavity. For these purposes, you may need to use a cotton swab. With its help, it will be possible to remove external dirt. If you do not fulfill this point, then the drops used will not be able to achieve the goal and have an effect on the disease. If you have an assistant, then this is good, since it is inconvenient to instill drops in your ear on your own. Also, outside help will allow you to deliver the anti-infective medication directly to the inflammation focus.
- Before sending Ocuflox drops into the ear cavity, they need to be warmed up. To do this, just hold the bottle for 1-2 minutes in your hand. This will help prevent discomfort. Besides, using a cold solution will only aggravate the inflammation.
- The patient should be placed on the side with the affected ear on top. This will prevent the otic medication from leaking out. Directly during the manipulation, the assistant who will drip drops must ensure that the solution penetrates as deeply as possible. Besides, drops mustn’t fall on the walls of the ear canal. Otherwise, they will remain there. After instillation, the patient should lie down for 5-10 minutes. Then you can infuse with Ocuflox the second ear, if necessary. If the second ear is not affected, then you need to stay in the same position for some time.
5. What Are Possible Ofloxacin Side Effects?
The manifestation of side reactions when taking a particular drug is quite common. This is a given. Many medicines can cause side effects, and Ocuflox is no exception. Adverse reactions from the body vary in severity. They can be mild or severe, temporary, or permanent. Not everyone who takes this medication experiences the adverse reactions listed below. Most of the reported negative reactions are controllable, and some disappear on their own over time.
If you have any side effects of Ofloxacin that are extremely detrimental to your life, seek the help of your doctor.
The most typical negative effects of medicine under discussion are the following:
|
Temporary Blurred Vision |
Sensitivity to Light |
Eye Discomfort |
Other Negative Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Immediately after the first procedure for instilling an infected organ of vision with the eye drops Ofloxacin, the patient may feel a slight blurring of sight. This phenomenon can last for a short time and is not critical. Very soon, vision returns to normal. A person should be careful when they have blurred vision and not get behind the wheel or work with any tool. You should wait for a complete clarification of sight. |
During therapy with Ocuflox, the patient’s eyes may become more sensitive to light. This side effect can be mitigated by wearing tinted glasses while outdoors. You can curtain windows in the house to lessen the discomfort. |
The use of the drug against bacterial eye infections may be accompanied by eye discomfort. This is a common negative reaction and does not pose any potential harm to health. Ask your healthcare provider how best to deal with this symptom. A possible option is to temporarily stop wearing contact lenses if any are applied. |
Side effects of Ocuflox that are not temporary or are of direct health concern should be reported to your GP immediately. You can also contact the FDA hotline. Among those, the following are distinguished:
|
6. Contraindications
Do not use Ofloxacin eye drops if you:
- Wear soft contact lenses regularly;
- See that the integrity of the package is broken;
- Opened the bottle with drops more than 4 weeks ago;
- Noticed that the termination date on the package and bottle has expired.
These drops are for topical use only!
6.1 Hypersensitivity to Ofloxacin
You are obliged to inform your doctor if you have a hypersensitivity to the main active ingredient of the Ocuflox medicine, Ofloxacin. In this case, the use of the medication under discussion is contraindicated for you.
7. What Happens If You Overdose
In the case of Ofloxacin, ophthalmic solution overdose, immediately rinse the eye/eyes with plenty of clean, warm water.
7.1 Serious Symptoms When Ocuflox Is Swallowed
If you swallow the contents of the bottle of Ocuflox drops, seek immediate help from the nearest hospital. About poisoning may signalize the following:
- Vomiting;
- Nausea;
7.2 Missed Dose
If you miss one dose of the Ocuflox medication, try to get your infected eye dripped as soon as possible. If it is already time for the next manipulation, simply perform it as prescribed IN NO CASE APPLYING DOUBLE DOSE OF THE MEDICINE.
8. Pregnancy and Other Precautions
The period of pregnancy is one of the most important and most filled with changes period in a woman’s life. Doctors recommend that, if possible, refuse to take potent drugs when a female is with a child. Eye drops Ofloxacin are given to pregnant women only with a doctor’s recommendation, and if this hypothetically brings greater benefit than harm.
8.1 Pregnancy Category C
Anti-infective Ocuflox drops with Ofloxacin fall under category C. During tests on pregnant rats and rabbits, after taking the drug, their cubs had health problems. No human tests have been performed. The remedy is recommended for use if the potential positive effect of using the medication outweighs the possible harm to the child.
8.2 Nursing Mothers
There have been no relevant authoritative studies on whether the substance Ofloxacin passes into breast milk, but doctors recommend refraining from breastfeeding during the period of the Ocuflox therapy. A nursing mother should seek mandatory consultation with qualified specialists on this matter.
8.3 Pediatric Use
Ocuflox is contraindicated to use in children under one year of age. In older children, the medicine can cause the same typical side effects as in adults. The advisability of prescribing a medication is determined by a doctor. If you have any doubt about the possibility of the manifestation of adverse reactions to Ocuflox in your child, discuss them with your pediatrician.
8.4 Geriatric Use
Authoritative studies on the effect of Ofloxacin eye drops on older people have not been conducted at the moment. But, experts say the drug does not produce atypical adverse reactions in older people. The anti-infective medication is absorbed by their body according to the same principle as in young adults.
9. Ingredients and Appearance
The main active ingredient of Ocuflox is Ofloxacin 0.3% (3 mg/ml). The following substances are used as additional components:
- Benzalkonium chloride (0.005%);
- Sodium chloride;
- Purified water.
The Ocuflox bottle contains a transparent liquid. The color of the solution may also have a pale yellow-green tint.
10. How To Store Eye Drops
Keep the Ocuflox medicine in a cool place away from children. The product should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Do not put Ocuflox in the fridge. The humidity in the bathroom may worsen the therapeutic properties of the remedy.