Gatifloxacin Injection (patient information)

About your treatment

Your doctor has ordered gatifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, to help treat your infection. The medication will be added to an intravenous fluid that will drip through a needle or catheter placed in your vein for at least 60 minutes once a day.

Gatifloxacin kills bacteria that cause infections, including certain types of gonorrhea (a sexually transmitted disease) and certain lung, sinus, skin, and urinary tract infections.

Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory, and to tell your doctor if your symptoms do not improve during your treatment. The length of your treatment depends on the type of infection you have and on how your infection and symptoms respond to the medication.

Precautions

Before administering gatifloxacin:

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to gatifloxacin (Tequin, Zymar); other quinolone antibiotics including cinoxacin (Cinobac) (not available in the United States), ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan, Cipro), enoxacin (Penetrex) (not available in the United States), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Iquix, Levaquin, Quixin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox, Vigamox), nalidixic acid (NegGram), norfloxacin (Noroxin), ofloxacin (Floxin, Ocuflox), sparfloxacin (Zagam), and trovafloxacin and alatrofloxacin combination (Trovan) (not available in the United States); or any other medications.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention any of the following: certain other antibiotics, including erythromycin (E.E.S., others); anticoagulants ('blood thinners') such as warfarin (Coumadin); certain antidepressants ('mood elevators'); antipsychotics (medications for mental illness); cisapride (Propulsid) (not available in the United States); diuretics ('water pills') including furosemide (Lasix) and hydrochlorothiazide (Diurel, others); certain medications to control irregular heartbeat including amiodarone (Cordarone), digoxin (Digitek, Lanoxicaps, Lanoxin), disopyramide (Norpace),dofetilide (Tikosyn), procainamide (Pronestyl), quinidine (Quinidex), and sotalol (Betapace); non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn);and probenecid (Benemid). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has or has ever had a prolonged QT interval (a rare heart problem that may cause fainting or irregular heartbeat) or an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG; heart rhythm test). Also tell your doctor if you have recently had a heart attack, and if you have or have ever had a slow heartbeat; low levels of potassium in your blood; cerebral atherosclerosis [narrowing of blood vessels in or near the brain which can lead to stroke or mini-stroke]; diabetes;seizures;or heart, kidney, or liver disease.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while using gatifloxacin, call your doctor .
• if you are having surgery, including dental surgery, tell your doctor or dentist that you are using gatifloxacin.
• you should know that this medication may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and drowsiness. Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or participate in other activities requiring mental alertness or coordination until you know how gatifloxacin will affect you.
• plan to avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light (tanning beds) and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Gatifloxacin may make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Call your healthcare provider if you develop skin redness, blisters, or bumps during your treatment.
• you should know that your blood sugar may increase or decrease during your treatment with gatifloxacin. These changes in blood sugar may be serious or life-threatening. You are most likely to experience changes in your blood sugar if you have diabetes. However, you may experience changes in your blood sugar even if you do not have diabetes. Tell your doctor if you have diabetes or any other condition that causes your blood sugar to be too high or too low. If you have diabetes, your doctor will probably tell you not to take gatifloxacin. Also tell your doctor if you are taking other medications that may affect your blood sugar, such as insulin or oral medications for diabetes including glyburide (DiaBeta, Glycron, Glynase, Micronase, in Glucovance). Talk to your doctor about how to monitor your blood sugar during your treatment and the steps to take if your blood sugar increases or decreases.
• tell your doctor if you have ever had tendonitis (swelling or tearing of a fiber that connects a bone to a muscle) and if you participate in regular athletic activity, or if you are taking oral steroids such as methylprednisolone (Medrol) and prednisone (Deltasone). There is a risk that you may develop tendonitis while using gatifloxacin. If you experience symptoms of tendonitis, such as pain, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, or difficulty in moving a muscle, stop using gatifloxacin, rest, and call your doctor immediately.

Administering your medication

Before you administer gatifloxacin, look at the solution closely. It should be free of floating material. Gently squeeze the bag or observe the solution container to make sure there are no leaks. Do not use the solution if it contains particles, or if the bag or container leaks. Use a new solution, but show the damaged one to your health care provider. It is important that you use your medication exactly as directed. Do not skip doses, stop your treatment, or change your dosing schedule for any reason without talking to your health care provider. If you stop your treatment early or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics.

Your health care provider may tell you to stop your infusion if you have a mechanical problem (such as a blockage in the tubing, needle, or catheter); if you have to stop an infusion, call your health care provider immediately so your treatment can continue.

Side effects

Minor side effects

This medication may cause changes in your blood sugar. You should know the symptoms of low and high blood sugar and what to do if you have these symptoms.

You may experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) while you are using this medication. Your doctor will tell you what you should do if you develop hypoglycemia. He or she may tell you to check your blood sugar; eat or drink a food or beverage that contains sugar, such as hard candy or fruit juice; or get medical care. Follow these directions carefully if you have any of the following symptoms of hypoglycemia:

• shakiness
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• sweating
• nervousness or irritability
• sudden changes in behavior or mood
• headache
• numbness or tingling around the mouth
• weakness
• pale skin
• hunger
• clumsy or jerky movements

If hypoglycemia is not treated, severe symptoms may develop. Be sure that your family, friends, and other people who spend time with you know that if you have any of the following symptoms, they should get medical treatment for you immediately.

• confusion
• seizures
• loss of consciousness

Call your doctor immediately if you have any of the following symptoms of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar):

• extreme thirst
• frequent urination
• extreme hunger
• weakness
• blurred vision

If high blood sugar is not treated, a serious, life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis could develop. Call your doctor immediately if you have any of the these symptoms:

• dry mouth
• nausea and vomiting
• shortness of breath
• breath that smells fruity
• decreased consciousness

Gatifloxacin may cause side effects. Tell your health care provider if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• vaginal itching, swelling, or discomfort
• stomach pain
• loss of appetite
• change in the way things taste
• heartburn
• gas
• diarrhea
• constipation
• painful urination
• sores or white patches in the mouth
• sore tongue
• tiredness
• weakness
• leg cramps
• muscle or joint pain
• ringing in the ears
• dry skin
• fever
• chills
• sore throat

Severe side effects

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your health care provider immediately:

• rash or blisters on skin
• itching
• hives
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• tightness in the throat
• hoarseness
• chest pain
• fast or pounding heartbeat
• change in heart beat
• fainting
• depression
• paranoia (abnormal fear)
• hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• agitation
• anxiety
• difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• nightmares
• yellowing of the skin or eyes
• pain, burning, numbness, weakness, or tingling in the hands or feet
• shaking of a part of the body that you cannot control
• bloody stools
• dark colored urine
• decrease in urination
• rapid weight loss

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 [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Storing your medication

Your health care provider will probably tell you to store your medication in the refrigerator or at room temperature away from heat and moisture. Do not freeze gatifloxacin. Your health care provider may give you directions for allowing your medication to warm to room temperature before use. Your health care provider will tell you how and when you should throw away any unused medication and will probably mark this date on your medication container. Talk to your health care provider for more information on how to store your medication. Ask your health care provider if you do not understand the directions or if you have any questions.

Keep your supplies in a clean, dry place when you are not using them, and keep all medications and supplies out of reach of children. Your health care provider will tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing, and containers to avoid accidental injury.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Signs of infection

If you are receiving gatifloxacin in your vein,, you need to know the symptoms of a catheter-related infection (an infection where the needle enters your vein ). If you experience any of these symptoms near your intravenous catheter, tell your health care provider as soon as possible:

• tenderness
• warmth
• irritation
• drainage
• redness
• swelling
• pain

Brand names

• Tequin®