Cipro - Questions and Answers

Cipro is used for treatment of bacterial infections

What is Cipro?

Cipro is an antibiotic drug which contains the active ingredient called Ciprofloxacin. The drug is prescribed in treatment of bacterial infections. The preparation is not intended for treatment of viral or fungal infections. The drug belongs to a group of preparations called fluoroquinolones. The drug exerts bactericidal effects by inhibiting the DNA and cellular protein synthesis. The drug affects replicating microorganisms as well as those that are in the resting phase.

Is Cipro approved for anthrax or other infections?

Cipro is approved for use in patients who have been exposed to the inhaled form of anthrax, as well as for other conditions such as:

• Respiratory tract infections
• ENT infections
• Urogenital infections
• Gastrointestinal infections including stomatological infections
• Skin and soft tissue infections
• Locomotor system infections
• However the drug should not be used in cases when the susceptibility of the microorganisms causing the infection is not proven

Is Cipro the only product approved to treat anthrax infections?

No. There are a number of antibiotics that are currently indicated to treat anthrax infections including doxycycline and penicillin. These older antibiotics are readily available. FDA is stressing that any antibiotic should only be used by those who really need it because unnecessary antibiotic use exposes patients to the risks of a drug without any potential benefit.

If I know someone who was exposed to anthrax should I be treated with Cipro?

Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely, if it occurs at all. Therefore, there is no need to treat contacts of persons ill with anthrax, such as household contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless they were also exposed to the same source of infection.

Why is FDA discouraging widespread use of Cipro?

Random prescribing and extensive use of Cipro could speed up the development of drug-resistant organisms, and the usefulness of Cipro as an antibiotic may be lost.

What are some possible side effects of Cipro?

Some of the side effects associated with Cipro use are the following:

• central nervous system (CNS) side effects including: dizziness, confusion, tremors, hallucinations, depression, increased risk of seizures
• an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives)
• pain, inflammation, or rupture of a tendon
• a severe tissue inflammation of the colon
• increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight