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What is Cipro?

Cipro (generic name ciprofloxacin) is a prescription antibiotic medication used to treat infections caused by various bacteria. Cipro belongs to a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones. Other antibiotics in this class include Levaquin (levofloxacin), Tequin (gatifloxacin), Avelox (moxifloxacin), and Floxin (ofloxacin).

Doctors prescribe Cipro to treat a wide range of infections including urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, sinus, skin, and bone infections. Recently, it has also been used for the prevention and treatment of anthrax.

Children and pregnant women should not use Cipro except in special circumstances. You can be take Cipro without regards to meals. But, you should not be take it with dairy products such as milk. Cipro is usually taken twice a day. The length of treatment with Cipro depends on the type and severity of the infection.

Sources:
Cipro Product Information, Bayer PharmaceuticalsHealthCare AG, 20006
Drug Interaction Facts. Facts & Comparisons 4.0, 2006
Micromedex® Healthcare Series, Thomson Micromedex Inc., 2006
The Top 100 Drug Interactions: A Guide to Patient Management H&H Publications, 2001

This answer prepared 10/15/2001.
This information updated 1/23/2007.

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