Ciprofloxacin
Cipro is the only ciprofloxacin product listed on this page, in 250 mg, 500 mg and 750 mg tablets for Bacterial Infections and Infectious Diarrhoea.
Key points
- The boxed warning on this fluoroquinolone reserves ciprofloxacin for patients with no alternative treatment option for chronic bronchitis exacerbation, uncomplicated cystitis and acute sinusitis, because of disabling and potentially irreversible tendon, nerve and CNS reactions.
- Ciprofloxacin inhibits the CYP1A2 enzyme, so co-administered drugs cleared mainly by that pathway reach higher plasma concentrations.
How does Ciprofloxacin work?
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone in the Antibiotics category that blocks two enzymes bacteria need to copy their DNA: type II topoisomerase (DNA gyrase) and topoisomerase IV. Without those enzymes working, the bacterium cannot replicate, transcribe or repair its genetic material, and it dies. Resistance can build in a stepwise way through mutations in both enzyme targets.