Ofloxacin eye drops
Posted , 2 users are following.
Has anyone had a bad side side effect from Ofloxacin eye drops. I have been prescribed them. should I use them?
0 likes, 1 reply
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Notes on Ofloxacin eye drops
miriam65408 donald16398
Posted
If you can get the prescription changed to something that doesn't contain a fluoroquinolone, that may be safer (the other name that can be in eyedrops is ciprofloxacin, and then there are levofloxacin and moxifloxacin - all four are found as oral tablets and IV solutions).
Doctors often say that the eye (and ear) drops are nothing to worry about but many people who have been damaged by them (e.g. detached retina and deafness) say otherwise. Studies give very sketchy details but the main problem with the fluoroquinolones is that taking them is a bit like a lottery - whether they will affect you and how badly depends on your genetic make-up, your age, level of fitness and lifestyle. Nobody knows until they try - some people can take several courses of oral tablets with no problem while others are totally whammied by just one tablet. Recovery can take years (if at all) so these are not drugs to be taken lightly. Taking a course of a fluoroquinolone before with no problem is not a guarantee as the next tablet might be the one that takes you over your personal threshold.
Is this an ongoing problem and the eyedrops are a last resort? Or is this a 'just in case' scenario (some doctors like to prescribe a fluoroquinolone because they are broad spectrum and can kill just about anything which saves messing about with other antibiotics)? If you can, I would make sure that whatever is causing your problem has actually been identified (the name of the bug) and then ask for a narrow spectrum antibiotic that can target that bug, rather than blasting it with a heavy duty antibiotic.
If it really is being used as a last resort because everything else has failed and your sight is in danger I can't actually tell you what to do. You're obviously worried because you've asked the question. Go to the other fluoroquinolone threads (e.g. https://patient.info/forums/discuss/fluoroquinolone-toxicity-syndrome-427305) and read about the terrible side effects people have suffered through no fault of their own. Your doctor will tell you that the chances of side effects from drops are very rare - but people are still affected. If you can get an alternative please do.