| The overall frequency of adverse reactions from the clinical trial data base is about 7%. The commonest events involved the gastrointestinal system (about 5.0%) and the nervous system (about 2.0%).The following provides a tabulation based on post marketing experience where occasional represents a frequency of 0.1 - 1.0%, rare <0.1%, very rare <0.01% and isolated cases <0.01%:Digestive and Liver side effects: Occasional: Nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, gastric symptoms. (Diarrhoea may sometimes be a symptom of enterocolitis which may, in some cases, be haemorrhagic).Rare: Loss of appetite, increase in liver enzymes and/or bilirubin. Very rare: cholestatic jaundice; hepatitis or severe liver damage may develop. A particular form of enterocolitis that can occur with antibiotics is pseudomembranous colitis (in most cases due to Clostridium difficile). Even if Clostridium difficile is only suspected, administration of ofloxacin should be discontinued immediately, and appropriate treatment given. Drugs that inhibit peristalsis should not be administered in such cases.Central nervous system: Occasional: Headache, dizziness, sleep disorders, restlessness.Rare: Confusion, nightmares, anxiety, depression, hallucinations and psychotic reactions, drowsiness, unsteady gait and tremor (due to disorders of muscular co-ordination), neuropathy, numbness and paraesthesia, sensory or sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy (see Section 4.4 Special Warnings and Precautions for Use), visual disturbances, disturbances of taste and smell (including, in exceptional cases, loss of function), extrapyramidal symptoms.Very rare: Convulsions, hearing disorders (including, in exceptional cases, loss of hearing).These reactions have occurred in some patients after the first dose of ofloxacin. In such cases, discontinue treatment immediately.Isolated cases: Psychotic reactions and depression with self-endangering behaviour including suicidal ideation or acts. Cardiovascular system:Tachycardia and a temporary decrease in blood pressure have been reported.Rare : circulatory collapse (due to pronounced drop in blood pressure ).Haematological side effects: Very rare: anaemia, leucopenia (including agranulocytosis), thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia.Only in some cases are these due to bone marrow depression. In very rare cases, haemolytic anaemia may develop.Renal side effects:Rare: Disturbances of kidney function. Isolated cases: Acute interstitial nephritis, or an increase in serum creatinine, which may progress to acute renal failure.Allergic and skin side effects:Occasional: Skin rash, itching.Very rare: Rash on exposure to strong sunlight, other severe skin reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions, immediate or delayed, usually involving the skin (e.g. erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Lyell's syndrome, and vasculitis) may occur. In exceptional circumstances, vasculitis can lead to skin lesions including necrosis and may also involve internal organs. There are rarely other signs of anaphylaxis such as tachycardia, fever, dyspnoea, shock, angioneurotic oedema, vasculitic reactions, eosinophilia. In these cases treatment should be discontinued immediately and where appropriate, supportive treatment given.Isolated cases: Pneumonitis.Other side effects:Rare: Malaise. Very rare: Excessive rise or fall in blood-sugar levels. Weakness, joint and muscle pains (in isolated cases these may be symptoms of rhabdomyolysis).Isolated cases: Tendon discomfort including inflammation and rupture of tendons (e.g. the Achilles tendon) particularly in patients treated concurrently with corticosteroids. In the event of signs of inflammation of a tendon, treatment with Tarivid must be halted immediately and appropriate treatment must be initiated for the affected tendon.The possibility cannot be ruled out that ofloxacin may trigger an attack of porphyria in predisposed patients. Except in very rare instances (e.g. isolated cases of smell, taste and hearing disorders) the adverse effects observed subsided after discontinuation of ofloxacin. | |