Ciprofloxacin: an overview of adverse experiences

This review summarizes adverse reactions probably or possibly attributable to oral ciprofloxacin therapy in worldwide clinical experience involving over 6500 patients. In Europe and Japan the overall incidence of adverse reactions amongst patients receiving ciprofloxacin is reported to be 3.0% and 6.5%, respectively. An increased incidence (13.4%) has been reported from the U.S.A., possibly relating to the use of higher dosages. Very few reactions have necessitated withdrawal of treatment. The most common adverse effects involve the gastro-intestinal system (2-8% of patients treated) and usually comprise nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort. CNS effects are seen in 1-4% of patients but are usually minor dizziness or mild headache only. Hypersensitivity reactions, most commonly skin rashes or pruritus, affect about 1% of patients. There is little evidence of significant haematological or biochemical toxicity, other than a few reports of transient neutropenia and the finding, in a minority of clinical studies, of equally transient, usually trivial and invariably reversible elevations of serum aminotransferases. Serious, ciprofloxacin-related toxicity has been observed in only three patients: one who developed pseudomembranous colitis, another who developed interstitial nephritis and a third who had a grand-mal convulsion during concomitant administration of theophylline. Ciprofloxacin appears to have an excellent safety profile.