Ciloxan
Ciloxan is a 0.3% ciprofloxacin eye drop for bacterial conjunctivitis, sold as bottles of the generic antibiotic in packs of two, four or six.
- Category
- Antibiotics · Eye Care
- Active ingredient
- Ciprofloxacin
- Route
- Ophthalmic
- Form
- Ophthalmic drops
- Strengths
- 0.3%
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Bacterial conjunctivitis
- Therapeutic Class
- Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic
- Pharmacological Class
- Antibiotic
- Minor Side Effects
- Stinging, Blurred vision
- Moderate Side Effects
- Itching, Redness
- Dosage Forms
- Ophthalmic drops
- Administration Route
- Ophthalmic
- Originator
- Alcon
- Onset Time
- Hours to days
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Age Restrictions
- Check with an eye specialist for paediatric use.
What you will receive
Ciloxan is the originator brand name, made by Alcon. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Ciloxan.
- The same active ingredient (Ciprofloxacin) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes does Ciloxan come in?
Ciloxan comes as bottles of generic ciprofloxacin 0.3%. Pack sizes are 2, 4 or 6 bottles. The pack contains generic ciprofloxacin, not the original Ciloxan. Larger packs cost less per bottle.
What arrives when I order Ciloxan for delivery to Hong Kong?
Your Ciloxan order arrives as 2, 4 or 6 bottles of generic ciprofloxacin 0.3%. Every parcel is plain and unbranded. Tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking.
Does Ciloxan have other names?
Ciloxan and Cipro are brand names of ciprofloxacin, which is also sold as Cifran, Ciprobay, Ciproxina and Zoxan. Here, ciprofloxacin can be bought online as generic Ciloxan, and also as generic Cipro and ciprofloxacin tablets. These are generics, not the original brand.
Can I stop using Ciloxan once my eye feels better?
Use the drops for the full course, even after the redness and the stickiness have gone. Bacteria that survive while the eye looks normal can set the infection going again, and the survivors are more likely to shrug off the antibiotic next time.
Can I wear contact lenses while using Ciloxan?
Leave them out for as long as the eye is red and weeping, and until the course is finished. A lens resting on an infected eye keeps bacteria pressed against its surface, and the plastic can soak up part of the antibiotic before it reaches the infection.
Can I use Ciloxan for an ear infection?
No. The bottles sold here are eye drops. Ciprofloxacin is used in ear preparations too, but those are separate products made for the ear canal, with their own directions.
What does 0.3% mean on Ciloxan?
It tells you how much ciprofloxacin the liquid holds. 0.3% is the strength used for eye infections, and the drops come ready to use, so there is nothing to dilute or mix.
How long can I keep an opened bottle of Ciloxan?
About four weeks from the day you first open it. Write that date on the bottle while you remember, then throw it out when the four weeks are up, even if drops are left, because liquid that has been open a while can grow bacteria that end up in the eye.
About Ciloxan
What Ciloxan is for
Ciloxan is a ciprofloxacin 0.3% eye drop, an antibiotic from the fluoroquinolone family. It is used for bacterial conjunctivitis — the eye infection that turns the white of the eye pink, crusts the lashes overnight and leaves a sticky discharge. Ciprofloxacin works by jamming two enzymes that bacteria rely on when they duplicate their genetic material, so the bacteria stop multiplying and the body can clear what is left. Conjunctivitis caused by a virus behaves differently: it usually arrives with a cold and a watery, itchy eye, and these drops will not shorten it.
How to use the drops
Wash your hands first. With your head tilted back, pull the lower lid away from the eye to form a small pocket and squeeze in one or two drops, keeping the tip of the bottle clear of the lashes and the eye itself. Close the eye for a few seconds. For the first two days the drops go in every two hours while you are awake, and for the next five days four times a day. If both eyes are infected, treat both. Wait at least five minutes before using any other eye drop, and keep contact lenses out while the eye is red and sticky.
Side effects
A sting when the drop lands is the most common complaint, and it passes quickly. Some people get blurred vision for a moment, a bitter taste at the back of the throat, itchy eyelids or a feeling of grit in the eye; these usually fade as the infection clears. Hives, a spreading rash, swollen lips, tongue or face and difficulty breathing mean an allergic reaction and need emergency care.
Ciloxan drops and Cipro tablets
Ciprofloxacin also comes as Cipro tablets in 250mg, 500mg, 750mg and 1000mg strengths, which travel through the bloodstream to reach infections inside the body, such as those in the urinary tract. Ciloxan works where it is put, so the antibiotic sits against the infected eye with very little passing into the rest of the body. The ciprofloxacin page covers the ingredient in both its tablet and eye-drop forms.
Keeping the drops in good order
Stand the bottle upright with the cap screwed on, somewhere out of strong light. Drops that have been open a while can pick up bacteria, so an opened bottle is not something to keep for a long stretch. If the liquid has changed colour, or you can see specks floating in it, throw the bottle away instead of using it.
Sources
- Ciprofloxacin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye) - treatment, symptoms and causes - Healthdirect — Healthdirect Australia