Ofloxacin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ofloxacin is a quinolone antimicrobial sold in the U.S. under 6 brand and generic names, for bronchitis, chlamydia infections and bacterial conjunctivitis. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Quinolone Antimicrobial
- Treats (across its forms)
- Bronchitis, Chlamydia Infections and Bacterial Conjunctivitis
- Available as
- Drops · Solution · Tablet · Injectable
- Sold as
- 6 products — Ocuflox, Ofloxacin and Floxin, and others
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 per ml — not your price
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How Ocuflox is dosed
From the FDA label for Ocuflox (application NDA019921). Other ofloxacin products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
The recommended dosage regimen for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis is: Days 1 and 2 Instill one to two drops every two to four hours in the affected eye(s). Days 3 through 7 Instill one to two drops four times daily. The recommended dosage regimen for the treatment of bacterial corneal ulcer is: Days 1 and 2 Instill one to two drops into the affected eye every 30 minutes, while awake. Awaken at approximately four and six hours after retiring and instill one to two drops. Days 3 through 7 to 9 Instill one to two drops hourly, while awake. Days 7 to 9 through treatment completion Instill one to two drops, four times daily.
Everything below is the FDA label for Ocuflox (drops). Ofloxacin is also sold as solution, tablet and injectable, and those are different medicines to take — follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Ocuflox side effects
Ophthalmic Use The most frequently reported drug-related adverse reaction was transient ocular burning or discomfort. Other reported reactions include stinging, redness, itching, chemical conjunctivitis/keratitis, ocular/periocular/facial edema, foreign body sensation, photophobia, blurred vision, tearing, dryness, and eye pain. Rare reports of dizziness and nausea have been received. Refer to Warnings for additional adverse reactions.
Who shouldn’t take Ocuflox
OCUFLOX ® solution is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to ofloxacin, to other quinolones, or to any of the components in this medication ( s ee Warnings ) .
Ocuflox drug interactions
Specific drug interaction studies have not been conducted with OCUFLOX ® ophthalmic solution. However, the systemic administration of some quinolones has been shown to elevate plasma concentrations of theophylline, interfere with the metabolism of caffeine, and enhance the effects of the oral anticoagulant warfarin and its derivatives, and has been associated with transient elevations in serum creatinine in patients receiving cyclosporine concomitantly.
Ofloxacin and food
Dairy, calcium, iron & antacids
Separate the antibiotic from dairy, supplements, and antacids by a couple of hours — take it at the interval the label or your pharmacist specifies.
Tetracycline — MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) ↗
Every ofloxacin product we track (6)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Drops | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | 68/100 | Prescription | Solution | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 4 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 5 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 6 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Drops | Generic | $1 | View → |
What ofloxacin pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
How long ofloxacin keeps
No ofloxacin label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does ofloxacin expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsOfloxacin and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for ofloxacin: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadOfloxacin appears in breastmilk in low levels. Fluoroquinolones have traditionally not been used in infants because of concern about adverse effects on the infants' developing joints. However, recent studies indicate little risk. The calcium in milk might prevent absorption of the small amounts of fluoroquinolones in milk. Insufficient data exist to prove or disprove this assertion. Developmental problems have been reported in two infants exposed to ofloxacin in breastmilk, but their mothers were also exposed to several drugs during pregnancy and during breastfeeding, so the problems cannot necessarily be attributed to ofloxacin. Use of ofloxacin is acceptable in nursing mothers with monitoring of the infant for possible effects on the flora, such as diarrhea or candidiasis (thrush, diaper rash). Avoiding breastfeeding for 4 to 6 hours after a dose should decrease the exposure of the infant to ofloxacin in breastmilk.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised January 15, 2025. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about ofloxacin
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 7,728 reports naming ofloxacin, and the FDA flagged 77% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- eye pain366 reports
- headache301 reports
- fatigue277 reports
- nausea272 reports
- arthralgia265 reports
- acute kidney injury257 reports
- diarrhoea252 reports
- pyrexia231 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean ofloxacin caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
Related guides
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is Ocuflox?
OCUFLOX ® (ofloxacin ophthalmic solution) 0.3% is a sterile ophthalmic solution. It is a fluorinated carboxyquinolone anti-infective for topical ophthalmic use.
What kind of drug is ofloxacin?
The FDA classifies ofloxacin as a quinolone antimicrobial. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take ofloxacin with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ofloxacin against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is ofloxacin sold under?
We track 6 ofloxacin-containing products in the U.S.: Ocuflox, Ofloxacin, Floxin, Floxin in Dextrose 5%, Floxin in Dextrose 5% in Plastic Container and Floxin Otic. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does ofloxacin come in?
Across the brands we track, ofloxacin is currently marketed as drops, solution, tablet and injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ofloxacin?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic ofloxacin product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
What should I avoid while taking ofloxacin?
Food: milk and other dairy, calcium- or iron-fortified foods and supplements, and antacids — see the food section above for what each one does and whether it means avoiding it or just being consistent. This is what the FDA label and our cited sources say — it is not a complete list. Your pharmacist can check your own combination.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ofloxacin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ofloxacin
- MLA
- “Ofloxacin: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ofloxacin.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ofloxacin on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.