Does levofloxacin expire?
The printed date covers the sealed pack. Once levofloxacin is opened, mixed or diluted, its label sets a second and usually much shorter limit — quoted below, per product.
Shortest limit on any levofloxacin label: 2 days
“Lactation: Advise a lactating woman that she may pump and discard during treatment with levofloxacin and for an additional 2 days after the last dose.”
That applies to the product it is printed on, not to every form of levofloxacin — check which one you have against the list below.
What the labels say
“Lactation: Advise a lactating woman that she may pump and discard during treatment with levofloxacin and for an additional 2 days after the last dose.”
On the label for levofloxacin · DailyMed
“Lactation: Advise a lactating woman that she may pump and discard during treatment with levofloxacin tablets and for an additional 2 days after the last dose.”
On the label for Levofloxacin · DailyMed
“Stability of Levofloxacin Injection Following Dilution : Levofloxacin injection, when diluted in a compatible intravenous fluid to a concentration of 5 mg/mL, is stable for 72 hours when stored at or below 25°C (77°F) and for 14 days when stored under refrigeration at 5°C (41°F) in plastic intravenous containers.”
On the label for Levofloxacin · DailyMed
“Stability of Levofloxacin Injection following Dilution: Levofloxacin Injection, when diluted in a compatible intravenous fluid to a concentration of 5 mg/mL, is stable for 72 hours when stored at or below 25°C (77°F) and for 14 days when stored under refrigeration at 5°C (41°F) in flexible intravenous containers.”
On the label for Levofloxacin · DailyMed
“Solutions that are diluted in a compatible intravenous solution and frozen in glass bottles or plastic intravenous containers are stable for 6 months when stored at - 20°C (- 4°F).”
On the label for Levofloxacin · DailyMed
“Solutions that are diluted in a compatible intravenous solution and frozen in glass bottles or plastic intravenous containers are stable for 6 months when stored at 20°C (- 4°F).”
On the label for Levofloxacin · DailyMed
How the label says to keep levofloxacin
Storage is the other half of the question: the stability behind any date assumes these conditions, and a medicine kept outside them ages faster than the calendar says.
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING •Levofloxacin Tablets USP, 500 mg are orange colored, capsule shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets debossed with '26' on one side and 'I' on the other side.”
- “Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “Store at 20°C to 25° C (68°F to 77° F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Levofloxacin USP is supplied as 250 mg, 500 mg and 750 mg capsule-shaped, coated tablets.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Levofloxacin Tablets USP, 500 mg are orange colored, capsule shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets debossed with '26' on one side and 'I' on the other side.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Levofloxacin Tablets USP, 250 mg are pink colored, capsule shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets debossed with '25' on one side and 'I' on the other side.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Levofloxacin Tablets USP, 750 mg are white colored, capsule shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets debossed with '18' on one side and 'I' on the other side.”
- “16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING • Levofloxacin Tablets USP, 750 mg are white colored, capsule shaped, biconvex, film coated tablets debossed with '18' on one side and 'I' on the other side.”
Frequently asked questions
Does levofloxacin expire?
Two different clocks apply and only one of them is the printed date. The date on a sealed pack is the manufacturer's guarantee for the unopened product. Once it is opened, mixed or diluted, the label imposes its own limit — as tight as 2 days on some levofloxacin products, and that is the number quoted on this page.
Can I still use levofloxacin after the date on the box?
This page cannot tell you that, and nor can any page. The FDA's own shelf-life programme found 88% of tested lots stayed within specification at least a year past expiry — and concluded in the same breath that lot-to-lot variation means this can only be confirmed by testing each lot. What you can check at home is the in-use limit above and whether the product has been stored as the label requires. Ask a pharmacist about a specific pack; they will also dispose of what you no longer need.
Why do different levofloxacin products have different limits?
Because they are different formulations. A suspension that gets mixed with water, a pen that gets carried at room temperature, and a sealed tablet do not behave alike, so each manufacturer's label sets its own limit and each is shown here with the product it belongs to. We never merge them into one number for the molecule.
More on levofloxacin
Quoted from FDA labels for reference, not medical advice, and not a suggestion to use anything past its limit. If you are unsure whether a pack is still good, a pharmacist can tell you and can dispose of it safely.