levaquin

How long does Levofloxacin stay in your body?

The elimination half-life of levofloxacin is about 6 to 8 hours — the time it takes the body to clear about half of it. As a rule of thumb, a medicine is mostly gone after roughly 4 to 5 half-lives, though this varies from person to person with age and kidney or liver function. Linear kinetics; the FDA label reports a mean terminal elimination half-life of roughly 6.3 hours after a 500 mg dose and 7.5 hours after 750 mg in adults with normal kidney function. Levofloxacin is not a prodrug and undergoes minimal metabolism, so there is no meaningful active metabolite that outlasts the parent drug. Because it is cleared mainly by the kidneys, the half-life is substantially prolonged in renal impairment — about 27 hours at creatinine clearance 20-49 mL/min and about 35 hours below 20 mL/min, which is why dosing is adjusted for kidney function. Hepatic impairment is not expected to affect elimination.

This is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t tell you when a drug test would read negative (tests detect substances for different, often longer, windows) or when it’s safe to take another dose — ask your pharmacist or prescriber. Source: LEVOFLOXACIN tablet — DailyMed FDA label (Clinical Pharmacology).

Frequently asked questions

What does Levaquin treat?

Levaquin (Levofloxacin) may be used to treat bronchitis, chlamydia infections, escherichia coli infections, haemophilus infections, klebsiella infections, legionnaires' disease, based on NIH RxClass drug-classification data (conditions a drug may treat — not a verbatim copy of the FDA-approved label). This is general reference, not medical advice.

How is Levaquin rated?

pharmaranks gives Levaquin a composite score of 3.5 out of 5, currently based on 1 weighted source (FDA regulatory recall-safety data weighted highest). See our methodology at /how-we-rate.

How much does Levaquin cost?

Nobody can tell you what you will pay — your price is set by your insurer's formulary, your deductible and the pharmacy's markup, and none of those are published. What IS published is what the pharmacy paid to acquire it: about $0.14 per ml, per the CMS NADAC survey. Treat that as the floor, not the quote — ask the pharmacist for the cash price as well as your copay, because for cheap generics the cash price often wins.

Is there a coupon or discount for Levaquin?

pharmaranks is an independent ratings site, not a pharmacy — we don't issue coupons or sell Levaquin. To pay less, ask your prescriber or pharmacist whether a generic equivalent exists, check the manufacturer's copay/savings card and patient-assistance program, and compare a pharmacy discount card against your insurance copay. Prices vary by pharmacy, insurance, and location, so always confirm at the counter. This is general reference, not medical or financial advice.

Who makes Levaquin?

Levaquin is marketed by Janssen Pharms. You can see Janssen Pharms's full profile, rating, and other products on pharmaranks.

Is Levaquin a brand-name or generic drug?

Levaquin is a brand-name product with the active ingredient Levofloxacin. Lower-cost generic equivalents containing Levofloxacin are available — ask your pharmacist.

Is Levaquin available over the counter?

No. Levaquin is a prescription (Rx) medication in the US — you need a prescription from a licensed clinician (in person or via telehealth); it isn't sold over the counter. For some conditions there are OTC alternatives — ask your pharmacist.

What forms does Levaquin come in?

Levaquin is currently marketed as tablet and injectable, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory.

Is Levaquin FDA-registered?

Levaquin is on record with the U.S. FDA under application number NDA021721. You can verify this on its official FDA label.

Has Levaquin been recalled by the FDA?

Levaquin has no FDA recalls recorded under its own application in the openFDA enforcement database. Its recall-safety score reflects its manufacturer's overall recall record. This is general reference, not medical advice — check the FDA recall database for the latest alerts.

Is Levaquin safe?

There's no single safe-or-not verdict. pharmaranks gives Levaquin a recall-safety score of 70/100, based on its FDA recall history (no recalls under its own FDA application) — not an efficacy or side-effect rating. Review its FDA-label side effects and warnings before use, and always consult a licensed professional.