Factive Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Factive Tablet contains gemifloxacin mesylate, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. It is used in adults 18 years or older to treat bronchitis flare-ups and pneumonia caused by certain bacteria, and it does not work against viral infections such as the common cold. It is typically taken once daily for a short course of 5 or 7 days, as prescribed by a doctor.

What is Factive Tablet

Factive is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic tablet used to treat adults 18 years or older with bronchitis or pneumonia (lung infections) caused by certain bacteria. It does not treat infections caused by viruses, such as the common cold.

Factive Tablet uses

• Acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, or Moraxella catarrhalis
• Community-acquired pneumonia of mild to moderate severity caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (including multi-drug resistant strains), Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, or Klebsiella pneumoniae

Benefits of Factive Tablet

• Effective against many bacteria causing chronic bronchitis flare-ups and pneumonia
• Can be taken once daily for a short course of 5 or 7 days
• Effective even against some drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Provides once-daily dosing
• Active against several susceptible respiratory bacteria
• Available as an oral antibiotic tablet

How Factive Tablet works

Factive works by stopping bacteria from copying their DNA, which they need to grow and multiply. It blocks two enzymes bacteria need for this process, which kills the bacteria.

Factive Tablet dosage

Take one tablet a day for 5 or 7 days, exactly as prescribed. Take it at about the same time each day. It can be taken with or without food. Swallow the tablet whole; do not chew it, and drink plenty of fluids with it.

This medicine should not be taken with dairy products (like milk or yogurt) or calcium-fortified juices alone, but it may be taken with a meal that contains these products. Do not take antacids containing magnesium or aluminum, iron supplements, multivitamins with zinc or other metals, or didanosine within 3 hours before or 2 hours after taking this medicine. Take this medicine at least 2 hours before sucralfate.

If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, but do not take more than one dose in a day. Finish the full course of treatment even if you begin to feel better, unless your doctor tells you to stop or you develop tendon problems or a serious allergic reaction. Drink fluids liberally while taking this medicine.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (320 mg, film-coated, oval, white to off-white)

Side effects of Factive Tablet

Common

• Diarrhea
• Rash
• Nausea
• Headache
• Stomach pain
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Change in taste

Serious

• Tendon swelling or rupture
• Worsening of myasthenia gravis symptoms (muscle weakness, breathing problems)
• Serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis (hives, trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of lips/tongue/face)
• Prolongation of the QT interval (irregular heartbeat, fainting)
• Severe diarrhea or colitis (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea)
• Liver problems including hepatitis (yellowing of skin or eyes, dark urine)
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage causing numbness, tingling, burning, weakness)
• Central nervous system effects (seizures, hallucinations, confusion, depression, suicidal thoughts)
• Severe skin reactions
• Photosensitivity (severe sunburn-like reactions)
• Low blood sugar in diabetic patients taking oral diabetes medicines

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause tendon swelling or rupture, which can happen during treatment or even months after stopping it. The risk is higher in people over 60, those taking steroids, and organ transplant recipients.
• This medicine may worsen symptoms of myasthenia gravis, a disease that causes muscle weakness, including breathing problems.
• Serious and sometimes fatal allergic reactions can happen, even after just one dose.
• This medicine may cause a rare heart rhythm problem called QT prolongation, which can lead to a dangerous irregular heartbeat.
• This medicine has not been studied in children and adolescents under 18, and may cause joint problems in this age group.
• This medicine can rarely cause nerve damage in the arms, hands, legs, or feet, which may be permanent.
• This medicine can cause a severe form of diarrhea caused by bacterial overgrowth in the colon, which can occur even up to two months after stopping treatment.
• This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, increasing the risk of severe sunburn.
• Rash is more common with this medicine in women, people under 40, and those taking it for longer than 5 to 7 days.
• Factive has not been shown to be safe for use during pregnancy and should only be used if the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the unborn baby.
•  It is not known whether Factive passes into human breast milk, so it should only be used while breastfeeding if the benefit to the mother outweighs the risk to the infant.
• People with reduced kidney function may need a lower dose of this medicine. No dose change is needed for people with mild, moderate, or severe liver problems, based on studies showing the increase in drug levels was not significant.
• No major direct interaction with alcohol is established, but avoiding alcohol while significantly ill is sensible.
• This medicine can cause dizziness, so you should not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 59° and 86°F (15° to 30°C)
• Protect from light
• Keep out of the reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you develop hives, trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the lips, tongue, or face, throat tightness, a rapid heartbeat, or fainting.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel pain, swelling, or hear a snap or pop in a tendon, such as at the back of the ankle, shoulder, or hand.
• Stop the medicine and call your doctor right away if you notice yellowing of your skin or eyes, or dark urine, which may be signs of a liver problem.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a skin rash while taking this medicine.
• Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you develop watery or bloody diarrhea, with or without stomach cramps and fever, even up to two months after finishing treatment.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you have a change in your heartbeat, such as palpitations, or if you faint.
• Stop the medicine and talk with your doctor right away if you experience pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feet.
• Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you have worsening muscle weakness or breathing problems.

Alternatives

• Amoxicillin/clavulanate
• Doxycycline
• Azithromycin