moxifloxacin
Brand names: Avelox
Moxifloxacin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in your body. It is used to treat different types of infections.
Drug Shortage Alert
moxifloxacin is currently listed as to be discontinued by the FDA. Affected manufacturer: Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC.
View all drug shortages →Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Generic Price
$2.05/unit
Generic Available
Yes (15 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Moxifloxacin treats infections like pneumonia, skin infections, and infections in your stomach area.
Common side effects
Nausea, Diarrhea, Headache
Key warnings
Moxifloxacin can cause serious side effects, even if they don't happen to everyone.
How It Works
Moxifloxacin belongs to a class of drugs called fluoroquinolones. It works by stopping bacteria from multiplying. This helps your body fight off the infection.
How to Take It
Take moxifloxacin 400 mg once every 24 hours. You can take it with or without food. Drink plenty of fluids while taking this medicine. The length of treatment depends on the type of infection you have.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Moxifloxacin may harm your unborn baby. It is not known if moxifloxacin passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is almost time for your next dose. Do not take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose.
Storage
Store moxifloxacin tablets at room temperature.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 10,607 FDA adverse event reports.
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 13,400 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
13,400
Death-Related Reports
1,914
Hospitalization Reports
4,770
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OFF LABEL USE | 1,369 |
| 2 | DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 1,347 |
| 3 | DYSPNOEA | 1,225 |
| 4 | PNEUMONIA | 1,142 |
| 5 | VOMITING | 1,101 |
| 6 | DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY | 1,073 |
| 7 | ASTHMA | 910 |
| 8 | PAIN | 832 |
| 9 | NAUSEA | 814 |
| 10 | WHEEZING | 795 |
| 11 | RASH | 757 |
| 12 | CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 750 |
| 13 | FATIGUE | 735 |
| 14 | DIARRHOEA | 715 |
| 15 | PYREXIA | 682 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Moxifloxacin can cause serious side effects, even if they don't happen to everyone. These include tendon problems, nerve damage, and central nervous system problems. If you have myasthenia gravis, moxifloxacin can make your muscle weakness worse. If you experience any of these serious side effects, stop taking moxifloxacin immediately and talk to your doctor. Because of these risks, moxifloxacin should only be used when other treatment options are not available for sinus infections or bronchitis.
Known Drug Interactions
Therefore, avoid concomitant use of XENLETA Injection and XENLETA Tablets with such drugs (for example, Class IA and III antiarrhythmics, antipsychotics, erythromycin, moxifloxacin, tricyclic antidepressants).
Mechanism: Both of these medicines can affect the electrical timing of your heart. Taking them together increases the risk of developing a life-threatening irregular heartbeat.
What to do: Avoid using these two medications at the same time. Your doctor should look for a different treatment to avoid this heart risk.
( 2.2 , 7.1 , 12.3 ) Warfarin Anticoagulant effect enhanced. 7.2 Warfarin Fluoroquinolones, including moxifloxacin hydrochloride, have been reported to enhance the anticoagulant effects of warfarin or its derivatives in the patient population. Therefore the prothrombin time, International Normalized Ratio (INR), or other suitable anticoagulation tests should be closely monitored if moxifloxacin hydrochloride is administered concomitantly with warfarin or its derivatives [see Adverse Reactions (6.2) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Mechanism: Moxifloxacin can increase the blood-thinning effects of warfarin, which makes it easier for you to bleed or bruise.
What to do: Your doctor should perform regular blood tests to check your clotting levels while you are taking both medications.
Sotalol, a Class III antiarrhythmic, has been shown to further increase the QTc interval when combined with high doses of intravenous moxifloxacin hydrochloride in dogs.
Mechanism: Both drugs can change the electrical timing of your heartbeat, which might increase the risk of a dangerous heart rhythm.
What to do: Your doctor may need to monitor your heart's electrical activity with an EKG if these medications are used at the same time.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Interacting Drug Interaction Multivalent cation-containing products including: antacids, sucralfate, multivitamins Decreased moxifloxacin hydrochloride absorption. ( 5.12 , 7.3 ) 7.1 Antacids, Sucralfate, Multivitamins and Other Products Containing Multivalent Cations Fluoroquinolones, including moxifloxacin hydrochloride, form chelates with alkaline earth and transition metal cations. Oral administration of moxifloxacin hydrochloride with antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, with sucralfate, with metal cations such as iron, or with multivitamins containing iron or...
Mechanism: Sucralfate contains metals that stick to the antibiotic in your stomach, which stops the medicine from being absorbed into your body.
What to do: Talk to your doctor about spacing these medications apart so the antibiotic can work effectively.
Oral administration of moxifloxacin hydrochloride with antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, with sucralfate, with metal cations such as iron, or with multivitamins containing iron or zinc, or with formulations containing divalent and trivalent cations such as didanosine buffered tablets for oral suspension or the pediatric powder for oral solution, may substantially interfere with the absorption of moxifloxacin hydrochloride, resulting in systemic concentrations considerably lower than desired.
Mechanism: Zinc binds to the antibiotic in your digestive tract, preventing the drug from reaching the rest of your body to treat infection.
What to do: Avoid taking zinc supplements at the same time as this antibiotic to ensure you get the full dose.
Common Questions
What should I avoid while taking moxifloxacin?
Can moxifloxacin affect my blood sugar?
What if I develop diarrhea while taking moxifloxacin?
Can moxifloxacin make me sensitive to the sun?
What should I do if I experience tendon pain while taking moxifloxacin?
Can I take moxifloxacin if I am allergic to other antibiotics?
Does moxifloxacin interact with blood thinners?
Can I drive or operate machinery while taking moxifloxacin?
How long should I take moxifloxacin?
What if my symptoms don't improve after taking moxifloxacin?
What are the common side effects of moxifloxacin?
Does moxifloxacin interact with other medications?
What drug class is moxifloxacin?
Is moxifloxacin safe during pregnancy?
Has moxifloxacin been recalled?
Is moxifloxacin currently in shortage?
Active Recalls
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Imprimis NJOF, LLC
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Imprimis NJOF, LLC
Lack of Assurance of Sterility
Imprimis NJOF, LLC
Presence of Particulate Matter: glass vials from the manufacturer showed signs of glass delamination.
Denver Solutions, LLC DBA Leiters Health
Lack of Assurance of Sterility: FDA inspection found the recalled products were produced in a manner than cannot guarantee the sterility of the products purported to be sterile.
Pharmacy Plus, Inc. dba Vital Care Compounder
Related Medications in Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic
Other drugs grouped near moxifloxacin — same-class peers and common alternatives.
amikacin
Amikin
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amoxicillin
Amoxil
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium is a combination medicine used to fight bacterial infections.
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amoxicillin/clavulanate
Augmentin
Augmentin is a combination of two medicines, amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Compare with moxifloxacin →
ampicillin/sulbactam
Unasyn
Unasyn is a combination of two antibiotics that fights bacteria in your body.
Compare with moxifloxacin →
azithromycin
Zithromax, Z-Pack
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria.
Compare with moxifloxacin →
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What the FDA Data Shows for moxifloxacin
The FDA label for moxifloxacin (sold under brand names such as Avelox) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic class. Moxifloxacin treats infections like pneumonia, skin infections, and infections in your stomach area. Official labeling lists 4 commonly reported side effects, including Nausea, Diarrhea, Headache.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 10,607 voluntary reports. The database also lists 10 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $2.05.
Report counts do not establish causation — a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 5 recall records on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice — always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC). Shortage status: FDA Drug Shortages Database.
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: September 18, 2024
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book — approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed — NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) — post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm — standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files — federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database — current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages