We received an email from a GPA member, “I vomited my Levaquin tablet. Do I take another one??” Good question! 🙂
So, if you found this article and are wondering why there isn’t much information out there about what to do if you vomit after taking your medication it is because…there isn’t much information out there! 😉 This issue isn’t researched by drug manufacturers and so it is usually left more to clinical judgement.
So here you go–Catie has a video about What to Do If You Vomit After Taking Your Medication which covers in general the rule of thumb and reviews the rules for specific medications.
Some follow up questions for the member above:
- How long ago did you take the tablet before you vomited it? His answer: 30 minutes
- Did you see the tablet in the vomit? His answer: not that he noticed
- How long was he prescribed the Levaquin (levofloxacin) for? His answer: 10 days
In general, if you vomit within 15 minutes of taking a medication and/or you see the tablet/capsule in the vomit then you would take the medication again (and hope to keep it down!) IF you vomit after 60 minutes of taking a medication then you would NOT re-dose because by then the drug is most likely already absorbed in your system.
Which leaves us with the grey area of 15-60 mins, what to do? Which is exactly where this member was…at 30 minutes.
Typically, with antibiotics that are given for >3 days, it is best to NOT re-dose when in the grey area.
More specifically…oral Levaquin (levofloxacin) is usually taken once a day for 5-14 days depending on the diagnosis. It is a very strong antibiotic and has serious side effects (including a Black Box Warning). Because he was on a 10 day therapy and because I feel the risk of having too much Levaquin is worst then missing a dose, I recommended to NOT re-dose. I also advised that he contact his medical provider to keep her in the loop. The medical provider may want to add an extra day on at the end of his therapy.
The End! 🙂
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