Maarten Vasbinder lives in Isaan. His profession is general practitioner, a profession that he mainly practiced in Spain. On Thailandblog he answers questions from readers who live in Thailand and writes about medical facts.
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Dear Martin,
I have type 2 diabetes and take Metformin daily for this. I have been given levoflaxacin antibiotics for ocrhitis (inflammation of the testes). However, I read on the leaflet that it can be dangerous with diabetes medication. Does Metformin also belong to the group of medications for which it is not advisable to take Levofloxacin?
Regards,
P.
*****
Dear P,
The levofloxacin can cause a shortage of blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) earlier. It's not very likely, but it is possible. A few cases have been described in the literature.
So always make sure you have something sweet nearby. The most convenient is dextrose, but as far as I know you can't buy that here in tablet form. A can of Red Bull is also good.
Levofloxacin is not normally the first choice for orchitis. Usually doxycycline or azithromycin is given. Ceftraxione is also good. If a breeding has been made, it is easier to hit.
It may take several weeks for symptoms to subside. So please be patient.
Sincerely,
Dr. Maarten