Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic specially designed for the treatment of bacterial infections. It works by slowing down the growth of bacteria making possible for your body to fight off the infection. In cases you are allergic to ofloxacin, norfloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, taking this medicine is not recommended as it’s very close in action to the drugs mentioned and you may get an allergic reaction again. If you take Cipro in spite of a history of an allergic reaction, the following symptoms are possible: hives, swelling of your face, trouble breathing and swallowing and hives. Any cases of an allergic reaction need to be reported directly to your local emergency center, as they tend to get worse with time and are unlikely to improve on their own. People with heart rhythm disorder, especially those being treated with such medications as bretylium, sotalol, disopyramide, procainamide, amiodarone, and quinidine are not supposed to be taking Cipro either – as dangerous interactions are possible that not only will make Cipro less efficient, but can also affect your health and wellbeing. You can still drink milk and consume dairy products when taking Cipro, just make sure you don’t use such products alone with Cipro. Otherwise your medicine may become less effective. Cipro is FDA pregnancy category C. This medicine passes into breast milk, but it is not known for sure whether it can harm an unborn baby. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can take this drug only if their health care provider thinks it’s okay – but this is unlikely, as there are other alternatives for those patients. Cipro is usually well tolerated and only a few mild side effects are possible. While mild side effects you may get are likely to go away and do not need to be reported to your health care provider, more serious side effects are also possible, and your doctor is supposed to know about them as soon as they are detected. Cipro is supposed to be taken for as long as prescribed even if you feel better, as otherwise a relapse of infection is possible. Never share Cipro with other people and make sure to store it in some place where it will not be accessed by others.