Unless told otherwise by your health care provider, you are supposed to be taking this medicine with a full glass of water and drink several glasses of liquid during the day to provide for maximum efficiency of your treatment. The liquid form of Cipro is supposed to be shaken very well before you start using it, and you need to have a special measuring device to make sure you never overdose. Do not use a regular spoon to take the liquid form of Cipro, as there is possibility you will take more or less than prescribed. Taking less then necessary may be actually more dangerous than taking more. If you take more of Cipro than prescribed you will just get worsened side effects, while using less of this medicine is going to be inefficient and the bacteria in your body may develop resistance to this medicine. As a result of that, your treatment will be inefficient and you will be unable to keep the bacteria under control. If your doctor prescribed extended-release tablets of Cipro, make sure to swallow the pill whole. Do not break or crush the tablet, as it has been specially designed to dissolve only once inside your body. If you break the pill, this will result in too much of this medicine being released. Cipro is supposed to be stored at room temperature and you must never allow it to freeze. Never take more of Cipro to avoid an overdose. The following are most probable symptoms of an overdose that you will need to report to your local emergency center: pale skin, seizures, urination problems, weakness, and blue lips. Any cases of an overdose are supposed to be reported directly to your local emergency center. Do not try to treat the symptoms of an overdose yourself – you will need medical attention and probably some procedures performed in the hospital to prevent the situation from getting worse. Some drugs are not supposed to be combined with Cipro, as interactions are possible. Make sure you tell your health care provider if you are taking any of the following: products with calcium, iron, or zinc, vitamins or mineral supplements, antacids that contain calcium, aluminum, magnesium etc, ulcer medicines, and didanosine. You are not supposed to use any of the products mentioned within 6 hours before taking your dose of Cipro or 2 hours after it. If you are taking some medications at the moment and need to be taking them – talk to your doctor about a treatment schedule that would include all the drugs you require but taken at evenly spaced intervals without any chances they will interact with each other. So, you will need to plan your treatment ahead if you need to take any of the products mentioned along with Cipro, as otherwise interactions are possible that can affect the effectiveness of Cipro. If you happened to miss your dose of Cipro by accident – make sure you take it as soon as you remember. However, if you need to take your next dose very soon – you can skip the one you missed and go back to the regular treatment schedule. Do not take two doses too close together in time, as this is not going to bring you anything but side effects. Try to take Cipro at the same time every day to remember about the next dose. You can have someone remind you of taking Cipro or come up with your own way to make sure the levels of this medicine in your bloodstream is the same.