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Ciprofloxacin - can you crush Cipro 500 tablets and mix with food?

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on April 7, 2025.

Official Answer by Drugs.com

Although it is not ideal, you can crush ciprofloxacin, but only mix it in a small amount of food. If for some reason you don't finish the food you won't get the whole dose. It may not taste very good either.

You can ask for the suspension if you have trouble swallowing.

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What happens if antibiotics don’t work for UTI?

If an antibiotic does not treat a urinary tract infection (UTI), the bacteria may have developed antibiotic resistance and your infection may worsen. A UTI may start as a bladder infection (cystitis) and could worsen into a more serious kidney infection (pyelonephritis) or urosepsis (a serious infection throughout your body) that is a medical emergency. Contact your doctor.

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How long does Cipro take to work?

Although ciprofloxacin starts working within hours of taking it, you may not notice an improvement in your symptoms for 2 to 3 days. For some infections, such as osteomyelitis (a bone infection), it may take up to a week before you show any improvement. Continue reading

What types of infections does Cipro treat?

Cipro (ciprofloxacin), a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, including:

  • pneumonia and certain lower respiratory tract infections
  • certain urinary tract infections
  • gonorrhea
  • infections of the digestive tract (for example, diverticulitis) - (used in combination with metronidazole)
  • serious skin, bone and joint infections
  • prostate gland infections
  • infectious diarrhea
  • typhoid fever (enteric fever)
  • kidney infections (pyelonephritis)
  • inhalational anthrax (post-exposure)
  • certain types of plague (treatment and prevention).
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