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Drug Interactions With Ciprofloxacin/Dexamethasone
Although there are no known drug interactions with ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone at this time, problems may be discovered at a later date. Therefore, make sure your healthcare provider is aware of any other medications you are taking before starting treatment with this ear drop. Also, you may have to separate your doses of this medication if you are also using another type of ear drop.
Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone (Ciprodex®) is a prescription ear drop approved to treat infections of the middle ear (known medically as otitis media) in children with ear tubes. It is also used to treat infections of the outer ear (known medically as otitis externa or more commonly as "swimmer's ear") in children and adults. It does not have any known drug interactions.
Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone is a topical medication, applied directly into the ear. It combines two ingredients: an antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) to cure the infection and a corticosteroid (dexamethasone) to help relieve symptoms of the infection, such as ear swelling and itchiness. The medication mainly works on the ear's surface -- and very little of it is expected to be absorbed into the body. Because only very small amounts of ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone, if any, would be found in the blood after use, it will likely not interact with other medications.
Although ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone probably does not directly interact with other medicines, you may need to separate your doses of ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone from those of other ear drops. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to space your ear drop medications if you are using more than one.
At this time, it seems unlikely that ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone would interact with any other medications. No drug interactions have been identified with this medication to date, and very little of it is expected to be absorbed into the body. However, this does not necessarily mean that there are really no drug interactions. This medication has not been studied with every possible drug, and there may be interactions that are discovered at a later date.
It is a good idea to make sure your healthcare provider has a complete list of all your medications. Therefore, always tell your healthcare providers about any medication (including prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and herbals, vitamins, or supplements) you are taking, even if you believe they will not interact with other medicines.
Written by/reviewed by: Susan Lakey, PharmD, MPH
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD