BESIVANCE (BESIFLOXACIN OPHTHALMIC SUSPENSION)

Besivance Description

Your doctor may prescribe Besivance for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. This is an antimicrobial medicine from the quinolone family that only works against bacteria and not viral or fungal infections. Your doctor will want to be certain of the cause of your infection and may take a swab for testing but will start you on Besivance right away if a visual exam points to a probable Streptococcus or Staphylococcus bacterial infection. Bacterial conjunctivitis is extremely contagious and is most common among young children.

Not One But Two Enzymes are Targeted by Besivance

Besivance is a newer generation quinolone that comes with a lower possibility of becoming bacterial resistant. This is because the active ingredient, Besifloxacin Ophthalmic Suspension inhibits two enzymes and not just one. So when instilled into the infected eye(s), Besivance works by converting their target enzymes, called gyrase and topoisomerase IV, into toxic enzymes that fragment the bacterial chromosome so the DNA replication is unable to be completed. The bacteria cannot grow so their numbers fall and the infection clears up.

Conditions Besivance Treats

Pink eye may be the two most hated words you could hear if you have a preschooler. Children under the age of five tend to experience a lapse in their memory when it comes to hygiene. Bacterial conjunctivitis affects the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers your eyeball and the inside of your eyelid. Inflammation occurs as an immune response to the bacteria, causing the redness as blood vessels dilate.

A typical scenario is your child rubbing the itchy, red, infected eye and then sharing a toy or snack with a play-mate who then rubs his/her eye. And it doesn’t necessarily end there if the child then comes home and spreads it through hand-to-eye contact to the rest of the family. This is why treatment with Besivance is as important as proper hygiene to end the spread of pinkeye. Besivance may also be recommended for treating blepharitis that involves inflamed eyelids due to a coating of oily particles and bacteria coating your eyelid margin.

Before Besivance is Prescribed

Ask your doctor about any health risks for using Besivance while you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or are breast feeding. Discuss other medical conditions and allergies with your doctor and list any current OTC or Rx drugs you take or use, including herbal remedies and dietary or vitamin supplements. Contact lenses should be removed during treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis and the lenses should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before inserting them after treatment as per doctor’s instructions.

Besivance Precautions and Proper Use

Do not drive, operate machinery, or attempt any task that could result in injury if your vision is temporarily impaired after using Besivance. After administering to young children, limit their activity until they are able to see so they do not fall, trip, or run into objects. Be careful not to touch the actual eyeball with the tip of the Besivance bottle as this can cause contamination.

Possible Side Effects of Besivance

• Itchiness
• Blurred vision
• Irritation or stinging