Cipro, a fluoroquinolone, is a very dangerous antibiotic and comes with an FDA Black Box Warning. The FDA issued its first warning in 2008, yet it’s still being overprescribed. Drugs that are in the family of fluoroquinolone are:
| Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) | Gemifloxacin (Factive) |
| Levofloxacin (Levaquin) | Moxifloxacin (Avelox) |
| Norfloxacin (Noroxin) | Ofloxacin (Floxin) |
If you are prescribed Cipro prior to a biopsy, please request an alternative antibiotic. Below are alternative antibiotics that can be prescribed prior to a prostate biopsy, with corresponding links.
| Ceftriaxone | Cefdinir |
| Macrobid | Septra |
| Bactrim ** | Keflex |
| Cefpodoxime |
** Note on Bactrim: In September 2019, the FDA issued a warning about Bactrim and the risk of respiratory failure.