Guide To Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that belongs to the penicillin family, and like all penicillin antibiotics, amoxicillin originates from Penicillium. The medication is prescribed for both children and adults, and it comes in liquid, tablet, and intravenous forms. It is generally used for between one to two weeks, and it is capable of treating a variety of bacterial infections, including ear infections and bacterial endocarditis. While it can be used on its own for simple infections, doctors may choose to prescribe it in combination with two other antibiotics for the treatment of more complex infections. The exact dosage depends on the severity of the patient's infection. Due to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, doctors will carefully evaluate whether amoxicillin is needed before choosing to prescribe it, and other treatments might be suggested first.
The major uses, precautions, and side effects associated with amoxicillin are outlined below.
What Are Antibiotics?
Antibiotics are potent drugs used to fight bacterial infections. Penicillin, an antibiotic in the same family as amoxicillin, was first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. While most antibiotics are based on compounds found in nature, they are now produced in laboratories. Antibiotics helped increase the average life expectancy by eight years between the 1940s to the 1970s. Their infection-fighting properties made surgeries much safer and allowed physicians to perform increasingly complex operations with a lower risk of infection. Most antibiotics are only available with a prescription, and a specific antibiotic must be prescribed to treat a given infection, as antibiotics generally cannot be interchanged to treat multiple types of bacteria.
Keep reading to learn about what amoxicillin is used for next.
What It's Used For
Amoxicillin is commonly used to treat ear infections, urinary tract infections, and strep throat. Patients with tonsillitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia are often prescribed this antibiotic too, and it can help treat sinus infections, bacterial endocarditis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia as well. Individuals who have stomach ulcers caused by the H. pylori bacteria might be treated with a combination of amoxicillin and clarithromycin, another antibiotic. This combination is sometimes used in conjunction with lansoprazole, a medicine that reduces stomach acid. In addition, amoxicillin could be considered as a treatment for infected animal bites such as cat scratches, and it is known to help with dental infections.
Discover what precautions patients must remember in regards to amoxicillin next.
Precautions To Remember
Patients should let their doctor know if they have asthma, liver disease, kidney disease, or mononucleosis, and the doctor will also need to know about any allergies the patient has to other penicillin antibiotics or cephalosporins. The doctor will use this information to decide if it is safe for the patient to take amoxicillin. Since amoxicillin may reduce the effectiveness of some hormonal birth control medicines, patients who use these will need to check with their healthcare provider about using a non-hormonal form of birth control while on amoxicillin. Chewable amoxicillin tablets could contain phenylalanine, and patients with phenylketonuria should not use this form. Amoxicillin needs to be taken at the same time each day, and some brands of the drug need to be taken with food. Individuals who use the extended-release type of amoxicillin should ensure they swallow the tablet whole, as crushing, chewing, or breaking the tablet will impair its effectiveness. Alcohol consumption while taking amoxicillin is currently considered safe, and it has not been shown to impact the effectiveness of this antibiotic. Long-term use of amoxicillin may necessitate frequent blood tests to check the patient's liver and kidney function. Amoxicillin can affect the results of some lab tests, so patients should inform all of their doctors they are taking it. In particular, diabetes patients should be aware amoxicillin can affect the results of urinary tests for blood sugar. To reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance, patients should take the full course of amoxicillin they have been prescribed, even if they start to feel better after a few days.
Learn about the potential side effects of amoxicillin next.
Side Effects To Watch For
The most frequently reported side effects of amoxicillin include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, yeast infections, and skin rashes. Diarrhea could occur while taking this medicine, and it might also develop several months after the medicine is stopped. Patients should always let their doctor know if they notice blood in their stool. Other common side effects include headache and changes in the patient's sense of taste. Stomach cramps, back pain, leg pain, bloating, dark urine, and skin blistering have been reported with amoxicillin use. Although rare, patients could also notice headaches, heavier menstrual periods, fast heartbeat, and difficulties with breathing or swallowing. Since these symptoms could be indicative of a potentially serious condition, patients should always let their doctor know if any of these side effects occur, and they should also inform healthcare personnel if any new symptoms develop. Hives, shortness of breath, and swelling of the face, lips, or tongue are signs of a potential allergic reaction, and emergency medical attention should be sought.
Read about what medications can interact with amoxicillin next.
Medication Interactions
Amoxicillin interacts frequently with other antibiotics, including sulfonamides, tetracycline, and macrolides. Patients should let their doctor know if they are also taking any of these antibiotics. In addition, amoxicillin is known to interact with probenecid, a medication used for the treatment of gout, and it is associated with an interaction with allopurinol, a medicine that can be used for gout and kidney stones. Methotrexate is associated with a major interaction with amoxicillin as well. Along with these major interactions, amoxicillin has moderate interactions with twenty other drugs, including estradiol, erythromycin, dicumarol, warfarin, and pemetrexed. Before prescribing amoxicillin, doctors will go over the patient's current medications to prevent potential interactions. Pharmacists will also check for drug interactions before filling the prescription for the patient. Amoxicillin may interact with certain vaccines such as the live cholera vaccine, the BCG vaccine, and the live typhoid vaccine. Individuals who are about to receive any of these vaccines should inform their doctor they are taking amoxicillin. It may be necessary to wait to receive the vaccine until the course of amoxicillin has been completed.
Get familiar with the commonly prescribed alternative to amoxicillin next.
Commonly Prescribed Alternatives
For patients who cannot take amoxicillin due to an allergy, doctors may choose to prescribe a different antibiotic. Some of the most commonly prescribed alternatives for amoxicillin include clindamycin, metronidazole, and erythromycin. Doctors might also prescribe sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, or cephalexin, and azithromycin is sometimes prescribed, too. Patients who believe they may be allergic to amoxicillin should let their doctor know this so an alternative medication can be considered. When choosing which alternative antibiotic to prescribe, the physician will consider the patient's overall health and the particular infection to be treated. Some antibiotics are more effective for certain infections than others, and the doctor will also want to prescribe the one that causes the fewest side effects.
Continue reading to learn about the recommended dosages of amoxicillin next.
Dosage Factors
The correct dose of amoxicillin depends on the condition to be treated, and the patient's age and overall health are also considered. For example, adults who are using amoxicillin to treat a skin infection will normally take 250 to 875 milligrams of amoxicillin every eight to twelve hours, and the pediatric dose for mild to moderate skin infections is 250 milligrams every eight hours or five hundred milligrams every twelve hours for patients who weigh at least forty kilograms. When this medication is used to treat pneumonia in adults, the recommended dose is between 1,500 to 3,000 milligrams per day. Amoxicillin is often prescribed to treat ear infections in children, and the typical dose for these patients is eighty to ninety milligrams of amoxicillin per kilogram of body weight. Dosage adjustments may be needed for patients with liver or kidney issues. While individuals with mild to moderate kidney impairment can take the standard dose, those with severe kidney dysfunction may need to take as little as 250 to five hundred milligrams of amoxicillin per day. Patients with these conditions should ask their doctors about the appropriate dose for their health needs.
Discover who shouldn't take amoxicillin next.
Who Shouldn't Take Amoxicillin
Patients who are allergic to any antibiotics in the penicillin family, including ampicillin and dicloxacillin, should not use amoxicillin. Individuals who have mononucleosis may not be able to safely take this medicine, and patients with severe kidney disease may need to take a lower dose or use an alternate antibiotic instead. Patients who are allergic to cephalosporin antibiotics may need to use a different antibiotic as well, and individuals who have had diarrhea while taking antibiotics may do better with another antibiotic. Amoxicillin is known to reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills, and patients who use these should ask their physician about using a non-hormonal method of birth control during treatment with amoxicillin. Currently, researchers do not know if amoxicillin could harm an unborn baby. Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding should discuss amoxicillin use with their doctor.
Get some advice on taking amoxicillin next.
Tips For Taking It
Amoxicillin should be taken at the same time each day, and it can be taken with or without food. If the liquid suspension of this medicine is used, the patient should shake it before measuring out the dose. The liquid should be measured with the dosing device included with the medication; a kitchen spoon should never be used. The liquid can be mixed with water, milk, juice, ginger ale, or baby formula if necessary, and this mixture should be consumed immediately after it is prepared. Patients who take the amoxicillin tablet should swallow it whole; it should not be crushed, chewed, or split. As with all antibiotics, it is important to finish the entire course that has been prescribed to reduce the risk of developing an antibiotic-resistant infection. Amoxicillin should be stored at room temperature, and it needs to be kept away from light, moisture, and heat. Patients who are using the liquid version can safely store it in the refrigerator, but it should not be frozen. If some of the liquid amoxicillin remains unused after fourteen days, it should be thrown away. Amoxicillin use could change the results of certain blood tests, and patients should inform all of their healthcare providers they are using this antibiotic.
Learn about potential allergic reactions to amoxicillin next.
Amoxicillin And Allergic Reactions
Some amoxicillin users may develop an allergic reaction to the medication. The symptoms of an allergic reaction range from mild to potentially life-threatening, and anyone who displays potential signs of an allergic reaction to amoxicillin should be evaluated by a physician. A mild allergic reaction could produce skin rashes, hives, itching, nasal congestion, and a scratchy throat. Patients having a serious, severe allergic reaction may develop heart palpitations, wheezing, stomach cramps, diarrhea, chest pain, and vomiting. The face, tongue, lips, and eyes could swell considerably. Patients with symptoms of a severe reaction should be taken to an emergency room by ambulance. Severe reactions may cause a sudden drop in blood pressure that could quickly become life-threatening. Individuals who have symptoms of a mild allergic reaction should still see their doctor for an examination as soon as possible. The doctor will record the patient's allergic reaction in their medical chart, and the patient will need to list amoxicillin when asked about medication allergies. If exposed to amoxicillin again, patients who initially had a mild allergic reaction could have a severe or life-threatening one.