What is Amoxicillin ?

Amoxicillin is a bacteria-fighting antibiotic.

Amoxicillin is used to treat bacterial infections, like tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and infections in ear, nose, throat, skin, or urinary tract.

Amoxicillin is also occasionally used with another antibiotic known as clarithromycin to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. This combination is sometimes used with a stomach acid reduced called Lansoprazole.


Amoxicillin Uses

  • Take this medicine with or without food according to the doctor’s instructions, usually for every 8 to 12 hours. Dosing is based on your state of health and response to treatment.
  • Drink plenty of fluids while using this medicine
  • For the best results, take this antibiotic at regular intervals. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time daily.
  • Keep taking this medicine until the full prescribed amount is eaten up, even if symptoms go away after a few days.
  • Stopping the drug too soon may allow bacteria to continue to develop, which may cause the infection to return.

Amoxicillin Side Effects

Some side effects of amoxicillin may occur, which rarely require medical attention. These side effects can disappear while your body adapts to the medication. In addition, your doctor may discuss ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

  • Abdominal or Stomach cramps or Tenderness
  • Back Pain, Leg Pain, or Stomach pains
  • Black, Tarry Stools
  • Bleeding gums
  • Blistering, Peeling, or Loosening of the skin
  • Bloating
  • Blood in the urine
  • Bloody nose
  • Chest pain
  • Chills
  • Clay-Colored Stools
  • Cough
  • Dark Urine
  • Diarrhea
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Difficulty in swallowing
  • Dizziness
  • Fast heartbeat
  • Feeling of discomfort
  • Fever
  • General body swelling
  • Headache
  • Heavier menstrual periods
  • Hives or welts
  • Increased thirst
  • Inflammation of the joints
  • Itching
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Muscle aches
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Nosebleeds
  • Pain
  • Pain in the lower back
  • Pain or burning while urinating
  • Painful or difficult urination
  • Pale skin
  • Pinpoint red spots on the skin
  • Rash
  • Red, irritated eyes
  • Redness, soreness, or itching skin
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat
  • Sores, welting, or blisters
  • Swollen, lymph glands
  • Tenderness
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Unpleasant breath odor
  • Unusual bleeding or bruising
  • Unusual tiredness or weakness
  • Unusual weight loss
  • Vomiting of blood
  • Watery or bloody diarrhea
  • Wheezing
  • Yellow eyes or skin

These side effects occur in approximately 1 in 10 people. Keep taking the medicine, but talk to the doctor if these side effects are severe or don't go away:

  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea

Serious Side Effects:

Serious side effects are rare. Call for medical attention immediately if you get:

  • Diarrhea that contains blood or mucus. If you have severe diarrhea for over 4 days, you immediately seek a doctor.
  • Pale stool with dark urine, yellowing of the skin, or the whites of your eyes
  • Bruising or skin discoloration
  • Joint or muscle pains that come after 2 days of taking the medicine
  • A skin rash with red patches

Some of these serious side effects can happen up to 2 months after finishing the amoxicillin medication course prescribed by a doctor.

Serious allergic reaction:

About 1 out of 15 people experience an allergic reaction to amoxicillin. In many cases, the allergic reaction is mild and can take the form of:

  • Itchy skin rash
  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Mild allergic reactions can usually be treated by taking medications

Precautions

Some medications are not well combined with amoxicillin. Consult a doctor before taking amoxicillin medicine with other medications:

  • Methotrexate
  • A blood thinner called warfarin
  • Gout medicines called probenecid and allopurinol
  • Other antibiotics

Mixing amoxicillin with herbal remedies and supplements:

There are no known issues with the use of herbal remedies and supplements along with amoxicillin.


Amoxicillin Dosage

Dosage is taken as directed by the physician. Dosing Recommendations for Adults and children > 3 Months.

Infection Severity Usual Adult Dose Usual Dose for Children > 3 Months
Ear / Nose / Throat Skin / Skin Structure Genitourinary Tract Mild / Moderate 500 mg every 12 hours or 250 mg every 8 hours 20 mg per kg per day in divided doses every 8 hours
Ear / Nose / Throat Skin / Skin Structure Genitourinary Tract Severe 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours 45 mg per kg per day in divided doses every 12 hours
Lower Respiratory Tract Mild / Moderate or Severe 875 mg every 12 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours 40 mg per kg per day in divided doses every 8 hours

Overdose

Don’t overdose on medication for fast recovery it can cause liver damage. If you overdose on medication, seek emergency medical attention. Symptoms of overdose of medication may include the following:

Missed Dose

If you have missed any doses as prescribed, please take it as soon as possible. Skip the missed dose if time is for the next scheduled dose. Don’t double the medication to make up for the missed one.

  • Cloudy or bloody urine
  • Decreased urination
  • Swelling of any part of the body
  • Confusion
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

Amoxicillin Storage

tore at room temperature (10-30°C)

NOTE: These side effects may vary from one to one.


Citations

Amoxicillin/Clavulanic Acid https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00003495-199039020-00008
Synergistic effect of amoxicillin and cefotaxime against Enterococcus faecalis https://aac.asm.org/content/39/9/1984.short
Amoxicillin https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/abs/10.7326/0003-4819-90-3-356

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Frequently Asked Questions

Amoxicillin is used for?

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic drug. It is used to treat bacterial infections, such as pneumonia, dental abscesses, and urinary tract infections. It is used in children frequently to treat otitis and thoracic infections.

What are the side effects of Amoxicillin?

These are some side effects of Amoxicillin:

  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Stomach upset
  • Abnormal taste sense
  • Skin rash
  • Vaginal yeast infection

Can Amoxicillin cause acid reflux?

In most cases, this is not a serious medical condition. A common side effect of amoxicillin is stomach discomfort. Less common symptoms are stomach pain and vomiting. Taking amoxicillin with food can help to prevent this side effect.

Are amoxicillin and azithromycin the same?

The two medicines are used to treat bacterial infections in adults and children. Azithromycin is in the macrolide category, whereas amoxicillin is in the penicillin category.

Can amoxicillin treat a cough?

Yes, Amoxicillin is generally prescribed for common lower respiratory tract infections like cough and bronchitis.

Can amoxicillin and azithromycin be taken together?

No interaction was found in amoxicillin and azithromycin combination. This doesn’t mean there will not be any interaction by taking this combination. Anyways, consult your doctor before taking this combination.

Can amoxicillin treat pelvic inflammatory disease?

Yes, amoxicillin treats pelvic inflammatory disease. Amoxicillin compared with a combination of aminopenicillin, aminoglycoside, and metronidazole is used to treat pelvic inflammatory disease.

Can amoxicillin treat a fever?

Yes, Amoxicillin is used to treat fever, but it depends on what is causing the fever? If fever is caused by a bacterial infection and not by a virus. The bacteria you are infected with are sensitive to amoxicillin. Then it would probably clear up your fever as it killed off bacteria from the system. It is not like aspirin or acetaminophen, though it just lowers the fever.

Can amoxicillin and doxycycline be taken together?

No interaction was found in amoxicillin and doxycycline combination. This doesn’t mean there will not be any interaction by taking this combination. Anyways, consult your doctor before taking this combination.

Can amoxicillin treat a cold?

Amoxicillin does not treat viral infections like colds and flu. Do not share this medication with anyone else, even if they experience the same symptoms as you.


Disclaimer: The information provided herein is accurate, updated and complete as per the best practices of the Company. Please note that this information should not be treated as a replacement for physical medical consultation or advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy and the completeness of the information so provided. The absence of any information and/or warning to any drug shall not be considered and assumed as an implied assurance of the Company. We do not take any responsibility for the consequences arising out of the aforementioned information and strongly recommend you for a physical consultation in case of any queries or doubts.