Amoxicillin

What is amoxicillin?

Amoxicillin belongs to a group of penicillin drugs. It is an antibiotic meant to fight bacteria and treat such infections as pneumonia, bladder infections, E. coli, ear infections, gonorrhea and salmonella infection. In some cases, being coupled with such antibiotic as Biaxin (clarithromycin), amoxicillin is effective for treating stomach ulcers that were provoked by Helicobacter pylori infection.

What is the most important information I should know about amoxicillin?

You shouldn’t use amoxicillin in case you have an allergic reaction to it or to any other antibiotic belonging to a penicillin group of drugs like carbenicillin (Geocillin), oxacillin (Bactocill), dicloxacillin (Dynapen, Dycill), penicillin (Pen-Vee K), V-Cilin K, Beepen-VK, Pen-V, Pfizerpen, Veetids, Ledelcillin and others).

If you are allergic to cephalosporins like Ceftin, Keflex, Duricef and Ceclor, you should inform your health care provider beforehand. You should also consult with your doctor if you have any type of allergy, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, liver disease, asthma, kidney disease or mononucleosis.

Keep in mind that amoxicillin may reduce the efficiency of birth control tablets, so you should discuss it with your doctor before starting treatment. It is important that you follow your dosage schedule and continue to take the drug for the entire length of time which was prescribed to you. Remember that eliminating the symptoms of infection doesn’t mean that the infection is treated completely.

Amoxicillin isn’t meant to treat viral infections like flu and cold.

In some cases antibiotics lead to diarrhea which is a sigh of a new infection. If you suffer from diarrhea which has blood in it or is watery, you should contact your health care provider immediately. Avoid taking any drug for diarrhea, unless you doctor recommended it for you.
Never share your drug with other people, even if they detected the same symptoms as you did.

FDA pregnancy category B. Amoxicillin is unlikely to have a negative impact on an unborn baby. Inform your health care provider if you are pregnant and need to take amoxicillin. The medication appears in breast milk and may be harmful for a nursing baby, so you should avoid using it while you are breastfeeding.

How should I take amoxicillin?

Never change your dose or dosage schedule without consulting with your doctor first. The drug can be used with or without food. Before measuring a dose you should shake the oral suspension. Use a medical cup or a marked measuring spoon to make sure you take the correct dose.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Use the dose you missed as soon as you remember. Do not take a double dose to catch up.

What happens if I overdose?

The common overdose symptoms include behavior changes, seizure, confusion, a severe skin rash and urinating less than usual. Seek emergency medical help if one of these side effects is detected.