Details

Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria. Amoxicillin is used to treat many different types of infection caused by bacteria, such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, gonorrhoea, and infections of the ear, nose, throat, skin, or urinary tract. Amoxicillin is also sometimes used together with another antibiotic called clarithromycin (Biaxin) to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. This combination is sometimes used with a stomach acid reducer called lansoprazole. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin, dicloxacillin, oxacillin, penicillin and more.

Typical Uses

Amoxicillin is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. This medication is a penicillin-type antibiotic. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (such as common cold, flu). Unnecessary use or misuse of any antibiotic can lead to its decreased effectiveness. This drug may also be used by people with certain heart problems (such as heart valve disease) before medical/dental procedures (such as tooth/gum procedures) to prevent heart infection. Before taking amoxicillin, it’s better to tell your doctor if you have asthma, liver or kidney disease, a history of diarrhoea caused by taking antibiotics or food or drug allergies.

Side Effects

Amoxicillin has certain side effects such as fungal infections, severe allergic reactions, joint pain, or general ill feeling, severe tingling, sleeplessness, numbness and pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, antibiotic-associated colitis, black hairy tongue and intestinal bleeding, anaphylactic shock, redness of skin, skin inflammation, hives, inflammation of blood vessels, itching, severe blistering and peeling, jaundice and liver inflammation, crystals in urine, dark coloured urine and vaginal itching or discharge, anaemia, decrease in white blood cells, platelets, increase in eosinophils and bruising, reversible hyperactivity, agitation, anxiety, sleeplessness, confusion, convulsions, behavioural changes and dizziness, tooth discoloration, hear burn, white patches or sores inside mouth or on lips, easy bruising and bleeding.

Drug Interactions

• Amoxicillin+methotrexate- Talk to your doctor before using methotrexate together with amoxicillin. Medications like amoxicillin, especially when given at high dosages for serious infections, can sometimes increase the blood levels and effects of methotrexate. You may have increased side effects such as nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, and low blood cell counts, which can make you more likely to develop anaemia, bleeding problems, and infections.

• Amoxicillin+anisindione- Using anisindione together with amoxicillin may increase the risk of bleeding, especially if you are elderly or have kidney or liver impairment. You may need more frequent monitoring of your prothrombin time.

• Amoxicillin+balsalazide- Talk to your doctor before using balsalazide together with amoxicillin. Antibiotics like amoxicillin may reduce the effectiveness of balsalazide when taken orally. Your doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives that do not interact, or you may need a dose adjustment or more frequent monitoring by your doctor to safely use both medications.

• Amoxicillin+demeclocycline- Talk to your doctor before using demeclocycline together with amoxicillin. Combining these medications may reduce the effectiveness of amoxicillin.

• Amoxicillin+pemetrexed- Amoxicillin may increase the blood levels and effects of pemetrexed. You may be more likely to develop serious side effects such as anaemia, bleeding problems, infections, and nerve damage when these medications are used together.

Mechanism of action

Amoxicillin belongs to a class of antibiotics called penicillin. Other members of this class include ampicillin, piperacillin, ticarcillin and several others. These antibiotics all have a similar mechanism of action. They do not directly kill bacteria, but they stop bacteria from multiplying by preventing bacteria from forming the walls that surround them. The walls are necessary to protect bacteria from their environment and to keep the contents of the bacterial cell together. Bacteria cannot survive without a cell wall.

Pregnancy Category : B

Medicine that Uses Amoxicillin