Amoxicillin

Drug name: Amoxicillin

Other names used:

• Actimoxi®
• Amoksibos®
• Amoxibiotic®
• Amoxicot®
• Amoxil®
• Dispermox®
• Sandoz®
• Trimox®
• Wymox®

Active Ingredients: Amoxicillin

Therapeutic actions: Amoxicillin acts by inhibiting the synthesis of bacterial cell walls. It inhibits cross-linkage between the linear peptidoglycan polymer chains that make up a major component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria.

Indications: Amoxicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin group of drugs. It fights bacteria in your body.

Amoxicillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection. 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 (Prevacid).

Contraindications and cautions: Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to. Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as:

• ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen);
• carbenicillin (Geocillin);
• dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen);
• oxacillin (Bactocill);
• penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids, and others).

Before using amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others), or if you have:

• asthma;
• liver disease;
• kidney disease;
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder;
• mononucleosis (also called "mono");
• a history of diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics;
• a history of any type of allergy.

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use amoxicillin, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.

Adverse effects: Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
• nausea, stomach pain, low fever, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• diarrhea that is watery or bloody;
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;
• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;
• urinating less than usual or not at all;
• agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior;
• seizure (black-out or convulsions).

Less serious side effects are more likely to occur, such as:

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;
• vaginal itching or discharge;
• headache;
• swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue;
• thrush (white patches or inside your mouth or throat).

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

Interactions: Before taking amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);
• probenecid (Benemid);
• a sulfa drug (such as Bactrim or Septra);
• an antibiotic such as azithromycin (Zithromax), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., E-Mycin, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), telithromycin (Ketek), or troleandomycin (Tao);
• a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap).

If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to use amoxicillin, or you may need dosage adjustments or special tests during treatment.

There may be other drugs not listed that can affect amoxicillin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

Additional Information: DO NOT SHARE THIS MEDICINE with others. DO NOT USE THIS MEDICINE for other health conditions. KEEP THIS PRODUCT, as well as syringes and needles, if needed during treatment, out of the reach of children. Do not reuse needles, syringes, or other materials.