Drug treatments are specifically tailored to treat a variety of physical conditions. To medical experts drugs are not such difficult subjects to identify and understand but for lay people, a lot of questions need to be asked and personal effort exercised to know what they are and how they work. Amoxicillin is only one of them and for many of us the question to ask should be: What is Amoxicillin and what are its main features? Let’s find out.

 What is amoxicillin?

To put it simply, amoxicillin is a well-known and extensively used penicillin antibiotic that’s used to fight bacteria. Because of this ability, it has been used to treat a variety of infections caused by bacteria.

Some of these infections include tonsillitis, pneumonia and bronchitis as well as ear, skin, urinary tract, nose and throat infections.

Sometimes the antibiotic treatment is also used in combination with another biotic called clarithromycin (Biaxin) for the treatment of stomach ulcers which have been caused by helicobacter pylori infection.

In order to reduce the acidity of the stomach when the two antibiotics are combined, an acid reducer known as Iansoprazole (Prevacid) is used.

Today, there are numerous types and brands of amoxicillin available on the market so it stands to reason that the brands and types of amoxicillin seen here are not exhaustive.

Highly pertinent information

It’s always a wise move to know as much information as possible on amoxicillin and any other drug treatment for that matter.

You should know, for instance, whether or not you are allergic to amoxicillin or any other penicillin related antibiotic and there are many.

They include ampicillin (Omnipen, Prinipen), penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), and others.

You should talk with your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporins such as Omicef, Cefzil, Ceftin, Keflex and others.

Tell him/her if you are infected with asthma, kidney or liver disease, mononucleosis (“mono”), blood clotting, bleeding disorder and any other form of allergy.

Amoxicillin will interfere with the proper functioning of birth control pills and can render them less effective.

Discuss with your doctor about the use of a non-hormone birth control method such as spermicide, condom or diaphragm, to guard against pregnancy while taking the medicine.

 Once you take the medication, make sure you continue taking it for the entire prescribed period. Also note that amoxicillin won’t treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

You may not share the medication with anyone else, even if your symptoms are similar to the theirs.

It’s most likely that while you are taking amoxicillin or within a few months after the end of your treatment, you’ll experience attacks of diarrhea. This could mean that a new infection has appeared.

You should note that if the diarrhea is bloody and watery, stop taking your medication at once and call your doctor to tell him what is happening. You must not use anti-diarrhea medicine of your own volition unless your doctor tells you to.

Before you actually take amoxicillin

Personal allergy to all types of penicillin antibiotic treatment is a red light against using amoxicillin.

As already mentioned earlier, if you are allergic to ampilcillin, dicloxcillin, oxacillin, penicillin or ticarcillin, you should not take amoxicillin.

You should go further and make sure that the medicine is safe for you by telling your doctor if you have:

• food or drug allergies particularly cephalosporing antibiotic such as Ceftin Keflex Omnicef, Cefzil, , and others;
• mononucleosis or “mono”;
• diarrhea as a result of your taking antibiotics or
• Kidney disease.

There’s no available evidence to show that the medicine will harm a fetus in the womb but you should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

It’s known that amoxicillin can make birth control pills work less effectively. Ask your doctor if you can use a non-hormonal birth control such as a condom, cervical cap, contraceptive sponge or diaphragm of preventing pregnancy.

Ask your doctor about breastfeeding while you are taking amoxicillin to know whether or not it can be a risk.

How to take amoxicillin

The best way to take the medicine is exactly as prescribed for you by your doctor. You need to follow all the instructions written on the prescription label and also read all the guidelines provided for you on the instruction sheet.

You should take your amoxicillin medication at the same time every day.

Some types of amoxicillin can be taken with or without food. You can make sure about this by checking the label of your medicine which will instruct you to take your medicine with or without food.

Before taking your medicine you should shake the oral suspension (liquid) medicine before you pour and measure your dose.

You should use the dosing syringe provided for measuring the liquid medicine. Alternatively you can use the dose-measuring device (not just any kitchen spoon).

You can mix the liquid medicine with water, fruit juice, milk, baby formula or ginger ale. Drink all the mixture you’ve concocted straight away without leaving any of it so you can use later.

The should chew the chewable amoxicillin tablet before you swallow.

However, do not chew, crush or break the regular tablet but swallow it whole.

If you are taking amoxicillin for treating stomach ulcer in combination with clarithromycin and/or lansoprazole, you must strictly use all of your treatment as directed.

Carefully read the medication guide or patients instructions provided with every medication and don’t change your doses and medication schedule without advice from your doctor.

If your symptoms happen to improve very quickly, you still have to use your medication for the prescribed length of time. You should make sure you don’t skip your doses to prevent an increased risk of infection.

If you do, the infecting bacteria may develop a resistance to the medication. Again for good measure, you should note that amoxicillin will not cure viral infections such as the flu or the common cold.

Last but not least

You should refrain from sharing your medication with another person, not even if their symptoms are similar to yours.

Medical test results can be affected by taking amoxicillin so tell your doctor that you are taking the medication.

For storing your medication, do so at room temperature distanced from moisture, heat and light. You can store liquid amoxicillin mixed at the pharmacy in the fridge if it’s not used within 14 days. Don’t allow the mixture to become frozen.

Conclusion

One of the most important things about medication such as amoxicillin is that of precisely following the directions provided by your doctor and of course it’s essential to follow such directions. Apart from this essential action on your part, the need to really know the pertinent features of the medication is just as crucial and the article has provided such information so that when you take your medicine, you already know what amoxicillin is the pertinent information about it.