by Jennifer Kirkman

Created on: May 18, 2010   Last Updated: May 19, 2010

Amoxicillin is a type of penicillin antibiotic that treats a wide range of bacterial infections from urinary tract infections, to E.coli. ear infections, and others determined by your doctor. Your doctor may use just this antibiotic alone, or add another antibiotic depending on which illnesses you are having. Amoxicillin will not touch any viral illnesses and will cure only those that involve bacterias.

Your treating doctor should have your medical history noted. If you have certain medical conditions such as kidney disease, liver problems, or asthma, you may not be able to take Amoxicillin safely. If you also have problems with blood clotting disorders, or types of penicillin allergy, you won't be able to take this medication.

Many people are allergic to penicillin drugs sometimes. If you take a penicillin drug such as this one or any others, and experience hive breakout, tongue swelling, and trouble breathing, you will need to seek emergency treatment at once since these are signs of allergy.

It is very important that you also take Amoxicillin a it is directed on the label. Take the medicine with plenty of water, and not with juices. Juices are likely to greatly decrease the effect of this antibiotic.

You should also finish the medication completely and not stop taking it just because you are feeling better. When people do this, they often experience a relapse of their infection. You can either take Amoxcillin with your meal or not since that doesn't make a difference.

Sometimes penicillin antibiotics can lessen the effectiveness of your birth control pills. Keep this fact in mind if you are currently using any form of birth control.

Amoxicillin should be okay to take during a pregnancy. However, this medicine may pass into breast-milk of nursing moms and cause harm to the baby. Tell your doctor if you are nursing before they prescribe Amoxicillin or any other penicillin type of drug.

One of the most common side effects of Amoxicillin or any other antibiotic is diarrhea and nausea. Children that have cystic fibrosis are even more sensitive to these effects.

Other side effects may be a coated tongue, bruising or bleeding easily, feeling confused or agitated, possible depression, and a reduction in white blood cell counts. The white blood cell count reduction is more likely to occur if you take this medicine for an extended period of time. A rare side effect can also be jaundice.

Article source:

The Pill Book 8th Edition
Rxlist.com

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