Amoxicillin Clavulanate

What is amoxicillin clavulanate?

The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid is used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria, including infections of the ears, lungs, sinus, skin, and urinary tract. Amoxicillin is in a class of medications called penicillin-like antibiotics. It works by stopping the growth of bacteria. Clavulanic acid is in a class of medications called beta-lactamase inhibitors. It works by preventing bacteria from destroying amoxicillin.

Antibiotics will not work for colds, flu, or other viral infections. Using antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.

How should this medicine be used?

The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid comes as a tablet, a chewable tablet, and a suspension (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken with a meal or snack every 8 hours (three times a day) or every 12 hours (twice a day). To help you remember to take amoxicillin and clavulanate, take it around the same times every day. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Take amoxicillin and clavulanic acid exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Shake the liquid well before each use to mix the medication evenly.

The chewable tablets should be chewed thoroughly before they are swallowed.

You should begin to feel better during the first few days of treatment with amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, call your doctor.

If you are taking the suspension, do not use a household spoon to measure your dose. Use a properly marked measuring device such as a medicine spoon or oral syringe. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need help getting or using a measuring device.

Take amoxicillin and clavulanic acid until you finish the prescription, even if you feel better. If you stop taking amoxicillin and clavulanic too soon, or skip doses, your infection may not be completely treated and the bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics.

What special precautions should I follow?

Before taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, penicillin, cephalosporins, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in amoxicillin and clavulanic acid tablet, chewable tablet, and oral suspension. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• You should know that amoxicillin and clavulanic acid may decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives (birth control pills). You will need to use another method of contraception to prevent pregnancy while taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Talk to your doctor about other ways to prevent pregnancy while you are taking this medication.
• tell your doctor if you have ever had any liver problems after you have previously taken amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Your doctor may tell you not to take amoxicillin and clavulanic acid.
• tell your doctor if you have mononucleosis (a virus; also called 'mono') and if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease, allergies, asthma, hay fever, or hives.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you become pregnant while taking amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, call your doctor.
• if you have phenylketonuria (PKU, an inherited condition in which a special diet must be followed to prevent damage to your brain that can cause severe intellectual disability), you should know that amoxicillin and clavulanic acid chewable tablets and oral suspension are sweetened with aspartame that forms phenylalanine.

What side effects can this medication cause?

Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• diarrhea
• upset stomach
• vomiting
• vaginal itching and/or discharge

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:

• watery or bloody stools, stomach cramps, or fever during treatment or for up to two or more months after stopping treatment
• severe vomiting that may occur 1 to 4 hours after you take amoxicillin and clavulanic acid
• rash
• itching
• hives
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, and eyes
• wheezing
• peeling, blistering, or shedding skin
• a return of fever, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection
• yellowing of the skin or eyes, pain or discomfort in right upper stomach area, fatigue, loss of appetite, bleeding or bruising more easily than normal, or dark urine

Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online (https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call the poison control helpline at 1-800-222-1222. Information is also available online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. If the victim has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can't be awakened, immediately call emergency services at 911.

Symptoms of overdose may include the following:

• cloudy or bloody urine
• decreased urination

🔗 Reference: https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a685024.html