Amoxicillin is one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics in the UK. It treats bacterial infections and does nothing whatsoever for viral ones — which is why you will not be given it for an ordinary cold, however unwell you feel.
Chest infections including some pneumonias, ear infections, sinus infections, dental abscesses, urinary tract infections and some skin infections. It is also used, alongside other medicines, to eradicate Helicobacter pylori in the stomach.
It is prescribed only where a bacterial infection is likely. Taking antibiotics for viral illnesses gives you the side effects with none of the benefit and contributes to resistance.
Take the dose exactly as prescribed, spaced evenly through the day — usually every eight hours for a three-times-daily course. Even spacing keeps the level in your body steady.
It can be taken with or without food. Capsules are swallowed whole with water. Liquid should be shaken and measured with the syringe or spoon provided, and usually stored in the fridge — check the label.
Finish the whole course even if you feel better after a couple of days, unless a healthcare professional tells you to stop. Do not save leftovers for next time and never take someone else’s antibiotics.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless the next is nearly due. Do not double up.
The common ones are nausea, diarrhoea and a skin rash. Taking it with food can help with nausea.
Get medical help urgently for:
A great many people are labelled penicillin-allergic on the basis of childhood sickness or diarrhoea, which are side effects rather than allergy. That label then rules out the best antibiotic for them for the rest of their life.
A genuine allergy usually involves an itchy raised rash (hives), swelling, wheezing or breathing difficulty, typically within an hour of a dose. Sickness, diarrhoea, thrush or a mild flat rash are usually not allergy.
If you carry a penicillin allergy label and are not sure where it came from, it is worth raising with your GP — it can often be reviewed or formally tested.
Amoxicillin can be used in pregnancy and while breastfeeding where indicated. Tell your prescriber if you take methotrexate, warfarin, allopurinol, or the contraceptive pill — antibiotics do not generally reduce pill effectiveness, but sickness or diarrhoea while ill can.
Thrush is a common after-effect, since antibiotics disturb normal bacteria. Come and ask us if that happens.
Alcohol does not interact with amoxicillin, though it will not help you feel better.
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