Amoxicillin 500 is one of the most popular and effective antibacterial bactericidal drugs. With its help, bacterial infections have been successfully treated for 46 years. The active ingredient irreversibly destroys the cell of harmful bacteria. As a result, the growth of pathogenic microflora slows down, which leads to the rapid death of pathogens.
This antibiotic was developed in 1972 by specialists from the British company Beecham. It is still relevant these days. According to the WHO, amoxicillin is included in the list of drugs that have a positive attitude towards the health care system.
Release form and composition
Pharmacies present amoxicillin in tablets and capsules of 250 and 500 mg. Oblong tablets are coated with a yellowish-white protective coating. Each tablet has a convenient dosage notch on each side.
The main active ingredient is amicillin trihydrate. The key excipient component is magnesium stearate, polyvidone, sodium starch glycolate and microcrystalline cellulose. The film wafer consists of titanium dioxide, talc and hypromellose.
Indications for use
A broad-spectrum antibiotic helps to get rid of various infections that affect various organs and systems. Typically, doctors recommend this drug for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by the development of streptococci. Among the most common diseases of this origin:
- infections of the upper respiratory tract and ENT organs (otitis media, sinusitis, tonsillitis, frontal sinusitis);
- bacterial diseases of the lower respiratory tract (community-acquired pneumonia, acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis, which has passed into the acute stage);
- diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract (cystitis, pyelonephritis);
- intestinal infections (enteritis, colitis);
- infectious lesions of the skin and soft tissues (phlegmon, abscess, erysipelas);
Method of administration and dosage
The attending physician prescribes the optimal therapeutic dose. Self-medication is very dangerous, since the infection requires a special regimen of the drug. The maximum daily amount of the drug is 3 g.
The instructions for the use of amoxicillin say that adult patients, as well as children over 10 years old and weighing more than 40 kg, can take no more than 250-500 mg once. Typically, the antibiotic is taken three times a day at eight hour intervals. For successful treatment, an established therapeutic regimen is required, without lengthening or shortening the interval. This will maintain the optimal concentration of the antimicrobial agent in the body.
A small patient 5-10 years old can be prescribed no more than 250 mg of the drug three times a day, the recommended dose for babies 2-5 years old is 125 mg. For infants, a daily dosage is set in accordance with body weight: at the rate of 20 mg per kilogram. This amount of the drug should be divided into three servings.
The standard course of antibiotic therapy is usually no more than 5-14 days. With a complex course of the disease, the dose is sometimes increased to 1000 mg.
Taking pills may not be a good habitual diet. Doctors allow you to drink the antibiotic both before meals and after breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is recommended to drink the preparation with alkaline mineral water or milk, while there should be a sufficient amount of liquid. The tablet is best swallowed whole, but in some cases it can be cut into pieces or crumbled.
The main benefits of amoxicillin
Unlike similar drugs, for example, from ampicillin and benzopenicillin, Amoxicillin tablets are absorbed into the blood faster. As a result, a periodical activation of the active component is achieved in a short period of time. Patients do not need to take their medicine frequently, which also saves money.
Another useful property found as a result of the use of Amoxicillin is resistance to the effects of gastric juice. This makes the antibiotic well suited for oral use.
Amoxicillin 500: instructions for use of the drug for treatment and prevention
It is strictly forbidden to independently determine the dosage for antibiotic treatment. To exclude possible side effects, it is necessary to carefully study the instructions for use of Amoxicillin tablets. As a rule, the recommended duration of the course is clearly indicated in the instructions for Amoxicillin 500. If all the conditions are met, relief does not occur, it is necessary to consult your doctor for correction of antibiotic therapy.
It is not recommended to exceed the prescribed period of treatment, according to the instructions for Amoxicillin 500. This is fraught with the development of resistance to the antibiotic and a decrease in its effectiveness. A second course of treatment with Amoxicillin 500 according to the instructions is possible only after a few months. To eliminate the likelihood of resistance, the drug should be combined (alternated) with other antibiotic options.
When you shouldn’t take this drug?
The instructions for the use of Amoxicillin indicate that it is a relatively safe antibiotic with few contraindications. Nevertheless, it should be completely abandoned with an individual intolerance to the main active ingredient. Hypersensitivity to the components of the drug often manifests itself as an allergic reaction. Allergies can be relatively harmless, like hives, but they can also cause Quincke’s edema and anaphylactic shock.
According to the instructions for the use of Amoxicillin, other contraindications include complex liver and kidney dysfunctions, phenylketonuria, acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Sometimes, while taking the drug, abdominal pain occurs, frequent urge to defecate begins to disturb, watery stools with blood appear and the temperature rises. These symptoms may indicate pseudomembranous colitis. In this case, it is necessary to stop treatment with the specified antibiotic as soon as possible.
Amoxicillin in the form of tablets is not prescribed for children under three years of age (it is better to use a suspension). Also, the drug is not recommended for nursing mothers. The fact is that the drug easily penetrates into breast milk and can provoke allergies and a violation of the intestinal microflora.
Therapy during pregnancy and lactation
Instructions for the use of amoxicillin 500 does not prohibit treatment with this drug during gestation, but extreme caution should be exercised. An antibiotic is allowed to be used during pregnancy if the intended benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. The doctor may prescribe this antibacterial drug if the expectant mother begins to develop acute sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis or pneumonia. Also among the indications are cystitis and pyelonephritis.
It is highly discouraged to take amoxicillin while breastfeeding.
Amoxicillin: instructions for use for adults
Despite the minimum number of contraindications, the instructions for the use of Amoxicillin for adults indicate that this antibiotic should be used with caution. The specific dosage regimen and dosage must be agreed with the attending physician. It is not recommended to deviate from the instructions for the use of Amoxicillin for adults in order to avoid the risk of developing possible complications and side effects.
Overdose manifestations
Exceeding the maximum daily amount of the drug usually occurs with self-medication. Also, an overdose may occur in patients with infectious diseases of the liver and kidneys. This is possible if such patients undergo a traditional course of treatment intended for people without nephrological and hepatological pathologies.
In case of an overdose, the patient feels abdominal pain, and also experiences nausea and urge to vomit, diarrhea often appears. The patient may have seizures. Salt crystals are found in the urine.
If an overdose has occurred, you must stop using Amoxicillin and contact an ambulance specialist. Detoxification therapy can be performed in the hospital. The patient is given gastric lavage, activated charcoal and laxatives are given to drink. In difficult cases, hemodialysis is performed.
Interaction with other medications
The instructions for Amoxicillin indicate that it is often used as part of complex therapy. In combination with other medicines, it can affect the state of certain organs and systems of the body.
Concomitant use of amoxicillin and oral anticoagulants similar to warfarin increases the likelihood of bleeding. When an antibiotic is combined with digoxin, an overdose of both drugs often occurs.
According to the instructions for Amoxicillin, its combination with other antibiotics (tetracycline drugs, erythromycin, sulfa antimicrobial agents) reduces their effectiveness. Synchronous treatment with amoxicillin trihydrate and methotrexate increases the toxicity of the latter. This therapy seriously impairs kidney health.
A popular bactericidal drug inhibits the effect of oral contraceptives, which can lead to an unplanned pregnancy.
It must be remembered that according to the instructions, amoxicillin is incompatible with alcoholic beverages. The interaction of the antimicrobial agent with alcohol can cause an acute allergic reaction, in which a lethal outcome is possible. The toxic combination of ethyl alcohol and an antibiotic has a devastating effect on the liver and biliary tract. You can drink alcohol not earlier than 10 days after you stop taking the drug.
Will a high dose of amoxicillin stop you from getting and erection?
Hypersensitivity to this drug has been observed. One of the symptoms of hypersensitivity is hypotension, which is low blood pressure. This can make getting or maintaining an erection more difficult.
Separate recommendations for treatment
Amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, like other antibiotics, is completely useless to treat infections caused by viruses and not bacteria. Influenza also belongs to such infections. If the disease requires long-term therapy, it makes sense to combine amoxicillin with antifungal drugs.
Particular attention should be paid to the bactericidal treatment of infections in patients who have ever suffered bronchial asthma, hay fever, allergic diathesis. If the doctor has prescribed high-dose therapy, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the liver and kidneys.
If amoxicillin is used as a component of a medication course to eliminate mild diarrhea, it is prudent to refuse drugs that weaken intestinal motility. Better to use products containing kaolin or attapulgite.
Antibiotic treatment should not be stopped even 2 to 3 days after the symptoms of infection have disappeared.
Storage conditions and shelf life
The drug should be kept in a dry and dark place at a temperature not higher than + 25 ° C. Exposure to direct sunlight can destroy the main germicidal component.
The shelf life of amoxicillin is 3 years from the time of production. No need to buy expired medicine. The antibiotic should only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription.
For complete information about the drug, read the detailed instructions for amoxicillin 500, which is attached to the packaging of this drug. Our material is an accessible description of the main properties of a popular drug and does not replace a complete pharmaceutical description.