Guide To Amoxicillin

Precautions To Remember

Patients should let their doctor know if they have asthma, liver disease, kidney disease, or mononucleosis, and the doctor will also need to know about any allergies the patient has to other penicillin antibiotics or cephalosporins. The doctor will use this information to decide if it is safe for the patient to take amoxicillin. Since amoxicillin may reduce the effectiveness of some hormonal birth control medicines, patients who use these will need to check with their healthcare provider about using a non-hormonal form of birth control while on amoxicillin. Chewable amoxicillin tablets could contain phenylalanine, and patients with phenylketonuria should not use this form. Amoxicillin needs to be taken at the same time each day, and some brands of the drug need to be taken with food. Individuals who use the extended-release type of amoxicillin should ensure they swallow the tablet whole, as crushing, chewing, or breaking the tablet will impair its effectiveness. Alcohol consumption while taking amoxicillin is currently considered safe, and it has not been shown to impact the effectiveness of this antibiotic. Long-term use of amoxicillin may necessitate frequent blood tests to check the patient's liver and kidney function. Amoxicillin can affect the results of some lab tests, so patients should inform all of their doctors they are taking it. In particular, diabetes patients should be aware amoxicillin can affect the results of urinary tests for blood sugar. To reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance, patients should take the full course of amoxicillin they have been prescribed, even if they start to feel better after a few days.

Learn about the potential side effects of amoxicillin next.