Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic that fights bacteria. Amoxicillin is used to treat many different types of infection caused by bacteria, such as tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and infections of the ear, nose, throat, skin, or urinary tract.

Amoxicillin is also sometimes used together with another antibiotic called clarithromycin (Biaxin) to treat stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori infection. This combination is sometimes used with a stomach acid reducer called lansoprazole (Prevacid).

There are many brands and forms of amoxicillin available and not all brands are listed on this leaflet.

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to amoxicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin (Omnipen, Principen), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids), and others.

Before using amoxicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporins such as Omnicef, Cefzil, Ceftin, Keflex, and others. Also tell your doctor if you have asthma, liver or kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, mononucleosis (also called "mono"), or any type of allergy.

Amoxicillin can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormone method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while taking this medicine. Take this medication for the full prescribed length of time. Your symptoms may improve before the infection is completely cleared. Amoxicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not share this medication with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea. This may happen while you are taking amoxicillin, or within a few months after you stop taking it. This may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, stop taking this medicine and call your doctor. Do not use anti-diarrhea medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

Amoxicillin comes as a capsule, a tablet, a chewable tablet, and as a suspension (liquid) to take by mouth. It is usually taken every 12 hours (twice a day) or every 8 hours (three times a day) with or without food. The length of your treatment depends on the type of infection that you have. Take amoxicillin at 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 exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor.

Shake the suspension well before each use to mix the medication evenly. The suspension may be placed directly on the child's tongue or added to formula, milk, fruit juice, water, ginger ale, or another cold liquid and taken immediately.

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

Swallow the tablets and capsules whole with a full glass of water; do not chew or crush them.

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

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

Take amoxicillin exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.

Take amoxicillin at the same time each day.

Some forms of amoxicillin may be taken with or without food. Check your medicine label to see if you should take your mediicne with food or not.

Shake the oral suspension (liquid) before you measure a dose.

Measure liquid medicine with the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon). You may mix the liquid with water, milk, baby formula, fruit juice, or ginger ale. Drink all of the mixture right away. Do not save for later use.

You must chew the chewable tablet before you swallow it.

Swallow the regular tablet whole and do not crush, chew, or break it.

You will need frequent medical tests.

If you are taking amoxicillin with clarithromycin and/or lansoprazole to treat stomach ulcer, use all of your medications as directed. Read the medication guide or patient instructions provided with each medication. Do not change your doses or medication schedule without your doctor's advice.

Use this medicine for the full prescribed length of time, even if your symptoms quickly improve. Skipping doses can increase your risk of infection that is resistant to medication. Amoxicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the flu or a common cold.

Do not share this medicine with another person, even if they have the same symptoms you have.

This medicine can affect the results of certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using this medicine .

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

You may store liquid amoxicillin in a refrigerator but do not allow it to freeze. Throw away any liquid mediicne that is not used within 14 days after it was mixed at the pharmacy.

You should not use amoxicillin if you are allergic to any penicillin antibiotic, such as ampicillin, dicloxacillin, oxacillin, penicillin, or ticarcillin.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• kidney disease;

• mononucleosis (also called "mono");

• diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics; or

• food or drug allergies (especially to a cephalosporin antibiotic such as Omnicef, Cefzil, Ceftin, Keflex, and others).

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

Amoxicillin can make birth control pills less effective. Ask your doctor about using a non-hormonal birth control (condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, or contraceptive sponge) to prevent pregnancy.

It may not be safe to breastfeed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk.

Skip the missed dose and use your next dose at the regular time. Do not use two doses at one time.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store the capsules and tablets at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture (not in the bathroom). The liquid medication preferably should be kept in the refrigerator, but it may be stored at room temperature. Do not freeze. Dispose of any unused liquid medication after 14 days.

It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location – one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach. http://www.upandaway.org

Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA's Safe Disposal of Medicines website (http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p) for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or bloody, call your doctor before using anti-diarrhea medicine.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to amoxicillin (hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat) or a severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling).

Call your doctor at once if you have:

• severe stomach pain; or

• diarrhea that is watery or bloody (even if it occurs months after your last dose).

Common amoxicillin side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; or

• rash.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all your other medicines, especially:

• any other antibiotics;

• allopurinol;

• probenecid; or

• a blood thinner - warfarin, Coumadin, Jantoven.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with amoxicillin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor may order certain lab tests to check your body's response to amoxicillin.

If you are diabetic, use Clinistix or TesTape (not Clinitest) to test your urine for sugar while taking this medication.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Your prescription is probably not refillable. If you still have symptoms of infection after you finish the amoxicillin, call your doctor.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

You should start to feel better within a few days of taking amoxicillin.

Tell your doctor if you don’t feel better after three days of using amoxicillin or if you feel worse at any time.

It’s important that you keep taking this medicine for as long as your doctor tells you to do so. Don’t stop using amoxicillin, even if your symptoms improve.

Your dosage will depend on your medical condition, your age, your weight, and other factors.

Amoxicillin is used to treat a wide variety of infections. Your doctor may recommend it for conditions that aren’t listed in this medical guide.