Amoxicillin is commonly used for the treatment of a broad range of bacterial infections. This widespread type of medication is based on the antibiotic belonging to the category of penicillin-based drugs. It serves as a quick and efficient medication used to prevent the growth and spreading of infectious bacteria. It is worth taking into consideration that this type of antibiotic is not used for anything except for bacterial infections. It will not be effective in the treatment of viral infections including regular cold and flu among many others. Besides, it needs to be considered that the usage of any type of antibiotic, when it is unnecessary, may lead to its future inefficiency in managing various other conditions, so it is better to be cautious about the instances when Amoxil is used.
What Diseases Does Amoxil Treat?
There is a wide range of diseases managed and treated with the use of Amoxil. As mentioned earlier, it majorly works by preventing infectious bacteria from spreading all over your body, thus, killing them during the days of treatment. Amoxicillin cannot treat those diseases that were caused by viruses, while in a combination with several other medications this drug can be utilized for treatment of certain stomach-related health conditions, such as ulcers. As an antibiotic, Amoxil is used for the management of the following conditions in the majority of cases:
- Ear infections;
- Genital and urinary tract infections;
- Bronchitis;
- Pneumonia;
- A number of skin infections, including those caused by Streptococcus bacteria;
- Throat infections such as tonsillitis and others.
Although Amoxil is used for managing various types of infections and related conditions, patients are advised to always tell their doctors about their present state of health before they start taking any drugs. This will ensure that your doctor prescribes exactly the kind of medication that will bring maximum benefit and turn out to be effective in your particular case. Judging from the fact that this is an antibiotic based on penicillin, it is worth considering the threat of antibiotic resistance, so there is a need to undergo preliminary consultation with a professional physician in order to find out whether you are susceptible to this kind of adverse reaction.
Peculiarities of Usage: What Every Patient Needs to Learn Before Using Amoxil
Before taking any medication, there is a need to learn more about the peculiarities of usage as well as the characteristics of the given drug. Amoxil is taken orally with or without food and according to the prescriptions of your doctor. As a rule, doctors prescribe this medication to be used every 8-12 hours. As for the dosage, it may vary in each and every case depending on one’s health condition and the efficiency of response to the given treatment.
One more recommendation is to drink enough water in the course of treatment, as prescribed by the physician and in case your doctor does not give opposite directions. In order to achieve the maximum effect, the antibiotic needs to be taken at equally spaced intervals of time – this will ensure that your treatment is productive and brings maximum benefit. In order to help you remember the timing at which the drug needs to be taken, you may take this medicine at the same time day after day.
You need to continue taking the medication up until the entire amount comes to an end according to your prescription obtained from the physician, even if the symptoms have seemingly vanished after several days of usage. In case you stop taking the drug too early, it may facilitate the spread of infection so that all the symptoms may return after a while. In case your state of health worsens without a reason, you need to tell your physician about it and let them know that the medication you are taking is not effective.
Warnings and Precautions: Possible Side Effects
Before initiating any treatment, there is a need to find out the possible side effects of this or that medication you are going to use. Some of the side effects peculiar to Amoxil, in particular, could be more widespread, while others are not so common, but still possible and sometimes severe. The most important issue for physicians is to check whether or not their patient has an allergy to a particular drug, while in our case there is a need to find out whether a person is allergic to such antibiotic as penicillin because such reaction as anaphylactic shock could result in lethal outcomes.
The most common side effect of Amoxil is an allergy, which can take different forms, and its signs and symptoms usually include the following conditions:
- Rash and itchiness;
- Breathing-related problems;
- Spots emerging all over the patient’s skin;
- Face swelling or throat abnormalities;
- Chest tightness, etc.
Anyone who has noticed one or several of the above symptoms needs to address the problem by seeking immediate medical help.
The rest of the most common side effects when taking Amoxil include upset stomach, vomiting, candidiasis, swollen tongue, fatigue and others. It is worth noting that these symptoms are experienced by up to 10 percent of all patients, so the probability of acquiring these conditions is not so high, but still possible. Overall, most of the side effects are similar to those experienced during intoxication or poisoning, but there is a range of less common effects as well. All of them require immediate medical help. It is necessary to mention that these are not all the side effects that may occur while taking this medication. In case you notice any abnormalities, consult your doctor immediately.
Other Precautions
Even though Amoxil is successfully used for the treatment of various infections caused by bacteria, patients need to be aware of the fact that repeated usage of the same drug could decrease the effectiveness of this medication and result in insufficiently positive outcomes of treatment. All this is explained by the ever-increasing tendency towards the growth of antibiotic resistance. In this case, an excessive use of the particular drug may reduce the effectiveness of the therapy. Therefore, physicians need to make sure that their patient’s health condition was provoked by bacteria before prescribing Amoxil.