Talk:Amoxicillin

Naming

I think this is not good practice to list or create articles about brand names (proprietary names). They come and go. Besides in different countries the same drug by the same manufacturer is sold under different brand names.
There are exceptions of course we definitely should have articles about : Viagra,Valium,Prozac and possibly Rohypnol (date-rape drug ?).

Can we ask the administrators to issue the official policy on brand names of pharmaceuticals ? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 217.99.105.xxx (talk • contribs) 12:03, 12 December 2001 (UTC)

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There is not yet an official policy, but personally I don't have a problem with it. If it's a subject some people want to know about, we do our readers a disservice not to cover it just because of some misplaced concern about "commercialism". Let's face it; people won't search for "Diazepam"; they'll search for "Valium", and expect an article on it. Of course, that article should simply say that "Valium" is a trademarked brand name for Diazepam, and then desribe what Diazepam is and what it does. I think all should be treated similarly: mention the brand name and the generic name, and use the generic name in most of the text. --LDC 17:52, 12 December 2001

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I think we can create redirects from lesser known brand names to generic names pages but we should stick to generic (or better INN - international names) throughout the text of articles possibly giving brand names at the top or in brackets.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by Conversion script (talk • contribs) 16:43, 25 February 2002 (UTC)

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In the UK this stuff is sold by Almus Pharmaceuticals not GSK. And I searched for the chemical not the brand.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.3.254.86 (talk • contribs) 11:48, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Intermediate sensitivity

I removed the unsourced edit that doubling the dose also helps with intermediately sensitive organisms. Although it makes sense, such an assertion needs support from the literature before our readers start taking their tables at twice the rate :-) JFW | T@lk 08:35, 9 October 2005 (UTC)

That brings up an interesting question... I worked as a pharmacy tech, and regularly sorted amoxil to patients. I was just wondering.... if a doctor prescribed a week-long dose of amoxil (should be 10 days, but I hear 7 days is long enough), and the patient, upon reading something like that, took a double-dose, that would mean they would run out of the drug within 3 days, correct?

In that case, if the bacteria isn't susceptible, would that not cause drug resistance?

Nevermind, I seem to have answered my own question... heh. Kareeser 02:01, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

If the bacteria isn't susceptible it already is drug resistant. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.109.227.114 (talk) 13:29, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Potassium Clavulanate not Clavulanic Acid

I used to make this stuff and I know that Clavulanic Acid is never used in Amox mixes but is changed into Potassium Clavulanate (see the product pages for Augmentin at SmithKilne Beecham). The actual conversion process is :- Streptomyces clavuligerus - Clavulanic acid - Tertiary butylamine salt of Clavulanic acid (tBA) - Potassium Clavulanate. I have been correcting the pages to show the actual chemical used. Tmd63 10:59, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

• I have just checked in the British National Formulary and technicaly you are correct, however the common usage of the terms is as it appears in medical formularies and even more commonly on a doctor's prescriptions and the labels patients read on their medicine bottles. With many drugs the official names miss out on the details on the particular salt used, eg 'Erythromycin' is usally prescribed as the single word, the particular salt is not relevant to its spectrum of antibiotic activity and only rarely is it necessary to distinguish the 'stearate' from the 'ethyl succinate' forms. The correct (at least in the UK) pharmacy & medical term to use is Clavulanic acid, similary the amoxicillin used in Co-amoxiclav is prescribed just as 'Amoxicillin', yet in oral form the trihydrate is used and that for injection uses the sodium salt. To quote from the BNF, which sets out the use of terms:

"Co-amoxiclav A mixture of amoxicillin (as the trihydrate or as the sodium salt) and clavulanic acid (as potassium clavulanate)..."

• I'll therefore revert back, but add the details of the forms used to Amoxicillin, Co-amoxiclav, Clavulanic acid and Potassium Clavulanate (which incidentally is wrong in its specification of only being mixed with the trihydrate form of Amoxicillin)David Ruben ^Talk 00:13, 17 February 2006 (UTC)

Side Effects

Some side affects may include nose bleeds.

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.255.143.130 (talk • contribs). 23:07, 18 October 2006

Yeast infections are common in women who take any kind of antibiotic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Citysmile (talk • contribs) 20:07, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

Does anyone know if any work has been done around whether the Side-Effects of Amoxi' are from the Amoxicillin itself, or the colourants used in the Capsule shell? The UK 'generic' uses 5 colourants with E-Numbers, & 4 of these colours are amongst those "which the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends should be eliminated from the diet of the children it represents"*. The same four colourants are also banned from use in other countries including the US, Scandanavia & some European countries. *Quote is from 'E for Additives'.

I'm asking particularly regarding "Side effects include ... irritability, mood swings, aggressiveness and easy fatigue."

Thanks Ozoneflyer (talk) 08:54, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

>Immediate medical care is required upon the first signs of these side-effects. Of which side effects a medical care is required? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.226.26.236 (talk) 12:16, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

== On two occasions within 6 months, within 48 hours of taking Amoxycillin, my hands and feet became swollen and reddened, plus a persistent itching of my palms and soles of feet, further exacerbated by pain in the soles (inhibiting walking). Within 7 days the swelling and itching subsided; however the ensuing scaling and peeling of 2 or more layers of skin was quite uncomfortable, looked horrible and left my hands, palms and fingertips over sensitive for the next 10 days, as if in a 2d degree burn. I have now switched to Roxithromycin, after a hospital visit and blood panel. Keep hands and feet lubricated!!...Good Luck...Jeffers ==--61.7.166.83 (talk) 01:47, 26 May 2008 (UTC)

Allergies

I for one, am allergic to Amoxicillin, so if anyone knows anything about it could write about the side effects of Amoxicillin! Also, if you are allergic to Amoxicillin, does it mean that you are allergic to Penicillin, as they are related? User:219.89.32.163 08:06, 21 November 2006

Allergic reaction to Amoxicillin is no different in its symptoms or mechanism from any other drug allergy, so does not need to be repeated in each drug article. See allergy and Anaphylaxis.

Generally allergies are shared amongst related chemical structures, so yes allergy to Amoxicillin should be taken to imply allergy to all penicillins. Of course this supposes that someone reporting an allergy really has had an allergic reaction to the drug - the rash could have been from the disease itself (i.e. is a rash that develops with a sore throat promptly treated with a penicillin from the drug, or was the rash about to appear anyway as part of the disease i.e. scarlet fever). Also the reaction might have been to one of the other constituent of the medication (e.g. the colouring rather than the active Amoxicillin itself). The problem with such supposition is that it may lead one to suppose that a further "trial" exposure would help settle the scientific reproducibility test for "proof" - however whilst one exposure to the penicillin may have merely resulted in an allergic rash, subsequent exposure might rarely result in life threatening anaphylactic shock - so re-exposure testing is not worth it.

Many people report allergic reactions when what they mean is that they experienced an intolerance or a side effect, these are not the same as an immune-mediated reaction. Hence tummy upset, diarrhoea or nausea with a drug is not an allergic reaction (but reasonable reasons to try to choose an alternative drug in the future).

I have always been told that in the UK, only about 10% of people who report having an apparent allergic reaction in childhood to a penicillin are likely to really have had one. This may have to do with previous fairly indiscriminate use of antibiotics for what would now be felt to be viral illness (many of which cause a mild rash to appear) that do not warrant any treatment and the rash was not caused by the antibiotic given, or some fairly sloppy labelling (by doctors as well as patients) of any side effect/intolerance as an allergy.

If the evidence to support a possible penicillin allergy in childhood is not good (especially of course if no old past notes available) then cephalosporin group are reasonable choice. There is only a 10% cross-over sensitivity between those who have a penicillin allergy to this group, and given that only perhaps 10% of people who have a claim of penicillin allergy (without firm evidence or personal recall of events) really have such an allergy, likelihood or reaction to cephalosporin around 1% in such cases. Cephalosporins have nearly the same bacterial coverage as penicillins (especially for streptococcus, but less so for staphylococcus), otherwise use of macrolide antibiotics, but these have generally higher incidence of gastrointestinal side effects. David Ruben ^Talk 14:53, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

A further complication to add to David's excellent response is that there is a distinction between an immune-system response and a "true allergic" reaction, which is IgE-mediated. I think I'm going to add to this article specifically about "ampicillin rash" (late-developing, non-allergic), because it appears to be quite common and I have a couple good references to cite. See, e.g.:PMID 15805383 --Skoch3 (talk) 04:53, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Anaphylaxis

I nearly died recently from anaphylactic shock triggered by Amoxil. In my case the reaction was full-blown -- protruding tongue rendering it impossible to speak); extensive rash on arms and body; maddeningly itchy hands and feet; swollen lips, feet and hands; dangerously low blood pressure; and shallow breathing -- in only 20 minutes after exposure.

For obvious reasons, I think it a bad policy to relegate allergies to medications to a general article. This is such a dangerous and potentially fatal reaction that it should be given more prominence and urgency. Hedley 09:15, 11 October 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hfinger (talk • contribs)

Bad taste/smell

"Amoxicillin is often known for its unappealing taste and odor." Can anyone back this up? I have not noticed it. if its old yes i had some sitting around and now it smells of sulfer

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 213.17.66.42 (talk) 22:05, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

Depends if you're taking coated tablets or not :P... in my experience? They don't smell strongly at all. Kareeser|^Talk! 19:22, 4 February 2007 (UTC)

Chemically, it looks as cresol —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 194.214.119.52 (talk) 17:57, 8 February 2007 (UTC).

Yes, me and my girlfriend have just taken it for 5 days and we both disgusted every single dose. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.238.133.137 (talk) 18:03, 26 April 2007 (UTC).

I think it smells exactly like Ethanethiol, personally. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.3.254.86 (talk) 13:05, 4 May 2007 (UTC).

I find powdered Amoxicillin to taste quite nice compared to other drugs, there's a slightly sweet taste to it. 90.205.124.252 (talk) 15:56, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

I was put on this medicine for an upper respiratory infection, which is getting better; i have not noticed any real side effect except one,every time I smell, no mater what it smells like dog poo. The day after i got the medicine and i went to my class and i thought this girl that i never seen in my class sat in front of me and i thought she smelled horrible, i kept my mouth shut, but after that I went to my physical class and anytime i stayed still and breath through my nose I had the horrible smell but i did not have any dog poo on my shoes, after that i got home took of shows and socks and lied on my bed to play doom II on my laptop and this horrible smell came over again , i cleaned my room,washed my sheets, and took a shower, but nothing; that's when i figured it was this medicine

LFT & RFT,VLOOD UREA, SERUM CREATININE ,SGOT, GBP,TLC DLC —Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.168.51.21 (talk) 16:14, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

I have been on it for the past 3 days and still have 7 more days left, I have a bad taste like a soapy mouth or metallic. It is a bad taste but I was told to get yogurt or certain pills that change the side effect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.23.198.101 (talk) 06:55, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

I am familiar with the bad taste or odour of macropen 500(a grey semi-transparent capsule). But the odor that is being refered to is that once swallowed. After burping or exhaling through your nose, a chemical smell or taste occur's. This is especially prominent if the medication is taken on an empty stomach. A good reason to eat before taking this medication. Swallow a good helping of plain yoghurt afterwards, good for the odour and restores natural bacteria. On the contrary, and this is my personal experience, this seem's to be one of the few safer medications to use for certain folliculitis breakouts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.240.211.234 (talk) 13:47, 16 March 2012 (UTC)

History

It'd be great to have a little bit about the history of amoxicillin. Who invented it? Presumably, someone working in the labs of one of the big pharma companies, going round sticking random substituents on penicillin to see what worked, but who, and at what company? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.96.235.0 (talk) 22:39, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

+1! Even knowing what year it was discovered would be great! —Sburke (talk) 00:53, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Like ampicillin before it, amoxicillin was invented at Beecham (probably sometime in the 1960s) and introduced in 1972. I'll see what I can do about finding a source and adding it to the article. Fvasconcellos (t·c) 01:32, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Info Box

I'm taking amoxicillin as a prevention for infecition. When I read the offical package instructions about the drug it said it has 2 hours half-life, but in your "box" it says 1 hour. Please someone verify either. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 95.85.132.67 (talk) 17:46, 19 June 2010 (UTC)

Rash photograph.

"Diagnosed by a pediatric resident at local university hospital" sounds to the uninitiated as if the diagnosis was made by a child! Could someone kindly correct it? JRPG (talk) 12:53, 24 March 2011 (UTC) pooooooooooooooop

Uses Dental Prophylaxis

I am aware that antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended in the UK due to the risk of hypersensitivity. Is this also the case in other areas of the world? If so, it might be worth editing the Medical uses section to reflect common practice.GadBeebe (talk) 15:51, 25 April 2011 (UTC)