Amoxicillin is a generic antibiotic classified as a penicillin-type of drug, which was approved by the FDA in 1974 to treat bacterial infections, as cited on Drugs.com. Amoxicillin is found in a variety of brand-name products and formulated as capsules, tablets, ointments, oral suspensions and injections. Amoxicillin produces therapeutic effects and negative side effects.
Amoxicillin's Therapeutic Effects
According to RxList.com, amoxicillin is used to treat different types of bacterial infections, such as ear infections, throat infections, bladder infections, acute bacterial pneumonia and gonorrhea. Amoxicillin is particularly effective against E. coli, Staphylococcus and salmonella bacterial infections.
DailyMed adds that amoxicillin is sometimes used in combination with other drugs, such as the antibiotic, clarithromycin and the stomach acid reducer, lansoprazole, as a very effective treatment for stomach and duodenal ulcers caused by H. pylori bacterial infection. The combination treatment of amoxicillin, clarithromycin and lansoprazole is known as "triple therapy."
Gastrointestinal Effects From Amoxicillin
The most common side effects of amoxicillin use are related to the gastrointestinal tract, according to Drugs.com. Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting were the most common minor side effects caused by all forms of amoxicillin, although abdominal cramps, abdominal colitis, hemorrhagic colitis and pseudomembranous colitis have also been reported.
When amoxicillin is used as part of "triple therapy" in studies, the most common side effects reported, as cited on DailyMed, are diarrhea, by about 7 percent of patients; headache, by about 6 percent of patients; and altered taste sensation, by about 5 percent of patients.
Candida Infection
Candidiasis is a localized or systemic infection caused by overgrowth of the fungus species, Candida albicans. Candida infections usually develop in people who overuse antibiotics, especially penicillin-types, such as amoxicillin. Candida infections target the vagina, mouth and lower intestinal tract, causing inflammation, pain and yeast-covered mucus membranes. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases state that experts estimate that about 75 percent of U.S. women will have at least one symptomatic yeast infection in their lifetimes and more than 40 percent will experience two or more infections.
Hypersensitivity Reactions to Amoxicillin
The most potentially life-threatening side effect from amoxicillin use is severe hypersensitivity or allergic reactions. "Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs" notes that hypersensitivity reactions have been reported in approximately 10 percent of patients studied, and the most common symptoms have been anaphylaxis, urticaria, hives, rash, dermatitis, edema, vasculitis, fever and hypotension Stevens-Johnson syndrome and dyspnea are more likely in patients with a history of allergies, asthma and hay fever.
References
- Drugs.com: Amoxicillin
- RxList.com: Amoxicillin - Amoxil
- DailyMed: Amoxicillin
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: Candida Infections
- "Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs, Fifteenth Edition: The International Encyclopedia of Adverse Drug Reactions and Interactions"; Jeffrey Aronson; 2006
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