1. It Began as Just a Bunch of Mold
A French medical student, Ernest Duchesne, first noticed Penicillin in 1896. Duchesne found that a bunch of blue mold growing on a lab experiment killed off some bacterial colonies growing next to the mold. But it wasn't until bacteriologist Sir Alexander Flemming grew the culture in a pure environment in 1928 and published a paper about it in 1929 that the scientific community learned about the disease fighting power of penicillin. Flemming believed that penicillin could treat a number of conditions if mass produced.
2. The First Drug of Choice
Penicillin and antibiotics in the penicillin family are the first drug of choice by most physicians. Most people can take penicillin or one of its forms for a number of infections. Penicillin does cause allergic reactions in some patients, but doctors only find this when a patient tries penicillin and develops a rash or other symptoms of an allergy. In some patients, penicillin allergies develop later in life, so most people have successfully taken penicillin to fight infection at some time along the way.
3. The Shot Felt 'Round the World
Often called the wonder drug, penicillin brought new hope to the general population in the 1940s. Up until that time, diseases we now think of as common place often killed people. Strep throat or a simple cut could mean death in someone not strong enough to fight off infection.
4. All in the Family
There are many forms of the drug Penicillin designed for a variety of different infections. Pediatricians prescribe Amoxicillin regularly for children with ear infections. Other forms of Penicillin include dicloxacillin, oxacillin, nafcillin, ampicillin, augmenten and unasyn. Penicillin is a relative of cephalosporin, and those with a penicillin allergy should avoid cephalosporins as well. For most people, penicillin has very few side effects. Some people may experience mild diarrhea, vomiting, vaginal discharge and itch, white patches in the mouth or a sore tongue. These problems usually disappear after a few days on the medication. Stop penicillin and call your doctor if an allergic reactions occurs, such has difficulty breathing or a rash.
5. Don't Stop
Penicillin treats a number of diseases. It also fights infection before, during and after surgery. Penicillin works best when taken on an empty stomach with water. This helps the medicine absorb into the bloodstream better, while protecting the lining of the esophagus and stomach. Don't stop taking any form of penicillin until the entire course is completed. Penicillin works best when constantly circulating through the body for the prescribed amount of time.
