How and When to use Amoxicillin? - Doctor Explains

This is an informational overview video on Amoxicillin. It is available as a powder for oral suspension, a tablet and an injection.

When to use it?
Amoxicillin is a wide-spectrum antibiotic. Which means it can be used to treat thousands different types of bacteria. Therefore amoxicillin is mostly used to treat infections caused by unknown microorganisms, such as:
An upper respiratory tract infection (like a sinusitis)
An lower respiratory tract infection (pneumonia)
An urogenital tract infection (Chlamydia)
An gastrointestinal infection (H. pylori bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers);
Infections in your bones (e.g., osteomyelitis, prosthetic joint infections);
And lastly severe skin and soft tissue infections.

How to use it?
Swallow it tablet whole, with a glass of water. Do not chew on it or crush it. Or resolve the powder in half a glass of water and drink it.
Always take it at fixed times: preferably in the morning and in the evening. This lowers your chances on forgetting a dose. Furthermore, do not interrupt or stop the treatment and finish it completely.

What is the correct dosage?
It is important to always follow the precise prescription your doctor gave you.
Dose for adults and children 40kg:
250-500 mg every 8 hours
750-1000 mg every 12 hours

In serious infections
750–1000 mg every 8 hours

Did you forget to take a dose? And does it take less than 4 hours till your next dose? Than skip the dose you missed and take the forgotten dose at the end of your treatment.

What are the side-effects?
(10%): diarrhea.
(1-10%): nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, skin reactions (such as exanthema and itching).
(0.1-1%): Dizziness, headache, super infections.
(0.01-0.1%): anaphylactic shock, convulsions, drug fever.

Safety:
You can combine amoxicillin with any type of food and even with alcohol.
Don’t use amoxicillin if you are hypersensitivity to penicillin.

Pregnancy and Lactation:
You can safely use amoxicillin if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
However, you should stop with breastfeeding, if you are using amoxicillin and you child gets diarrhea, candidiasis and / or a skin rash.

- Disclaimer: this video is meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

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Literature:
1: Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas. (2020). Amoxicilline.
2: Apotheek.nl. (2020). Amoxicilline.
3. Durbin K. (2020). Amoxicillin.

* The images in this video are used for educational purposes only.

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Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties, https://amzn.to/3fU854s
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Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine, https://amzn.to/3ky73hZ
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Atlas of Human Anatomy, https://amzn.to/3afFe9c
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