Amoxicillin is an antibiotic. It is used to treat certain bacterial infections of the ears, nose, mouth, throat, lungs, skin or bladder. It can also be used to prevent certain heart infection when you undergo dental procedures.
Amoxicillin may be used to treat other conditions as decided by your doctor.
Amoxicillin injection is to be given intravenously (into the vein) as a slow injection or an infusion, or intramuscularly (into the muscles).
Your doctor or nurse will administer the injection for you.
The dose of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the treatment timeframe depending on the type and severity of your infection.
Amoxicillin injection must be administered at regular intervals. Do not skip any doses. You must complete the entire course of this medicine. If you don't, the infection will not be properly controlled.
Ensure that you keep all appointments with your doctor so that you do not miss any doses. Your doctor also needs to regularly monitor your response to Amoxicillin.
If you miss an appointment or miss an injection, alert your doctor or nurse. A replacement appointment or injection should be given as soon as possible.
Do not use this medicine if you have ever had an allergic reaction (e.g. rashes, breathlessness, swollen eyes) to Amoxicillin or similar antibiotics such as penicillins (e.g. ampicillin, cloxacillin, sultamicillin), cephalosporins (e.g. cefaclor, cefalexin, cefuroxime), monobactam or carbapenem antibiotics.
Alert your doctor if you have a suspected or confirmed viral infection known as infectious mononucleosis as this medicine may not be suitable for you.
Inform your doctor if you have the following conditions:
- unable to pass urine regularly
- epilepsy (fits or seizures)
- leukaemia (type of cancer of the white blood cells)
- atopy (tendency to develop allergic reactions)
- liver disease
- kidney disease or undergoing dialysis
Let your doctor know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before giving this medicine to a child.
If you are going to have certain laboratory tests (e.g. urine glucose test, pregnancy test), inform your doctor that you are being treated with Amoxicillin.
For as long as you are being treated with this medicine, you may need to have regular blood tests (e.g. complete blood count, liver and kidney function) to check your body’s response to the medicine. Your doctor will advise you about how often you need to have blood tests.
Amoxicillin may cause any of the following side effects: headache, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and difficulty sleeping.
Some side effects may need immediate medical help. Alert your doctor quickly if you experience any of the following:
- rashes, breathlessness, swollen mouth or eyes
- severe, persistent or bloody diarrhoea accompanied by stomach pain or fever
- yellowing of the skin or eyes, abdominal pain, dark coloured urine, unusual tiredness
- frequent and persistent sore throat with fever, unusual bleeding or bruising
- fits or seizures
- rashes with peeling of the skin or blistering of the lips, mouth or eyes accompanied by fever
Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.
Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:
- other antibiotics e.g. chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline
- medicines for gout (high uric acid level in the blood) e.g. probenecid, allopurinol
- blood-thinning medicines e.g. warfarin, acenocoumarol
- methotrexate (medicine for cancer)
- birth control pills
This list does not include all medicines that may interact with Amoxicillin.
Always notify your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal tonics such as traditional Chinese medicines, supplements and medicines that you buy without a prescription.
Avoid alcohol.
Store in a cool, dry place away from the reach of children. Protect from light and moisture.
Medicines must not be used past the expiry date.