Among a large number of antibiotics, few stand out for properties such as a wide range of effects. The drug "Amoxil", reviews of which indicate its effectiveness against most pathogens, are ranked as such drugs. It is about him that will be discussed in this article.
Description of the drug: release form, composition
Amoxil is available in the form of tablets for oral administration containing the active substance (semisynthetic amoxicillin) 250 and 500 mg. The tablets have a round, cylindrical shape with a notch on one side and chamfers. Their color ranges from white to slightly yellowish. Tablets with a dosage of 250 and 500 mg are packaged in 10 pieces in blister packs (blisters), which are placed in cardboard boxes. Each box contains two blister packs with tablets, as well as instructions for using the drug. 625 mg tablets are packaged in blisters of 7 cells, which are also placed in cardboard boxes.
Storage and distribution conditions from pharmacies
According to the instructions for use, Amoxil tablets are dispensed from pharmacies only by prescription. Permissible periods of use of the drug are limited to two years from the date of manufacture. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the conditions under which the tablets were stored. The drug "Amoxil" the instruction advises to keep in a cool room, the temperature in which does not exceed 25 degrees. You should also ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on the package with tablets, as this can cause a number of undesirable reactions that will lead to the loss of medicinal properties. Do not use tablets that were stored in inappropriate conditions. An expired product must be disposed of.
Pharmacological properties of the drug
As mentioned above, the drug "Amoxil" is an antibiotic with a wide spectrum of action. By group affiliation, it belongs to aminopenicillins. What is the peculiarity of the effect on microorganisms of this substance? The fact is that amoxicillin decomposes under the influence of several factors, resulting in the formation of a compound that is able to inactivate certain enzymes and structures in pathogens, as well as inhibit the regeneration and formation of cell walls in them.
The drug "Amoxil" is active against pathogens such as gram-positive and gram-negative cocci and rods, anaerobic and microaerophilic streptococci, spirochetes and chlamydia. According to laboratory data, the drug is not effective against fungi, plasmodia, amoeba, mycobacteria, viruses and mycoplasmas.
The drug "Amoxil" is absorbed by the body quickly enough. The concentration of the active substance in the blood reaches its maximum within 2 hours after taking the drug. Amoxicillin is found in the tissues of the liver and gall bladder, skin, subcutaneous fat, muscle fibers, synovial and perinatal fluids, as well as in pus. It was found that the drug has a low degree of protein binding (about 18%).
The half-life of the drug from the body is about 2-4 hours. The main share of the drug (at least 60%) is excreted through the urinary organs unchanged.
When to take Amoxil tablets
The drug recommends taking the drug for use in infections caused by the activity of microorganisms in which a sensitivity to amoxicillin is detected. Amoxil (500 or 250 mg) helps to cope with the following diseases:
- sinusitis, tonsillitis and otitis media of bacterial origin;
- bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract, including those caused by the microorganism Helicobacter pylori;
- pneumonia and bronchitis of bacterial origin;
- urinary tract infections, including gonorrhea, pyelonephritis, cystitis;
- infection of soft tissues and skin due to injuries, surgical intervention.
In addition, the drug is widely used in the postoperative period to reduce the likelihood of infection.
It is worth reminding readers that the Amoxil tablets are recommended to be taken after consultation with the attending physician, since the drug’s mismatch with existing pathogens can aggravate the patient’s condition.
Contraindications
The list of contraindications to the use of the drug "Amoxil" includes primarily hypersensitivity to amoxicillin and other components of the tablets. Also, do not use this medicine for people with a diagnosis of lymphocytic leukemia and infectious mononucleosis. It is considered unsafe to take the drug "Amoxil" for children under the age of three years. It is also not recommended to take the drug for women during lactation.
Dosage and treatment with Amoxil
The dosage rules for antibiotics are regulated exclusively by medical indications, which, in addition to the patient’s condition, type and form of the disease, include indicators such as the degree of damage to the body and the individual patient’s response to the drug, its age and body weight. This applies to the drug "Amoxil." How to take this medicine? There is a standard dosage and dosage regimen for a drug depending on the age and body weight of the patient. So, consider the rules of taking the drug.
For children aged 3 to 10 years, according to the instructions, tablets should be taken twice a day, 375 mg of the drug Amoxil. According to indications, the drug can be taken three times a day, 250 mg each. Thus, the daily dose for this age category is 750 mg of amoxicillin.
For children over the age of 10, the recommended daily dose is 1000-1500 mg of Amoxil (500-750 mg twice a day or 375-500 mg three times a day). This dosage is also applicable to adult patients with a mild or moderate degree of disease development.
In the chronic form of the disease (during relapse), for adults, the drug is prescribed in a dosage of 2250-3000 mg of the drug per day (divided into three doses). For children with chronic forms of the disease, the dosage is calculated based on body weight: the daily dose is 60 mg of the drug per kilogram of the child’s weight (the total amount is divided into three doses per day).
In a number of diseases, dosage adjustment of the Amoxil preparation is required. Instructions on this subject include the following notes:
- In case of impaired renal function (CC 15-40 ml / min), an increase in the interval between doses is required up to a minimum of 12 hours. In more severe cases, when the CC does not reach 30 ml / min, the daily dose should not exceed 1500 mg. A time interval of 12 hours between doses should also be respected.
- Anuria is a good reason to reduce the daily dose of the drug to 2000 mg. In this case, it is recommended to take tablets three times a day.
Before prescribing this drug, it is recommended that all the necessary studies be carried out to identify factors that may play a role in determining the dosage.
Adverse Reactions, Overdose
During the administration of Amoxil, adverse reactions from some organs may develop with different probability. Most often, patients suffer from dysbiosis and candidiasis of the intestine, which are expressed in violation of the digestion process, excessive gas formation, diarrhea and nausea. On the part of the nervous system, conditions such as hyperactivity and dizziness can also develop. Patients are often concerned about skin itching and other manifestations of an allergic nature (urticaria, angioedema).
The following disorders of the body while taking the drug "Amoxil" reviews of doctors mention very rarely:
- from the digestive system: hemorrhagic or pseudomembranous colitis ;
- on the part of the skin: vasculitis of an allergic origin;
- from the urinary organs: nephritis (interstitial), crystalluria;
- from the hemopoietic organs: hemolytic anemia, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia.
Sometimes patients taking the drug may develop diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, candidiasis of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity or genitals, hepatitis and erythema multiforme.
If symptoms appear that indicate adverse reactions, you must temporarily stop taking the drug and seek the advice of your doctor.
Interaction with other drugs
Often, the administration of Amoxil has to be combined with the administration of other drugs. What can this lead to? You can find out about this from the table below.
Drug or group of drugs | Drug interaction |
Oral contraceptives | Amoxil tablets reduce the effectiveness of contraceptives. In addition, when used together, the risk of bleeding increases |
Bacteriostatics and macrolides | Reduction or complete absence of the effect of taking the drug "Amoxil" |
Diuretics | Increased elimination of amoxicillin and, as a consequence, a decrease in its concentration in blood plasma |
Antacids | Decreased absorption of amoxicillin |
Anticoagulants | A multiple increase in the probability of bleeding |
Laxatives | The decrease in the effectiveness of the drug "Amoxil" |
The drug "Digoxin" | When taking drugs together, the absorption of Digoxin increases, which can lead to an overdose of it. |
Aspirin Medicines | The amount of amoxicillin excreted by the kidneys is reduced, which with prolonged combined use can lead to an overdose or aggravation of adverse reactions of the body to the drug "Amoxil" |
The drug "Methotrexate" | "Amoxil" increases the toxicity of the drug "Methotrexate", also a combination of these drugs significantly reduces creatinine clearance |
The drug "Allopurinol" | Increased likelihood of allergic reactions to Amoxil tablets |
When prescribing any drug during the treatment with Amoxil, it is recommended to inform the attending physician about this. This will help to avoid a number of complications.
special instructions
During the treatment of diseases with the Amoxil drug, the instruction recommends that diuresis be maintained normal, since crystalluria is likely to occur. In order to avoid this phenomenon, the patient should drink an increased amount of fluid throughout the course of therapy.
Amoxicillin in contact with tooth enamel can cause a change in its color. To avoid negative consequences, it is recommended to observe oral hygiene while taking the drug. First of all, this applies to children, as they often chew tablets.
Long-term treatment with Amoxil may provoke the development of pathogens of resistance to its active substance. The same effect can occur with a second course of treatment for the disease with this drug. The most serious consequence of this phenomenon is the development of superinfection.
During pregnancy, the drug Amoxil (analogues of the main active substance also fall under these recommendations) is prescribed only if the benefit to the expectant mother significantly exceeds the risk to the fetus.
During treatment with a medicine, it is not recommended to manage complex mechanisms and vehicles, since undesirable reactions from the nervous system in the form of dizziness or lethargy are quite common.
Reviews about the drug
Reviews about the drug "Amoxil", received from doctors, practically have no negative connotation. The only thing that experts pay attention to is a lot of additional factors that can affect the development of side effects during treatment with this drug. In addition, doctors have noted a high level of drug efficacy even if there are several pathogens in the patient’s body.
Patients also respond positively to pills. What do they like or dislike most about Amoxil? The price of the drug by consumers is regarded as affordable (from 120 rubles per package). In addition to the excellent cost of the medicine, consumers note that dysbacteriosis very often develops during treatment with the drug. Especially often, those patients who took the drug for a long time and in large doses faced this disease.
Analogs of Amoxil tablets
To date, the pharmaceutical market offers several analogues of the drug Amoxil. In most cases, the price of these drugs is the same as the drug referred to in this article. However, often on the pharmacy shelves there are tablets identical in composition, which are several times more expensive. In some cases, such drugs can replace the Amoxil prescribed by the attending physician. In this case, analogs must contain the same active substance - amoxicillin. Particular attention should be paid to this, because when prescribing a medicine, the attending physician took into account the type and type of infection that the patient has. Amoxiclav, Bactoclav, Flemoxin Solutab and Amoxicillin are considered analogues of Amoxil tablets for the active substance.