Manufacturers of drugs currently offer a wide selection of antibiotics, antimicrobial and bacteriostatic drugs. Some of them have a wide spectrum of action, others fight only with certain microorganisms. Such medicines are forbidden to be taken on their own, because the consequences of therapy can be very different. Today's article will tell you about Ampicillin. Instructions for use, reviews, analogues and the correct method of use will be presented to your attention.
Immediately make a reservation that the information received should not prompt you to self-medicate. If you have health problems and need serious medicines like antibiotics, you should definitely seek medical help. Only in this case there is a chance for a quick recovery.
Preliminary acquaintance: release form, cost and composition
The active substance of the drug is a compound called ampicillin trihydrate. Analogs of this antibiotic may have the same composition or differ in components. You will learn about them later in the article. Ampicillin is most commonly available in tablet and powder form. The latter is intended for intramuscular or intravenous administration. The solution must first be prepared. How to do it right - describes the instructions in detail. Less often on sale you can find a suspension.
The cost of the medicine is affordable. Ampicillin has long been present on the pharmacological market. You can buy it without a prescription. Pills in the amount of 20 pieces of 250 milligrams will cost you about 20 rubles. Depending on the manufacturer, the price may slightly shift up or down. You can buy a bottle with powder for injection for 15 rubles. The content of ampicillin in such a container may differ: 200, 250, 500 and 1000 milligrams.
How does Ampicillin work?
The drug "Ampicillin" refers to semi-synthetic antibacterial penicillin drugs. The tool has a wide spectrum of action, therefore, it is often prescribed to patients without first seeding for sensitivity. The medication inhibits the synthesis of a bacterial cell, which has a bactericidal effect.
The active substance is effective against many aerobic microorganisms, both gram-positive and gram-negative. The medication has a minus. It is not able to suppress the multiplication of bacteria that produce penicillinase. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those now. Often, these microorganisms are formed due to the misuse of antibiotics. This once again proves that you can not self-medicate, but you need to contact the doctors for help.
Penicillin substitutes
Can I choose analogues of Ampicillin on my own? All doctors and people with medical education answer this question unanimously: not. The fact is that some substitutes have a narrow spectrum of action; they may be ineffective in a certain situation. If for some reason you cannot use the prescribed Ampicillin, a new generation of analogues or outdated substitutes should be recommended by a doctor.
You already know that the drug belongs to the penicillin group. Therefore, an alternative medication is often chosen from it. If we are talking about drugs in which the active substance is ampicillin trihydrate, then the following drugs can be distinguished: Zetsil, Stanzacillin, Penodil, Purcillin, Pentrexil, and so on. Recall that the drug "Ampicillin" can be produced by different manufacturers. Therefore, its trade name is also being modified: “Ampicillin trihydrate”, “Ampicillin sodium salt”, “Ampecillin Innotek”.
You can replace the drug with penicillin antibiotics with other active substances. In this case, the analogues of Ampicillin will contain the following active component:
- amoxicillin (Augmentin, Ecobol, Flemoxin);
- phenoxymethylpenicillin (Cliacil, Ospen);
- oxacillin ("Prostaflin");
- piperacillin ("Pitsellin", "Pipraks") and others.
Another alternative: popular antibiotics
Analogues of Ampicillin may have other active substances. These are drugs that belong to other groups of antibiotics. Often they are chosen as a substitute when an allergic reaction is detected in a patient. Some medicines relate to a new generation of antibiotics. So, the tool "Ampicillin" analogues has the following.
- Cephalosporins: "Cefatoxime", "Ceftriaxone", "Suprax".
- Macrolides: Sumamed, Vilprafen, Klacid.
- Tetracyclines: Minolexin, Unidox, Tigacil.
- Aminoglycosides: Gentamicin, Neomycin, Streptomycin.
- Lincosamides: Nerolen, Dalacin, and many others.
Indications for use and restrictions on the use of Ampicillin
Absolute analogues of Ampicillin, like the penicillin antibiotic itself, are often prescribed for bacterial infections of the respiratory tract: bronchitis, pneumonia. The drug is used in ENT practice for infections of the nose, throat and ear. It is prescribed for bacterial diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary system. Indications for use are meningitis, sepsis, skin diseases, rheumatism.
Before using the antibiotic "Ampicillin", analogues or substitutes for a new generation, it is important to read the instructions. Pay special attention to contraindications and adverse reactions. For example, the medicine "Ampicillin" is unacceptable to use with high sensitivity to its components, allergies to other penicillin antibiotics. Contraindication will also be infectious mononucleosis, liver and blood diseases. The medicine is ineffective against viral pathologies.
Ampicillin: instructions for use
Analogues of the drug always have a different method of use. Pay particular attention to this. Incorrect use of an antibiotic entails the most unexpected consequences: from drug inefficiency to death. You already know that Ampicillin is available in two forms: tablets and injections (you can find a suspension, but it is not so popular). How to use them correctly?
- Pills are prescribed in a volume of 1 to 2 grams of active substance per day (divided into 4 doses). For children, the medication is prescribed in accordance with body weight. It is not recommended to use tablets to treat babies.
- In the form of injections, the drug is prescribed for adults at 250-500 mg every 4 or 6 hours (depending on the infection and severity of the condition). For the treatment of children, “Ampicillin” is used in portions from 25 to 50 mg of the drug per kilogram of body weight. It is important to take precautions and aseptic rules when administering an injection.
The duration of treatment is determined individually, but it should not be less than five days. The maximum daily dose for an adult is 4 grams in tablet form and 14 in injection form.
Treatment during pregnancy and lactation
Some analogues of Ampicillin are allowed to be used during pregnancy, but only according to indications. In most cases, these are penicillin drugs. Future mothers may be prescribed macrolides, but this is less common. The medicine "Ampicillin" is permissible to use during pregnancy as prescribed by the doctor. It is necessary to refrain from taking an antibiotic only in the first trimester. For expectant mothers, the medicine is prescribed in an individual dosage according to a certain scheme.
It is proved that the active substance - ampicillin trihydrate - is able to penetrate into breast milk. Therefore, there is a likelihood of the drug entering the child's body. If there is a need for treatment during lactation, then you need to decide on the termination of breastfeeding.
Additional drug information
If you use the Ampicillin analogue in tablets together with the original antibiotic, the effect of both drugs can significantly increase. Therefore, it is important to choose the right therapy. Do not combine Ampicillin with new-generation antibiotics and other similar agents that have a bactericidal effect.
Since the drug suppresses the intestinal microflora, this can cause a violation of the digestive function. Diuretics, sorbents and laxatives reduce the absorption of the antibiotic. Ascorbic acid, in contrast, increases it. Please note that the drug reduces the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
The negative effects of therapy
The drug does not apply to new generation antibiotics. It does not go through advanced cleaning. Therefore, the medicine can cause a number of negative reactions. Among them, the most frequent:
- indigestion, nausea, vomiting;
- intestinal dysbiosis, diarrhea, or constipation;
- fungal lesions of the oral cavity, genitals, skin;
- allergic reaction in the form of edema, urticaria, shock.
Allergy to Ampicillin
The analogue of “Ampicillin” (in injections or tablets - it doesn’t matter) from the penicillin group, like the drug itself, often provokes an allergy. However, it can have a variety of manifestations. If you have ever had such a reaction, you need to remember. In the future, when prescribing antibacterial drugs, be sure to tell this fact to the doctor.
The most common allergy to Ampicillin is a skin rash. Small sores can be located throughout the body or in separate areas. The tool also causes joint pain and tightness of the skin. Less common is swelling. If an allergy occurs, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, do not take the next dose of the medication. Further therapy involves the use of sorbents and antihistamines. It is also necessary to choose an analog of an antibiotic.
Ampicillin and alcohol
What else does the instruction say about the medicine "Ampicillin"? Analogues of the penicillin series, as well as the antibiotic described itself, are not recommended to be combined with alcoholic beverages. Such combinations increase the likelihood of side effects. In addition, ethanol in combination with Ampicillin adversely affects the liver and stomach. The combination of chemicals can simply deactivate the effect of the drug.
Despite this fact, some consumers manage to skip a couple of glasses during treatment. Patients say that nothing bad happened to them. In fact, this is just luck. Perhaps the consequences will still manifest themselves in the future.
Antibiotic Reviews
What opinions do patients have about this drug? In most cases, the drug is effective. It allows you to quickly get rid of the problem. Already on the second day of taking the antibiotic, there is a noticeable improvement. At the same time, the medicine also has negative aspects. Therapy with this tool is long, while there is a negative effect on other organs. Almost all patients say that when using Ampicillin tablets, there is a violation of the digestive function. For its further restoration, a course of probiotics is required. This is not cheap, despite the affordable cost of Ampicillin itself.
In recent years, doctors are trying not to prescribe the described medicine. He was replaced by new improved medicines. A new generation of antibiotics is being thoroughly cleaned. Due to this, they rarely cause side effects, do not have a toxic effect on the patient's body. Some drugs contain a combination of substances that enhance their effect, for example, Amoxiclav or Augmentin.
Summarize
From the article you learned about the long-invented and already outdated antimicrobial drug called Ampicillin. Reviews, analogues of this medication and method of its use - we talked about all this in detail. Despite the fact that you now know a lot about the medication, you should not self-medicate. Remember that antibiotics are completely useless (and even harmful) for viral infections. Most colds are caused precisely by viruses. I wish you good health!