by One of the most widely used antibiotics by medical professionals is amoxicillin, which is part of a group of drugs derived from penicillin.
It is generally used to combat bacterial infections that cause disease in parts of the body as diverse as the ears, lungs, bronchial tubes, urinary system, nasal passages, skin, and throat.
Like other antibiotics, amoxicillin should only be taken with a prescription and after it has been identified that a patient actually needs it to fight a bacterium.
In accordance with MedlinePlusthe online encyclopedia of the US National Library of Medicine, this medication should generally be taken every 8 to 12 hours.
“Take amoxicillin exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of the medication or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor,” he warns. MedlinePlus.
If it is taken through tablets, the best way to do it is to swallow them with the help of a glass of water. Patients should continue taking it until the treatment ends, even if the symptoms improve, because if its consumption is interrupted it can generate resistance in the bacteria.
Before taking this medicine it is essential that the treating physician knows all the relevant health conditions that the patient has. For example, It is essential to know if the person who is going to undergo the treatment suffers from specific diseases, is pregnant or has allergies to different substances.
It is also essential to provide information on the consumption of other medications. “Be sure to mention any of the following: allopurinol (Lopurin, Zyloprim), other antibiotics, anticoagulants (“blood thinners”) such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), oral contraceptives, and probenecid (Probalan, in Col-Probenecid). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications, or monitor you closely for side effects”, indicates MedlinePlus.
Likewise, this medical source warns that there are some side effects that could occur among patients who are receiving treatment with amoxicillin.
Other side effects that may occur include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in the sense of taste, and headache. Although these are usually mild symptoms, MedlinePlus warns that there are times when serious complications can occur.
Therefore, it is recommended that people stop taking amoxicillin if they have the following signs:
- Rash.
- Blisters or peeling of the skin.
- Itch.
- Urticaria.
- Hissing when breathing.
- Trouble swallowing or breathing.
- Swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips and eyes.
- severe diarrhea MedlinePlus notes that it is generally the appearance of “liquid or bloody stools that may occur with or without fever and stomach cramps (may occur up to 2 months or more after treatment).”
The medical source also adds that if a patient presents any of these conditions, they must go to an emergency medical consultation and inform their treating physician of their state of health.
Antibiotics must be used responsibly.
As it is an antibiotic, amoxicillin must be administered and ingested very responsibly. Consuming these drugs inappropriately can favor the emergence of pathogens resistant to them, which pose one of the greatest dangers to public health today.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and gonorrhea are more difficult to treat today because the bacteria that cause them are becoming stronger.
“Antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide to dangerous levels. Day after day, new resistance mechanisms are appearing and spreading across the planet, endangering our ability to treat common infectious diseases.
Therefore, it is key to keep in mind that both amoxicillin and other antibiotics should not be used to combat viruses. “Antibiotics such as amoxicillin do not work against colds, flu and other viral infections,” indicates MedlinePlus.
