Amox-Ctl

Description

You can take Amox-Ctl Capsule with or without food. Taking it with meals may improve absorption and help reduce any stomach upset.

Adult Dosage:

• For most susceptible infections: Take 250-500 mg every 8 hours.
• For uncomplicated gonorrhea: A single 3-gram dose, often with probenecid.
• For dental abscesses: A single 3-gram dose, repeated once after 8 hours.
• For uncomplicated acute UTIs: A single 3-gram dose, repeated once after 10-12 hours.
• For endocarditis prevention (before dental procedures): A single 2-gram or 3-gram dose, 1 hour before the procedure.
• For severe or recurring respiratory tract infections: 3 grams twice daily.
• For H. pylori infection: 500 mg three times daily, usually combined with metronidazole or clarithromycin, and a bismuth compound or an acid-reducing medication.
• For IV/IM susceptible infections: 500 mg every 8 hours.
• For Listerial meningitis: 2 grams every 4 hours for 10-14 days, typically alongside other antibiotics.

Child Dosage:

• Standard dose: 40–45 mg/kg/day, divided every 8-12 hours.
• High dose: 80–90 mg/kg/day, with a maximum of 4 grams per day, divided every 12 hours.
• For penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae otitis media: 150 mg/kg/day, divided every 8 hours.

Dosage for Kidney Impairment:

If you have kidney issues, your doctor will adjust the dose:

• Creatinine Clearance (CrCl) 10-30 ml/min: 250-500 mg every 12 hours.
• CrCl <10 ml/min: 250-500 mg every 24 hours.
• Patients on hemodialysis: 250-500 mg every 24 hours, with an additional dose during and after each dialysis session.

Important Precautions & Side Effects

Do NOT Take If:

• You have a hypersensitivity (allergic reaction) to amoxicillin or other penicillin antibiotics.

Use with Caution If:

• You have kidney or liver disease.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding. Amoxicillin can pass into breast milk, so caution is advised.
• You have infectious mononucleosis.

Potential Drug Interactions:

• May reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.
• Can increase the effect of anticoagulants (blood thinners).
• Increases the risk of allergic reactions if taken with allopurinol.
• Increased and prolonged blood levels of amoxicillin occur when taken with probenecid.
• Certain antibiotics (chloramphenicol, macrolides, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines) may interfere with amoxicillin’s ability to kill bacteria.

Possible Side Effects:

Common side effects include:

• Hyperactivity, agitation, insomnia, dizziness.
• Skin rashes (maculopapular rash, exfoliative dermatitis, urticaria, hypersensitivity vasculitis).
• Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.
• Blood count changes like anemia, thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), leucopenia (low white blood cell count), and agranulocytosis (severe low white blood cell count).

Potentially fatal side effects are rare but can include neuromuscular hypersensitivity reactions and pseudomembranous colitis (a severe colon inflammation).

How Amoxicillin Works

Amoxicillin works by disrupting the formation of the bacterial cell wall. It specifically binds to proteins (penicillin-binding proteins or PBPs) that are crucial for building this wall. By inhibiting cell wall synthesis, Amoxicillin causes the bacterial cells to break down and die, effectively treating the infection.

Additional Information

• Availability: Amox-Ctl is available in Nepal.
• Other Forms: Amoxicillin is also available in suspension form, and under other brand names like Himox and G-mox, which come as capsules, drops, and suspensions.