Ampicillin

What is ampicillin used for?

Ampicillin is mainly a penicillin antibiotic which is used for treating as well as preventing different types of infections like meningitis, bladder infections, gonorrhoea, pneumonia, acute middle ear infections and also infections of the stomach or intestines.  

This drug is very effective in treating uncomplicated acute sinus infection.  

Ampicillin 500mg is very good at treating different types of bacterial infections and works by stopping the growth of bacteria.  

Ampicillin generic drug is available in the brand name of Principen.  

It is the antibiotic medicine which only treats bacterial infection so do not use it for treating viral infections such as flu and the common cold.  

This drug is often recommended by doctors for treating urinary tract infections. It is also very effective in treating infections of the sinus, intestines, middle ear and kidney that are caused due to susceptible bacteria. 

Usage of antibiotic when not in use can cause it not to work for future infections.   

Ampicillin injection is used for treating certain infections that are caused due to bacteria like meningitis, urinary tract & gastrointestinal tract infections. 

This medicine is not useful for treating temporary decrease in both red & white blood cells.  

What is the dosage of Ampicillin?

Before you start taking the medicine, make sure that you strictly follow all the directions that are mentioned on your prescription label.  

Always read all the medication guides or instruction sheets carefully. It is necessary for you to take the medicine exactly in the same manner as prescribed by your doctor.  

If you still have confusion about the dosage of medicine you can consult your doctor or pharmacist once.  

The dosage of ampicillin capsules is completely based upon your medical condition as well as response to the treatment.  

In order to get the best results, you should always take this medicine at evenly spaced times.  

Take the medicine at the same time so that you remember taking it on a regular basis.  

This medicine should always be taken with a glass full of water.  

If you are taking the oral suspension then measure it before taking it.  

Always use the dosing syringe which is provided with Ampicillin 500mg or you can also use medicine dose-measuring device.  

Never make use of kitchen spoon for measuring the medicine as you might get the wrong dose.  

You need to take this medicine on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before or 2 hours after having a meal.  

You should not share this medicine with any other person even if you see that they are suffering from the same symptoms as yours.  

If you are using this medicine for treating gonorrhoea then there are chances that your doctor might tell you to have a test for syphilis which is a sexually transmitted disease.  

In case you are using this medicine for the long term then it is important for you to get your liver function, kidney function, as well as blood cells, checked.  

Even if you see that your symptoms have improved, it is necessary for you to continue the medicine for the full prescribed time.  

Remember that skipping doses can increase your risk of infection which is resistant to medication.  

It is important for you to know that this medicine is not going to treat a viral infection like common cold or flu.  

This medicine is known to cause unusual results with few of the medical results so it is better to inform your doctor well in advance that you are using ampicillin capsule. 

Always store the medicine at room temperature right away from heat as well as moisture.  

In the case of overdose, you can take the help of poison control centre.  

What if you miss a dose? 

As soon as you remember, take the missed dose. But if it’s almost the time for your next dose, you should not take the missed dose.

You should never take two doses at the same time in order to make up the missed dose.  

What do you need to avoid while taking this drug? 

Antibiotic medicines might cause diarrhoea to you which is a sign of new infection.  

So if you suffer from diarrhoea which is watery or bloody then immediately call your doctor before you start using any anti-diarrhoea medication.  

Can you take this medicine during pregnancy? 

This drug is known for making birth control pills less effective. So it is always recommended to consult your doctor about the usage of non-hormonal birth control in order to avoid pregnancy.  

Can a breastfeeding mother take this medicine? 

This medicine passes into the breast milk so it is always advised not to breast-feed the child during this medication.  

What precautions do you need to take while using Ampicillin? 

Before you start taking this medicine, it is important for you to inform your doctor well in advance that you are allergic to it, or to cephalosporin antibiotics and penicillin. 

Even if you are suffering from any other kind of allergies, do inform your doctor.   

Since this medicine contains certain inactive ingredients due to which it causes allergic reactions or any other kinds of problem.  

You can talk to your doctor & pharmacist about this in details.  

In order to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine, do inform your doctor about all the medical history such as:

• Diabetes
• An allergy to cephalosporin antibiotic 
• Hay fever
• Kidney disease
• Asthma
• Diarrhoea which is caused by taking antibiotics

Ampicillin oral medication might cause live bacterial vaccines like typhoid vaccine to not work effectively.  

Until and unless your doctor tells you, do not have any kind of vaccinations or immunizations.  

As you grow older, your kidney function also starts to decline. This drug is known to be removed by the kidneys. So, older people are known to be more sensitive to this medication.  

Therefore, without the advice of the doctor, this medicine should not be given to children.  

What are the side effects of Ampicillin? 

Remember that the doctor has advised you this medication because he/she thinks that the benefits of this medicine are more as compared to the side effects of Ampicillin.  

There are chances that you might suffer from mouth/tongue sores, nausea, diarrhoea as well as vomiting. So in this case, tell your doctor or pharmacist immediately.  

You need to get the emergency medical help, if you come across any signs of an allergic reaction such as hives, swelling in your face or throat & difficulty in breathing.  

If you are suffering from serious skin reaction like sore throat, blistering, fever as well as red or purple skin rash with peeling & blistering, burning eyes.  

Call your doctor immediately in case you are suffering from:

• Feeling light-headed or short of breath
• Serious stomach pain or diarrhoea which is watery or bloody
• Pale skin, cold hands and feet
• Skin rash, blisters, ulcers
• Redness, itching
• Soreness in your mouth
• Joint pain, fever, not feeling well
• Chills, sorethroat & swollen glands

Some of the common side effects this drug includes:

• Vaginal itching or discharge
• Nausea, rash
• Vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain
• Black, swollen or hairy tongue

This medicine can also cause serious intestinal condition due to the type of resistant bacteria.  

There are chances that this condition might take place at the time of treatment or weeks to months once the treatment has been stopped.  

If you are suffering from persistent diarrhoea, blood or mucus in your stool as well as abdominal pain, cramping or stomach pain then you should strictly not use anti-diarrhoea as well as opioid medications because it can make the condition worse.   

Usage of this medicine for a long time can even cause oral thrush as well as new vaginal yeast infectious disease.   

Therefore, this is not the complete list of side effects so if you experience anything apart from this list you should immediately contact your doctor for emergency medical help.  

Ampicillin Interactions

Always remember that your doctor or health professional is well aware of all the possible drug interactions and might be monitoring you for it.  

It is important for you to not stop, start or change the dosage of any medicine without the recommendation of the doctor.  

Before you start the intake of this drug, always inform your doctor well in advance about all the drugs that you are taking right from prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs as well as herbal products.  

Do inform your doctor, if you are especially using tetracyclines as well as methotrexate.  

There are also chances that ampicillin might cause false results with some of the diabetic urine testing products.  

It can also affect the results of different other lab tests. So it is better to inform your laboratory personnel well in advance that you are taking ampicillin.  

There are total 45 drugs that are known to interact with this drug

4 major drug interactions

31 moderate drug interactions

10 minor drug interactions  

Some of the names of the drugs that interact with ampicillin include Advil, Bactrim, cefotaxime, Cipro, dicloxacillin, Flagyl, Lasix, etc.  

How does ampicillin works? 

This medicine effectively fights against the bacteria and also stops them from growing by preventing them from forming cell walls.  

Therefore, they work by killing the bacteria and then finally removing the infection.  

Ampicillin Warnings 

You need to strictly follow the directions of your doctor and take the medicine accordingly.  

It is important for you to inform your doctor well in advance if you are suffering from any kind of medical conditions as well as allergies. 

We only ship medications which are approved by FDA, Also please consult your doctor to make a full decision on what medication to take.