Back to Medicines A to Z. It's an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, including ear , chest , throat and skin infections. It can also be used to prevent infections if you have sickle cell disease , or if you have had chorea a movement disorder , rheumatic fever , or your spleen removed.
The medicine is only available on prescription. It comes as tablets or as a liquid that you drink. Take our survey. Most adults and children can take phenoxymethylpenicillin, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
But phenoxymethylpenicillin isn't suitable for some people. To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:. The amount of phenoxymethylpenicillin you need depends on your age and how bad the infection is, and whether you're taking it to treat or prevent an infection.
Carry on taking this medicine until you have completed the course, even if you feel better. Try to space the doses evenly throughout the day. If you take phenoxymethylpenicillin 4 times a day, this could be first thing in the morning, around midday, late afternoon and at bedtime. If you're taking it twice a day, leave 12 hours between each dose.
This could be early morning and early evening, at 8am and 8pm. It's best not to take phenoxymethylpenicillin at mealtimes. Take it 30 minutes before a meal or at least 2 hours after you have eaten. The medicine also comes as a liquid for people who find it difficult to swallow tablets. If you or your child are taking phenoxymethylpenicillin as a liquid, it'll usually be made up for you by your pharmacist.
The medicine will come with a plastic syringe or spoon to help you measure out the right dose. If you don't have one, ask your pharmacist for one. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give the right amount. If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it's nearly time for your next dose. In this case, just leave out the missed dose and take your next dose as normal.
Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one. If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to remember your medicines. Accidentally taking an extra dose of phenoxymethylpenicillin is unlikely to harm you or your child. Speak to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried, or if you take more than 1 extra dose. Like all medicines, phenoxymethylpenicillin can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.
If you're taking phenoxymethylpenicillin to prevent infections, your doctor will usually ask you to have blood tests. This is to make sure you're not getting any unexpected side effects. Alexander Fleming, a professor of bacteriology in London, is credited with discovering penicillin in Returning from vacation, he started cleaning up his messy lab and noticed that some petri dishes containing Staphylococcus bacteria had been contaminated with a mold, Penicillium notatum, which was preventing the normal growth of the bacteria, according to Dr.
Fleming obtained an extract from the mold, named its active agent "penicillin" and determined that the extract killed many types of harmful bacteria. But I guess that was exactly what I did," Fleming later wrote about his discovery. Fleming's lab didn't have the resources to fully develop his discovery into a usable drug.
For more than a decade, other scientists tried to purify penicillin but were unsuccessful. Florey and his colleagues were able to purify penicillin and test its effectiveness on animals before the first trial with a human. On Feb. In just a few days, the treatment began healing Alexander of a life-threatening infection.
Unfortunately, Florey's team ran out of the drug before Alexander was completely healed, and he died. A year later, enough penicillin was produced to successfully treat the next patient. Scientists with a superior laboratory and a deeper understanding of chemistry than Fleming carried out the bulk of the work. Howard Florey, Norman Heatley, and Ernst Chain performed the first in-depth and focused studies on the drug. This has since become a problem.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is not the person who develops resistance to penicillins but the bacteria itself. Bacteria have been around for billions of years. During this time, they have endured extreme environments and, as a result, are highly adaptable.
They also regenerate very rapidly, making relatively quick genetic changes possible across a population. Although the use of penicillins is widespread, some issues or contraindications can occur, as with any drug:.
Allergic reactions to penicillin typically lead to hives, wheezing, and swelling, particularly of the face. Around 10 percent of people report an allergy to penicillins but the real figure is closer to 1 percent, and only around 0.
Certain antibiotics, such as metronidazole and tinidazole, have severe reactions with alcohol. However, this is not the case with penicillins. Penicillins have saved countless lives throughout their history of use in medicine. However, doctors are now worried about the increase in antibiotic resistance. Only time will tell how the antibiotics of the future will overcome this hurdle.
Flu is a respiratory illness that a virus causes. As a penicillin-type antibiotic, amoxicillin can treat respiratory tract infections, genitourinary tract infections, and ear, throat, and nose infections. Amoxicillin comes in tablet, capsule, and liquid forms.
Penicillin is a commonly used antibiotic that is used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is often used to treat infections caused by Streptococcus and other gram-positive bacteria. Penicillin is available as penicillin G injection and penicillin V oral. Amoxicillin and penicillin are not the same drug. Amoxicillin is a newer, modified version of penicillin that covers a broader range of bacteria.
Amoxicillin or penicillin may be more effective depending on the bacterial infection being treated. Amoxicillin can cover infections caused by other types of bacteria such as E. Penicillin may be better to target specific types of bacteria in order to prevent antibiotic resistance. Both amoxicillin and penicillin are in Pregnancy Category B.
This means that they are generally safe for use during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol in moderation will not affect how well amoxicillin or penicillin works. There is no known interaction between alcohol and these antibiotics. However, alcohol may affect your body and immune system as a whole which can delay how fast you recover from the infection.
Amoxicillin should not be taken if you have a true allergy to penicillin. This is because the chemical structure of amoxicillin is very similar to that of penicillin. It is possible to outgrow a penicillin allergy over time. Penicillin allergies are also sometimes misreported during childhood. Depending on your past experience with penicillin, your healthcare provider may recommend trying penicillin again if necessary.
If you have a penicillin allergy, you should avoid taking other penicillin-type antibiotics. Other antibiotics that are similar to penicillin include amoxicillin, ampicillin , and cephalosporins such as Keflex. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options if you are allergic to penicillin.
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