About amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It is used to treat bacterial infections, such as chest infections (including pneumonia) and dental abscesses. It can also be used together with other antibiotics and medicines to treat stomach ulcers. It's often prescribed for children, to treat ear infections and chest infections. For most infections, you'll start to feel better in a few days. The most common side effects of amoxicillin are feeling sick (nausea) and diarrhoea. Liquid amoxicillin can stain your teeth. This does not last and is removed by brushing. You can drink alcohol while taking amoxicillin. Sometimes, taking amoxicillin can cause thrush.

Common side effects

These common side effects happen in around 1 in 10 people. Keep taking the medicine, but talk to your doctor or pharmacist if these side effects bother you or do not go away:

• feeling sick (nausea)
• diarrhoea
• Serious side effects
• Serious side effects are rare and happen in less than 1 in 1,000 people.

Call a doctor straight away if you get:

diarrhoea (possibly with stomach cramps) that contains blood or mucus or severe diarrhoea that lasts for more than 4 days pale poo and dark pee, and the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin) – these can be signs of liver or gallbladder problems bruising or changes in your skin colour joint or muscle pain that comes on after 2 days of taking the medicine a skin rash with circular red patches (this may be less obvious on brown or black skin)

Serious allergic reaction

Around 1 in 15 people have an allergic reaction to amoxicillin.

In most cases, the allergic reaction is mild and can take the form of a skin rash. Mild skin rashes can usually be treated by taking antihistamines. In rare cases, amoxicillin can cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).