Before Using

Drug information provided by: Merative, Micromedex®

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to medicines in this group or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Many penicillins have been used in children and, in effective doses, are not expected to cause different side effects or problems in children than they do in adults.

Some strengths of the chewable tablets of amoxicillin contain aspartame, which is changed by the body to phenylalanine, a substance that is harmful to patients with phenylketonuria.

Geriatric

Penicillins have been used in the elderly and have not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than they do in younger adults.

Pregnancy

Penicillins have not been studied in pregnant women. However, penicillins have been widely used in pregnant women and have not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breastfeeding

Penicillins pass into the breast milk. Even though only small amounts may pass into breast milk, allergic reactions, diarrhea, fungus infections, and skin rash may occur in nursing babies.

Drug Interactions

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with a medication in this class or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Mavacamten

Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Alfentanil
  • Amifampridine
  • Amiodarone
  • Apixaban
  • Atogepant
  • Avacopan
  • Avapritinib
  • Axitinib
  • Benzhydrocodone
  • Brigatinib
  • Buprenorphine
  • Bupropion
  • Capivasertib
  • Capmatinib
  • Chlortetracycline
  • Cholera Vaccine, Live
  • Clarithromycin
  • Codeine
  • Cyclosporine
  • Dabigatran Etexilate
  • Daclatasvir
  • Daridorexant
  • Darunavir
  • Deflazacort
  • Demeclocycline
  • Desogestrel
  • Dienogest
  • Dihydrocodeine
  • Donepezil
  • Doxorubicin
  • Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
  • Doxycycline
  • Dronedarone
  • Drospirenone
  • Duvelisib
  • Edoxaban
  • Elacestrant
  • Elbasvir
  • Encorafenib
  • Entrectinib
  • Eravacycline
  • Erdafitinib
  • Estetrol
  • Estradiol
  • Ethinyl Estradiol
  • Ethynodiol
  • Etonogestrel
  • Fedratinib
  • Fentanyl
  • Fexinidazole
  • Finerenone
  • Fruquintinib
  • Gestodene
  • Glasdegib
  • Grazoprevir
  • Hemin
  • Hydrocodone
  • Ibrexafungerp
  • Infigratinib
  • Larotrectinib
  • Lefamulin
  • Lemborexant
  • Lenacapavir
  • Leniolisib
  • Levonorgestrel
  • Lorlatinib
  • Lumateperone
  • Lurasidone
  • Lymecycline
  • Meclocycline
  • Medroxyprogesterone
  • Meperidine
  • Mestranol
  • Methacycline
  • Methadone
  • Methotrexate
  • Minocycline
  • Mitapivat
  • Mobocertinib
  • Mycophenolate Mofetil
  • Neratinib
  • Nifedipine
  • Nirogacestat
  • Nomegestrol
  • Norelgestromin
  • Norethindrone
  • Norgestimate
  • Norgestrel
  • Olaparib
  • Olutasidenib
  • Omaveloxolone
  • Oxycodone
  • Oxytetracycline
  • Pacritinib
  • Palovarotene
  • Pemigatinib
  • Pentazocine
  • Perampanel
  • Pimavanserin
  • Piperaquine
  • Pirtobrutinib
  • Pralsetinib
  • Praziquantel
  • Pretomanid
  • Probenecid
  • Quizartinib
  • Repotrectinib
  • Rimegepant
  • Ripretinib
  • Rivaroxaban
  • Rolitetracycline
  • Sarecycline
  • Segesterone
  • Selpercatinib
  • Selumetinib
  • Sildenafil
  • Simeprevir
  • Sufentanil
  • Sulfasalazine
  • Tacrolimus
  • Tazemetostat
  • Tetracycline
  • Tigecycline
  • Tramadol
  • Ubrogepant
  • Ulipristal
  • Vancomycin
  • Vecuronium
  • Velpatasvir
  • Venetoclax
  • Venlafaxine
  • Voclosporin
  • Vonoprazan
  • Voxelotor
  • Voxilaprevir
  • Warfarin
  • Zanubrutinib
  • Zolpidem
  • Zuranolone

Other Interactions

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of medicines in this class. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Allergy, general (such as asthma, eczema, hay fever, hives), history of—Patients with a history of general allergies may be more likely to have a severe reaction to penicillins
  • Bleeding problems, history of—Patients with a history of bleeding problems may be more likely to have bleeding when receiving carbenicillin, piperacillin, or ticarcillin
  • Congestive heart failure (CHF) or
  • High blood pressure—Large doses of carbenicillin or ticarcillin may make these conditions worse, because these medicines contain a large amount of salt
  • Cystic fibrosis—Patients with cystic fibrosis may have an increased chance of fever and skin rash when receiving piperacillin
  • Kidney disease—Patients with kidney disease may have an increased chance of side effects
  • Mononucleosis (”mono”)—Patients with mononucleosis may have an increased chance of skin rash when receiving ampicillin, bacampicillin, or pivampicillin
  • Phenylketonuria—Some strengths of the amoxicillin chewable tablets contain aspartame, which is changed by the body to phenylalanine, a substance that is harmful to patients with phenylketonuria.
  • Stomach or intestinal disease, history of (especially colitis, including colitis caused by antibiotics)—Patients with a history of stomach or intestinal disease may be more likely to develop colitis while taking penicillins