Drug Database: Amoxicillin / Clavulanate Potassium

What is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium? What is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

What is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium is an antibacterial prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of certain bacterial infections, such as infections of the ear and sinus; skin; urinary tract; and lower respiratory tract (including pneumonia).

Community-acquired pneumonia, a bacterial respiratory disease, can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

How is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium used in people with HIV? How is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium used in people with HIV?

How is amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents With HIV include recommendations on the use of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium in people with HIV to treat community acquired pneumonia.

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium. See the Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium in adults and adolescents with HIV. Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium? What should I tell my health care provider before taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

What should I tell my health care provider before taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

Before taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to amoxicillin, clavulanate, other beta-lactam antibacterial medicines (such as penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics), or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had, especially:
  • Liver problems
  • Kidney problems, including if you are receiving dialysis
  • Allergies, hay fever, eczema, asthma
  • Mononucleosis (also called "mono")
  • Phenylketonuria (PKU). The artificial sweetener (aspartame) in amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium chewable tablets and oral suspension contains phenylalanine. Phenylalanine may be harmful to people with PKU.
• About anything that could affect your ability to take medicines, such as difficulty swallowing or remembering to take pills.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium during pregnancy.
• If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. For mothers with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. Mothers with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk. Although most medicines are safe to use while breastfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breastfeeding.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium work. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and the other medicines you or your child take.

How should I take amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium? How should I take amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

How should I take amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

Take amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium to take and when to take it. 

It is important to complete the full prescribed course of treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop using amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium too soon or skip doses, your infection may not be fully treated, and the bacteria may become harder to treat (resistant).

Before you start amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

What side effects can amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium cause? What side effects can amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium cause?

What side effects can amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium cause?

Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium may cause side effects that can be mild or serious. To learn about possible side effects of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, see the FDA drug labels for amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium tablet (film coated), powder (for oral suspension); tablet (multilayer, extended release); and tablet (film coated), powder (for oral suspension), tablet (chewable) or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist. Tell your health care professional if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some side effects. 

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.

How should amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium be stored? How should amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium be stored?

How should amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium be stored?

• Store amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium film-coated tablets, extended-release tablets, and chewable tablets at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
• Store amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium dry powder for oral suspension at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). The reconstituted (mixed) suspension must be stored in a refrigerator. Discard after 10 days.
• Keep amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed.
• Do not use amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA Guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium? Where can I find more information about amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

Where can I find more information about amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related uses of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents With HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Tablet (film coated), powder (for oral suspension); Tablet (multilayer, extended release); Tablet (film coated), powder (for oral suspension), tablet (chewable). The Patient Counseling Information section of the label includes information for people taking amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for amoxicillin and clavulanic acid available from MedlinePlus.
• Research studies related to amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.)