What is Ampicillin?

Ampicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin group of drugs. It fights bacteria in your body.

Ampicillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection.

Ampicillin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Ampicillin?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to ampicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as:

• amoxicillin (Amoxil, Amoxicot, Biomox, Dispermox, Trimox)
• carbenicillin (Geocillin)
• dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen)
• oxacillin (Bactocill); or
• penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids, and others)

Before using ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others), or if you have:

• asthma
• kidney disease
• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder
• mononucleosis (also called “mono”)
• a history of diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics; or
• a history of any type of allergy

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take ampicillin.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Ampicillin can make birth control pills less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Before taking ampicillin, tell your doctor if you use birth control pills.

Ampicillin can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Ampicillin Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Ampicillin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash
• diarrhea that is watery or bloody
• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms
• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness
• urinating less than usual or not at all
• agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior; or
• seizure (black-out or convulsions)

Less serious side effects may include

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain
• vaginal itching or discharge
• headache
• swollen, black, or “hairy” tongue; or
• thrush (white patches or inside your mouth or throat)

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ampicillin Interactions

What other drugs affect Ampicillin?

Before taking ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs:

• allopurinol (Zyloprim)
• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)
• probenecid (Benemid)
• a sulfa drug (such as Bactrim or Septra); or
• a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap)

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with ampicillin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Ampicillin?

Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to.

Ampicillin Dosage

How should I take Ampicillin?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take the medicine with a full glass of water.

Ampicillin should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating a meal.

To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

If you are being treated for gonorrhea, your doctor may also have you tested for syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.

Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Ampicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu.

Do not give ampicillin to another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do.

This medication can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using ampicillin.

Store ampicillin at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

What happens if I overdose on Ampicillin?

Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include confusion, behavior changes, a severe skin rash, urinating less than usual, or seizure (black-out or convulsions).

What happens if I miss a dose of Ampicillin?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Edited from everydayhealth.com