Amoxicillin for purulent sore throat: does it help, instructions for use

Antibiotics are very common medications that are often used to treat purulent tonsillitis. Most patients are prescribed antibiotics from the penicillin or cephalosporin group, such as Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, and Cephalexin. Amoxicillin is often the number one antibiotic for tonsillitis - this drug is affordable, effective, and relatively safe.

Can Amoxicillin be used for sore throat?

Angina is a disease of microbial origin in most cases, in which the palatine tonsils become inflamed. In case of angina (in medical circles the disease is called "tonsillitis") antibiotics are almost always prescribed, since the disease very often causes complications: kidney dysfunction, rheumatism, inflammation of the middle ear, etc.

The doctor decides which antibiotic to choose – after all, the drug must be equally effective and safe. Often, Amoxicillin becomes the drug of choice, as it has a wide range of antimicrobial activity and helps to cope with the insidious disease faster.

Considering that angina is most often caused by bacteria such as streptococci and staphylococci, treatment with drugs from the penicillin group (including Amoxicillin) is entirely justified. Amoxicillin should not be taken for angina only when the patient has a predisposition to developing an allergic reaction to penicillin drugs. In such a situation, the doctor prescribes other drugs: fluoroquinolones, macrolides, etc.

Indications of amoxicillin for sore throat.

However, antibiotics are not always present in the treatment regimen for sore throat. To prescribe these drugs, you need to have clear indications. In what cases is Amoxicillin prescribed, in particular?

• If there is visible purulent plaque on the surface of the tonsils.
• In case of severe prolonged fever.
• With enlargement of the submandibular lymph nodes.
• If other symptoms not specific to angina appear.

In the above cases, the doctor will definitely recommend antibiotic therapy to the adult patient - and without even waiting for the results of laboratory tests. It is important not to confuse the symptoms of tonsillitis and a viral disease - for example, the flu. After all, as we know, antibiotics are powerless against the virus and can only cause harm.

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Amoxicillin for purulent tonsillitis and herpes

Purulent tonsillitis is a direct indication for taking an antibiotic such as Amoxicillin. Purulent discharge is considered the main sign of microbial invasion, which can be stopped with antibiotics.

There is no point in treating a sore throat caused by a virus or fungus. By the way, fungal tonsillitis is often mistaken for purulent sore throat, since the typical coating of a fungal infection, resembling cottage cheese, can be confused with a purulent film.

Amoxicillin will also be ineffective for herpetic sore throat, because herpes is a viral infection that can only be treated with special antiviral drugs. The herpes virus is able to penetrate the DNA of cells and multiply there. Antibiotics cannot penetrate cells and destroy viral DNA - only antiviral drugs can do this.

Amoxicillin can be used for herpetic sore throat if this disease, against the background of the virus, is also accompanied by a secondary infection of bacterial origin. In addition, the antibiotic can be prescribed with a significant change in the blood composition and prolonged severe fever to avoid complications.

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Release form

Amoxicillin is available in several medicinal forms:

• Encapsulated preparation of 250 mg (package contains 16 capsules).
• Encapsulated preparation of 500 mg (package contains 16 capsules).
• Granulated preparation for the preparation of suspension (packaging – bottle).

Amoxicillin 500 is most widely used for sore throat due to its ease of use: adult patients most often use the standard treatment regimen, which involves taking Amoxicillin 500 three times a day, one capsule at a time.

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Pharmacodynamics

Amoxicillin is a typical representative of the penicillin group of antibiotics. This drug successfully fights streptococci, staphylococci and mixed infections.

The mechanism of action of this antibiotic for sore throat is as follows: getting into the inflamed tissue in the area of development of microbial infection, Amoxicillin inhibits the production of a substance without which it is impossible to build the wall of a microbial cell. As a result, the pathogenic microorganism loses the ability to develop and reproduce. If the effect of the antibiotic continues, the microbe also loses the function of restoring its own cell wall, which leads to its death.

Amoxicillin for sore throat is used in uncomplicated clinical situations when the disease is exclusively microbial in nature, confirmed by symptoms and laboratory test results. The antibiotic is powerless against fungi and viruses.

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Pharmacokinetics

Amoxicillin for sore throat acts almost immediately. This antibiotic has high biological availability: about 93% enters the bloodstream after oral administration. This is what causes the rapid and effective action of the drug, which is quickly distributed in most tissues and fluids in the body.

Due to high bioavailability, there is no need for large doses of the drug. If we compare the degree of such bioavailability in other antibiotics, we can see that, for example, in Phenoxymethylpenicillin it is 50%, and in Ampicillin - no more than 40%. Therefore, the dosage of the listed drugs is always high.

Amoxicillin has a weak binding to plasma proteins - this binding is estimated at 17%.

Maximum plasma concentrations after a single dose of 250 mg or 500 mg are detected within 1-2 hours. The half-life is 1-1.5 hours.

The drug is practically not metabolized. It is excreted from the body mainly through the urinary system, and to a lesser extent – with feces.

The presence of food in the stomach does not affect the quality of absorption of Amoxicillin.

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Dosing and administration

Amoxicillin should be taken three times a day: after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner.

For uncomplicated common tonsillitis, 500 mg of antibiotic is prescribed at each dose.

The standard course of Amoxicillin for sore throat lasts from five to seven days. If the disease is protracted and there are various complications, the doctor may prescribe an increased dosage of 750 mg three times a day.

How many times to take Amoxicillin for sore throat? The drug is taken three times a day, regardless of the dosage.

How many days to drink Amoxicillin for sore throat? Treatment can last from five to fourteen days, depending on the complexity of the disease. In any case, the antibiotic is continued for another two to three days after the patient's condition has returned to normal.

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Amoxicillin for sore throat in adults

For the treatment of angina in adults, Amoxicillin is used only in the case of the development of a purulent process. Purulent discharge indicates the presence of a microbial lesion, which can be stopped by using a quality antibiotic, in this case, Amoxicillin.

There is absolutely no point in prescribing antibiotics for viral or fungal infections - when the tonsils are clean, without purulent plugs and plaque.

Amoxicillin should not be taken by people who suffer from ulcerative inflammatory diseases of the stomach or intestines, as well as lymphocytic leukemia and infectious mononucleosis.

If the doctor has prescribed Amoxicillin for the treatment of sore throat, then you should strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen. You cannot independently make changes to the indicated dosage, frequency and frequency of taking the drug, or finish treatment before the doctor allows it. Such thoughtless independent actions can lead to the development of bacterial resistance, which will lead to the return of painful symptoms and further complications in treatment.

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Amoxicillin for sore throat in children

In childhood, the use of Amoxicillin to treat sore throat is not uncommon. After 12 years, the children's dosage of the antibiotic is equal to the adult's - the same applies to children from 10 years old, whose weight is above 40 kg.

Amoxicillin is offered to small children not in capsules, but in suspension. The dosage is determined as follows:

• Children aged 5-10 years receive 250 mg of Amoxicillin in the morning, afternoon and evening;
• Children aged 2-5 years receive a dose of 20 mg of the drug per 1 kg of weight (this is the daily amount, which should be divided into three doses).

Amoxicillin for sore throat can be used by both infants and even newborns. For infants, the dosage is calculated individually, and the total duration of antibiotic therapy is 12 days.

To prepare Amoxicillin suspension for a baby, add water to the bottle with the drug (up to the dispenser line) and mix well, shaking lightly.

The resulting suspension can be stored for a short time: no more than two weeks in a cool place.

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Use of amoxicillin for sore throat. during pregnancy

The decision on the use of Amoxicillin by a pregnant woman should be made by a doctor. Before prescribing an antibiotic, he/she takes into account the following facts:

• Amoxicillin is able to overcome placental protection – and in greater quantities than some other antibiotics (for example, Apmicillin).
• There is no proven evidence yet of the effect of Amoxicillin on the development of birth defects in newborn children.
• Amoxicillin is rapidly eliminated from the body.
• Side effects during treatment with Amoxicillin may negatively affect the course of pregnancy and the intrauterine development of the fetus.

Considering all the above facts, we can only say one thing: Amoxicillin for sore throat can be prescribed only in cases where it is absolutely impossible to do without it. In all other cases, it is better not to take risks: antibiotic treatment should be avoided.

In the first half of pregnancy, the use of Amoxicillin is most undesirable, and during lactation it is prohibited.

Self-administration of Amoxicillin for the treatment of sore throat is strictly prohibited.

Contraindications

There are relatively few contraindications to taking Amoxicillin for sore throat. However, they do exist, and any patient who is to undergo such treatment should be aware of them.

• Hypersensitivity to any of the penicillin series drugs.
• Allergic reaction to antibiotics from the penicillin or cephalosporin series (cross-reaction may develop).
• Lymphocytic leukemia and infectious mononucleosis.
• Relative contraindications are:
• acute inflammatory and ulcerative-erosive processes in the digestive tract;
• severe liver and kidney dysfunction;
• pregnancy.

If Amoxicillin is prescribed during lactation, breastfeeding is temporarily discontinued. Most mothers return to breastfeeding approximately five days after the last dose of the antibiotic.

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Side effects of amoxicillin for sore throat.

The list of side effects that may occur while taking Amoxicillin is relatively small. The most common of these are:

• skin rash, itching, redness, allergic swelling;
• the appearance of crystals in urine;
• slight increase in liver enzymes;
• transient leukopenia, anemia, transient increase in prothrombin time;
• state of excitement, headaches, sleep disturbances.

As a rule, all the listed symptoms are temporary. They pass without additional treatment, immediately after stopping taking the antibiotic Amoxicillin.

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Overdose

Taking a large amount of antibiotics is usually not accompanied by any specific symptoms. The possibility of developing side effects is allowed.

If there is a suspicion of an overdose, it is recommended to wash out the patient's stomach and give him a sorbent.

If the amount of Amoxicillin taken is too large, the doctor may use hemodialysis in combination with symptomatic therapy.

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Interactions with other drugs

It is not advisable to take Amoxicillin and Allopurinol at the same time: a skin rash may appear.

Amoxicillin inhibits the action of contraceptive drugs for internal use.

Amoxicillin should not be combined with antacids and bacteriostatic antibiotics (Chloramphenicol, Tetracycline, etc.): these drugs negatively affect the absorption and effectiveness of Amoxicillin.

Probenecid inhibits the excretion of Amoxicillin by the kidneys.

When taken in combination with Amoxicillin and anticoagulants, the duration of bleeding and prothrombin index may increase.

Storage conditions

Amoxicillin capsules and suspension can be stored at room temperature, out of the reach of children.

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Shelf life

Capsules and granules for the preparation of Amoxicillin suspension are stored for three years. The prepared suspension is stored for at least two weeks.

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Reviews

Almost all patients who had to treat angina with Amoxicillin indicate the high efficiency of this antibiotic. It is not without reason that the drug is considered the antibiotic of choice for purulent angina: it has a pronounced effect, has few side effects, is affordable and practically safe. Only in rare cases does Amoxicillin cause dyspepsia, colitis or allergy.

The most important point during treatment with Amoxicillin is not to violate the rules of antibiotic therapy. Thus, you cannot arbitrarily interrupt the treatment prescribed by the doctor, you cannot use the antibiotic externally instead of taking it internally (for example, for rinsing), you cannot adjust the dose and frequency of administration. All of the listed violations lead to the fact that bacteria develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs, as a result of which diseases develop that become very, very difficult to cure.

If you start treatment as soon as possible and take Amoxicillin correctly (as prescribed by your doctor), then within a few days you can cure your sore throat without developing complications.

What can replace Amoxicillin for sore throat?

If the doctor prescribed Amoxicillin, but it was not available in the pharmacy, then it is quite possible to buy an antibiotic analogue instead. Such antibiotics can be:

• Amoxil tablets;
• Amofast tablets;
• B-Mox capsules;
• Graximol capsules or powder;
• Gramox capsules or powder;
• Iramox capsules;
• Iramox granules;
• Ospamox (available in granules, powder, capsules or tablets);
• Flemoxin tablets;
• Hiconcil capsules or powder.

In addition, you can use combination drugs that include Amoxicillin. Among such drugs, the most popular are Amoxiclav, Amoxil, Augmentin, Betaclav, Teraclav and Flemoklav.

Amoxicillin or Azithromycin for sore throat?

Which antibiotic is better is a relative question. Most often, doctors choose Amoxicillin. The fact is that this antibiotic is able to combine all the properties that provide the maximum possible effectiveness, availability and safety of treatment. Therefore, doctors definitely recommend treating tonsillitis with Amoxicillin.

However, if the tests indicate that bacteria are resistant to penicillins, or the patient is allergic to penicillins, then in such cases Azithromycin is definitely chosen - in terms of the spectrum of antimicrobial activity, this drug is in no way inferior to Amoxicillin.

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Amoxiclav or Amoxicillin for sore throat?

If we analyze the pharmacological properties and composition of the drugs, it turns out that Amoxiclav is a more universal and powerful antibiotic, compared to Amoxicillin. Amoxiclav destroys even those microbes that are resistant to penicillin antibiotics. However, in practice, the effect of these drugs is almost the same - sore throat is cured in about the same period of time.

If the bacteria are not sensitive to penicillins, the doctor will never prescribe either Amoxiclav or Amoxicillin.

If Amoxicillin is prescribed for sore throat, but it is not available in the pharmacy, then this drug can be replaced with Amoxiclav.

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