About co-amoxiclav

Co-amoxiclav is a type of penicillin given to treat bacterial infections. It is prescribed for sinus infections, urine infections, skin infections, joint infections and some dental infections. It is also given before some surgical operations, to prevent an infection from developing.

Co-amoxiclav contains two ingredients, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The first ingredient, amoxicillin, is a penicillin antibiotic which treats infection by killing the bacteria responsible for the infection. Some bacteria are able to produce a chemical which makes amoxicillin less effective. The second ingredient, clavulanic acid, stops this from happening. Clavulanic acid stops the chemical produced by the bacteria from working, and this allows the amoxicillin to kill the bacteria.

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking co-amoxiclav it is important that your doctor knows:

• If you suspect you may have glandular fever.

• Se hai una condizione allergica, o se hai mai avuto una reazione allergica a un medicinale. Questo è particolarmente importante se hai mai avuto una brutta reazione a qualsiasi antibiotico penicillinico.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Co-amoxiclav is not known to be harmful to babies; however, it is still important that you tell your doctor if you are expecting or breastfeeding a baby.

• If you have any problems with the way your liver works, or problems with the way your kidneys work.

• Se stai assumendo altri medicinali. Questo include qualsiasi medicinale che stai assumendo e che è disponibile per l'acquisto senza prescrizione medica, così come i medicinali a base di erbe e complementari.

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about co-amoxiclav and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take co-amoxiclav exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usually taken three times daily, every eight hours. It is important that you space out the doses evenly during the day. Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many tablets (or how much liquid medicine) to take for each dose, and this information will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you. If you have been given liquid medicine for a child, read the directions carefully to make sure you measure out the correct amount of medicine.

• Try to drink plenty of water while you are taking co-amoxiclav, to help keep your kidneys working well. You can take your doses before or after food.

• Se dimentichi di prendere una dose, prendila appena te ne ricordi. Cerca di assumere il numero corretto di dosi ogni giorno, ma non prendere due dosi contemporaneamente per compensare una dose dimenticata.

• If you (or your child) have been prescribed the oral liquid medicine, you may find that it causes some staining of the teeth. This will disappear soon after the course of antibiotics is finished.

• Even if you feel your infection has cleared up, keep taking the antibiotic until the course is finished, unless you are told to stop. This is to prevent the infection from coming back. Your doctor will tell you how long your course of treatment will last - this is not usually for longer than 14 days. If you still feel unwell after finishing the course, go back to see your doctor.

• Alcune persone sviluppano rossore e prurito in bocca o nella vagina (mughetto) dopo aver seguito un ciclo di antibiotici. Se ciò accade a te, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per un consiglio.

• Se stai assumendo la 'pillola' contraccettiva contemporaneamente a questo antibiotico, l'efficacia della 'pillola' può essere ridotta se hai un episodio di vomito o diarrea che dura più di 24 ore. Se ciò dovesse accadere, chiedi consiglio al tuo medico o farmacista su quali precauzioni contraccettive aggiuntive adottare nei giorni successivi. Non è necessario adottare precauzioni aggiuntive per episodi di vomito o diarrea che durano meno di 24 ore.

• Co-amoxiclav may stop the oral typhoid vaccine from working. If you are having any vaccinations, make sure the person treating you knows that you are taking this antibiotic.

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with co-amoxiclav.

Troverai un elenco completo nel foglietto illustrativo del produttore fornito con il tuo medicinale. Gli effetti indesiderati spesso migliorano man mano che il tuo corpo si adatta al nuovo medicinale, ma parla con il tuo medico o farmacista se uno dei seguenti persiste o diventa problematico.

Se si verificano altri sintomi che ritieni possano essere dovuti all'antibiotico, parla con il tuo medico o farmacista per ulteriori consigli.

• Tenere tutti i medicinali fuori dalla portata e dalla vista dei bambini.

• Keep co-amoxiclav liquid medicine in a refrigerator, and do not use it after the expiry date on the bottle. It will have been made up by the pharmacy and it is important you do not store or use it for longer than seven days since the date it was made up.

• Store co-amoxiclav tablets in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat and light.