- Names: Generic Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate)
- Dosage: 250/125mg | 500/125mg | 750/250mg
- Price: $1.62 per pill
Generic Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) is a medication from to the group of penicillin antibiotics. It has a wide spectrum of action against various bacterial forms of microorganisms (gram-positive, gram-negative, aerobic and anaerobic). The drug is moderately priced and as a result is very popular.
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How to get Augmentin over the counter?
Not long ago, you could not buy this drug without a doctor’s prescription due to the fact that pharmacies only sold the original brand-name product. But when the official patent expired, other manufacturers began to manufacture Augmentin generics. Thanks to this, today you can buy this drug over the counter online. However, it is still recommended that you consult a doctor before using antibiotics as self-medication can be dangerious. Before you take this antibiotic, make sure that this is the drug you really need for your health condition.
Can I buy Augmentin online?
You can buy antibiotics online but you should be careful. Today, the market has a lot of unscrupulous manufacturers who produce goods of dubious quality.
If you want to buy quickly high-quality antibiotics online, you should choose only trusted pharmacies. For example, our pharmacy offers customers the most favorable conditions for cooperation. We also deliver products all over the globe. Our pharmacy works with leading manufacturers of drugs. Therefore, we can guarantee the quality of the goods presented in the catalog, as well as the lowest prices. Here you can buy Generic Augmentin that costs only $1.70 per pill.
What is Augmentin used for?
The drug is used to treat bacterial infections caused by drug-sensitive microorganisms:
- upper respiratory tract infections, infections of ENT organs (for example, recurrent tonsillitis, strep, sinusitis, otitis media), usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes;
- lower respiratory tract infections (eg, exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, lobar pneumonia and bronchopneumonia), usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis (except for tablets 250 mg / 125 mg);
- urogenital tract infections: cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, infections of the female genital organs, usually caused by species of the Enterobacteriaceae family (mainly Escherichia coli), Staphylococcus saprophyticus and species of the genus Enterococcus;
- gonorrhea caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (except tablets 250 mg / 125 mg);
- infections of the skin and soft tissues, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and species of the genus Bacteroides;
- infections of bones and joints (for example, osteomyelitis, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus);
- odontogenic infections (eg, periodontitis, maxillary sinusitis, severe dental abscesses with spreading cellulite) – for tablets of 500 mg / 125 mg or 875 mg / 125 mg;
- other mixed infections (eg, septic abortion, postpartum sepsis, intra-abdominal sepsis) as part of step therapy.
How does it work?
Amoxicillin is a semi-synthetic antibiotic with a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity against many gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms.
Amoxicillin is sensitive to the action of beta-lactamase and disintegrates under its influence, therefore, the activity spectrum of amoxicillin does not include microorganisms synthesizing this enzyme.
Clavulanic acid has a beta-lactam structure similar to that of penicillins, and also has the ability to inactivate beta-lactamase enzymes produced by penicillins and cephalosporins resistant microorganisms. In particular, it has a pronounced activity against clinically important plasmid beta-lactamases, which are often responsible for the occurrence of cross-resistance to antibiotics. Clavulanic acid protects amoxicillin from decay by the action of beta-lactamase enzymes and expands the antibacterial action of amoxicillin, including many microorganisms resistant to amoxicillin and other penicillins and cephalosporins.
What type of bacteria does it treat?
Bacteria that are commonly susceptible to a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid:
- Gram-positive aerobes: Bacillus anthracis, Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, Nocardia asteroides, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus spp. (other β-hemolytic streptococci), Staphylococcus aureus (sensitive to methicillin), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (sensitive to methicillin), Staphylococcus spp. (coagulase-negative, sensitive to methicillin);
- Gram-negative aerobes: Bordetella pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, Helicobacter pylori, Moraxella catarrhalis1, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pasteurella multocida, Vibrio cholerae;
- Gram-positive anaerobes: Clostridium spp., Peptococcus niger, Peptostreptococcus magnus, Peptostreptococcus micros, Peptostreptococcus spp.;
- Gram-negative anaerobes: Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides spp., Capnocytophaga spp., Eikenella corrodens, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium spp., Porphyromonas spp., Prevotella spp.;
- Other: Borrelia burgdorferi, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Treponema pallidum.
Bacteria they are likely to be resistant to a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid:
- Gram-negative aerobes: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella spp., Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp.;
- Gram-positive aerobes: Corynebacterium spp., Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus group Viridans.
Bacteria that are naturally resistant to the combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid:
- Gram-negative aerobes: Acinetobacter spp., Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., Hafnia alvei, Legionella pneumophila, Morganella morganii, Providencia spp., Pseudomonas spp., Serratia spp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Yersinia enterocolitica;
- Other: Chlamydia pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia spp., Coxiella burnetti, Mycoplasma spp.
Dosage and administration
Augmentin is taken half an hour before meals with plenty of water. The duration of treatment usually does not exceed 5 days. It is not recommended to take the drug for more than two weeks without a doctor’s consultation. The dosage is 1 tablet 2-3 times a day. Chidren receive the in the form of a suspension for oral administration, the dose is determined by calculation, taken 2-3 times a day with a pause of 8 to 12 hours, depending on the concentration of the drug. The dose of the drug for infants is 30 mg / kg per day, divided into two doses, in the form of a suspension diluted at a concentration of 4 to 1. Patients with impaired liver function should have liver function control tests during and after treatment.
Overdose
An overdose of amoxicillin/clavulanate may be accompanied by symptoms of the digestive tract and disturbances in the water-electrolyte balance. Treatment is symptomatic, correction of water-electrolyte disturbances is required. Patients with impaired renal function who take high doses of the drug may suffer from seizures. Crystalluria may occur, which in some cases leads to renal failure. The antibiotic can be removed from the bloodstream by hemodialysis.
Who should not take this drug?
Contraindications for Augmentin include:
- hypersensitivity to amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, other components of the drug, beta-lactam antibiotics (for example, penicillins, cephalosporins) in the anamnesis;
- previous episodes of jaundice or impaired liver function when using a combination of amoxicillin with clavulanic acid in history;
- children’s age under 3 months;
- impaired renal function (creatinine clearance less than 30 ml / min);
- phenylketonuria.
Side effects
In some cases, the medicine can cause adverse reactions.
- Infectious and parasitic diseases: candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes;
- Blood and lymphatic system disorders: reversible leukopenia (including neutropenia), reversible thrombocytopenia, reversible agranulocytosis and reversible hemolytic anemia, prolonged bleeding time and prothrombin time, anemia, eosinophilia, thrombocytosis;
- Immune system disorders: angioedema, anaphylactic reactions, a syndrome similar to serum sickness, allergic vasculitis;
- Nervous system disorders: dizziness, headache, reversible hyperactivity, convulsions, insomnia, agitation, anxiety, behavior change. Seizures can occur in patients with impaired renal function, as well as in those who receive high doses of the drug;
- Gastrointestinal disorders: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, antibiotic-associated colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis and hemorrhagic colitis), black “hairy” tongue, gastritis, stomatitis, tooth enamel color change in children;
- Liver and biliary tract disorders: a moderate increase in the activity of aspartate aminotransferase and / or alanine aminotransferase (AST and / or ALT). This reaction is observed in patients receiving beta-lactam antibiotic therapy, but its clinical significance is unknown. In very rare cases, patients had hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice. These reactions were observed in patients receiving therapy with penicillin antibiotics and cephalosporins. Adverse reactions related to the liver have been observed mainly in men and elderly patients and may be associated with long-term therapy. These adverse reactions are very rarely observed in children. The listed signs and symptoms usually occur during or immediately after treatment, however, in some cases, they may appear several weeks after completion of therapy. Side effects are usually reversible. Adverse reactions related to the liver can be severe;
- Skin disorders: rash, itching, urticaria, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, bullous exfoliative dermatitis, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis;
- Kidneys and urinary tract disorders: interstitial nephritis, crystalluria, hematuria.
How long do side effects of Augmentin last?
In mild cases, side effects may last several days after you stop taking the drug. In more severe cases, the symptoms may last several weeks after you stop taking the drug. Severe side effects are usually caused by an overdose of amoxicillin/clavulanate. So you should never exceed the maximum recommended dose. If you have any negative reactions that do not go away for a long time, you should seek medical attention.
What should I avoid when taking this medicine?
- It is not recommended taking Augmentin with milk, dairy products, as well as fruit and vegetable juices. The compounds contained in these products interact with the components of the antibiotic, reducing its effectiveness;
- It is not recommended taking this drug with carbonated drinks, for example, coca cola. It leads to the formation of chemical compounds that impede the absorption of antibiotics in the intestines;
- Do not take this drug with any fruit juices. Fruit acids reduce drug effectiveness.
Can you take antibiotics and drink alcohol?
Alcohol is not able to affect the concentration and therapeutic effect of the drug. But is it ok to drink alcohol whe taking Augmentin? The instructions for use clearly indicate that combining these substances is unacceptable. The thing is that both alcohol and the antibiotic have an extremely negative effect on renal and hepatic activity. In addition, this antibiotic may cause adverse reactions that can be intensified and prolonged when the drug is combined with alcohol.
Once in the body, the components of the antibiotic destroy not only pathogenic but also beneficial intestinal microflora. As a result, the patient’s immune status decreases sharply. If you add alcohol to this, then you may suffer from many pathologies: lack of hepatic activity, errosive lesions, ulcerative processes in the gastrointestinal tract, hepatitis, pancreatitis
If antibiotic therapy was aimed at eliminating genitourinary infections, then alcohol can lead to exacerbations of the disease, often associated with renal failure. In the treatment of bronchitis, alcohol can provoke pulmonary inflammation.
The frequent consequences of the combination of this antibiotic and alcohol are adverse reactions: severe diarrhea, dizziness, sweating, stomach pains, internal bleeding of the gastric localization, candidiasis, which affects the mucous tissues of the vagina, intestines, oral cavity, etc.
You can drink alcohol only five to seven days after the end of antibiotic therapy.
What medications interact with Augmentin?
Avoid taking this antibiotic with any of the following drugs:
- probenecid;
- allopurinol;
- methotrexate;
- combined oral contraceptives;
- acenocoumarol;
- warfarin;
- mycophenolate mofetil.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
In studies of reproductive function in animals, oral and parenteral administration of the drug did not cause teratogenic effects.
In a single study in women with premature membranes rupture, it was found that prophylactic drug therapy may be associated with an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis in newborns. Like all medicines, Augmentin is not recommended for use during pregnancy unless the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the potential risk to the fetus.
The antibiotic can be used during breastfeeding. No adverse effects were observed in breast-fed infants except for the possibility of sensitization, diarrhea, or candidiasis of the oral mucous membranes associated with the penetration of trace amounts of the drug into breast milk. In case of adverse effects in breast-fed infants, breastfeeding should be discontinued.
Warnings and precautions
- You should use the drug with caution if you have any of the following conditions: pregnancy, lactation, severe hepatic insufficiency, gastrointestinal diseases (including a history of colitis associated with the use of penicillins), chronic renal failure;
- Before starting treatment, it is necessary to collect a detailed medical history regarding previous hypersensitivity reactions to penicillins, cephalosporins or other substances that cause an allergic reaction in the patient;
- The risk of severe hypersensitivity reactions (anaphylactic reactions) to penicillins is highest in patients with a history of hypersensitivity reactions to penicillins. In case of an allergic reaction, it is necessary to discontinue antibiotic treatment and begin appropriate alternative therapy. In case of serious hypersensitivity reactions, epinephrine should be administered immediately. It may also require oxygen therapy, iv administration of corticosteroids and airway management, including intubation;
- In case of skin allergic reactions, treatment should be discontinued;
- Long-term treatment with Augmentin sometimes leads to excessive reproduction of insensitive microorganisms;
- In rare cases, the drug can cause pseudomembranous colitis. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of developing pseudomembranous colitis in patients with diarrhea during or after the use of antibiotics. If the diarrhea is prolonged or severe or the patient experiences abdominal cramps, treatment should be stopped immediately and the patient should be examined. The use of drugs that inhibit intestinal motility is contraindicated;
- In general, Augmentin is well tolerated and has low toxicity characteristic of all penicillins;
- During prolonged therapy, it is recommended to periodically check the function of the kidneys, liver and hematopoietic system;
- The drug can alter results in the contect of glucose in the urine. In this case, it is recommended to use the glucose oxidant method for determining the concentration of glucose in the urine;
- Clavulanic acid can cause nonspecific binding of immunoglobulin G and albumin to erythrocyte membranes, which leads to false positive Coombs test results;
- The drug does not cause addiction or euphoria reactions;
- Since the drug may cause dizziness, it is necessary to warn patients about precautions when driving a vehicle or working with moving machinery.
Augmentin reviews
There are lots of positive drug reviews on the net.
One of the medical experts says that this is an excellent drug with minimal side effects. It works quickly, the relief occurs the same day. It is used for a wide range of various diseases. The antibiotic has affordable cost and is available in almost any online pharmacy. The dosage is convenient. He adds that his every patient was satisfied with the treatment.
Another health care provider reports that Augmentin is the most effective antibiotic from the group of penicillins. It works well in the treatment of respiratory diseases at the initial stage.
One more medical practitioner says that this antibiotic is great, he always recommends it for bacterial throat diseases: laryngitis, tonsillitis, etc. He also adds that the drug rarely causes side effects.
As for patients, they are also satisfied with the treatment. One female patient reports that this medicine cured her “terrible” cystitis, she took the pills for 8 days and felt much better the very next day. She recovered completely after 7 days.
Finally, a male patient used Augmentin for bronchitis. He says that this drug helped him quickly, he felt relief after 2 days of therapy. He took the antibiotic for 5 days and I did not notice any severe side effects.