Possible side effects when taking Augmentin

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Pharmacist, Dr. Phan Quynh Lan, Director of Pharmacy Department of Vinmec Health System - Head of Pharmacy Department of Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Augmentin is an antibiotic used to treat many common bacterial infections, but some patients may experience side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, and fungal infections.

1. What are the side effects of Augmentin?

1.1. Gastrointestinal disorders Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, indigestion are all side effects of Augmentin. The rate of diarrhea when using Augmentin ranges from 3 to 34% depending on the dose regimen. More rarely, patients may develop colitis (including pseudomembranous colitis and hemorrhagic colitis). To reduce stomach upset, Augmentin can be taken with food.
Patients should consult a doctor or pharmacist if they experience serious symptoms, such as dark urine, persistent nausea, vomiting, severe stomach or abdominal pain , yellowing of the skin or eyes, bruising or bleeding, signs of infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat) and unusual tiredness while taking the medicine.
Patients should not arbitrarily use anti-diarrheal drugs or pain relievers to cope with Augmentin side effects, because these drugs can make the condition worse. Instead, contact your doctor if you notice any unusual symptoms after taking the medicine, especially persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, mucus or bloody stools.

1.2. Candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes Continuous use of Augmentin for a long time may lead to yeast or Candida infections of the skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, patients should see a doctor if they see white patches in the mouth, have irregular menstrual cycles or unusual symptoms that are suspected of having a bacterial or fungal infection.
1.3. Skin reactions Skin reactions after taking Augmentin are relatively rare, including skin rash, itching, urticaria, erythema multiforme, swelling in some parts (especially on the face, tongue, throat).
Signs of skin allergies are rarer, but extremely dangerous, such as Stevens - Johnson syndrome, necrosis of the epidermis, bullous dermatitis, scabbing and the appearance of a generalized pustular rash. acute trunk (AGEP). Although rare, the side effects of Augmentin on the skin need to be dealt with as soon as possible, to avoid possible serious consequences.
1.4. Immune system disorders Adverse effects of Augmentin on the immune system are uncommon, but occasionally patients develop severe symptoms, such as angioedema, anaphylaxis, inflammation. hypersensitivity pulse.
1.5. Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders Augmentin has the potential to cause reversible leukopenia (including neutrophils), thrombocytopenia, reversible agranulocytosis and hemolytic anemia. In addition, Augmentin also has the risk of prolonging the bleeding time and prothrombin time, affecting the blood clotting process of the body.
1.6. Nervous System Disorders The adverse effects of Augmentin on the nervous system include: dizziness, headache or, more rarely, reversible hyperactivity and convulsions, sometimes with seizures in certain medical conditions. patients with impaired renal function or prolonged high doses.
1.7. Hepatobiliary tract disorders Augmentin may cause a moderate increase in AST or ALT levels in subjects being treated with beta-lactam antibiotics. Other very rare side effects, related to the hepatobiliary system, include dermatitis and cholestatic jaundice.
1.8. Renal and urinary disorders Although uncommon, there are cases of patients with interstitial nephritis, crystalluria.
In addition to the above side effects, patients taking Augmentin may experience other symptoms and disorders. Therefore, if you are being treated with this antibiotic and notice any unusual symptoms, the patient should contact a doctor/pharmacist or go to a medical facility to be examined and treated promptly, to avoid causing dangerous complications.

2. Be careful when using Augmentin

During the examination and prescription, the patient should tell the doctor or pharmacist about his or her allergy to antibiotics, if any, especially to beta-lactam drugs (including penicillins and cephalosporins to which amoxicillin - the main active ingredient of Augmentin belongs). In addition, the treating doctor also needs to know the patient's medical history, especially liver and kidney diseases...
Augmentin often contains aspartame as an excipient. Therefore, the drug may affect subjects with phenylketonuria (PKU) or other conditions that require patients to limit the absorption of aspartame (or phenylalanine) from the daily diet. In this case, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for instructions on how to use the medicine safely.
In addition, using Augmentin may decrease the effectiveness of some vaccines containing live bacteria (such as typhoid vaccine). Therefore, any immunological or preventive vaccines should not be given while being treated with this antibiotic, unless otherwise agreed by the treating physician.
For pregnant and lactating women, Augmentin should only be used when needed, because it can be absorbed into breast milk. Consult with your doctor about taking medication during pregnancy and lactation.

3. Augmentin can interact with any drugs?

Drugs that are likely to interact with Augmentin are mainly Methotrexate (usually used in chemotherapy and immunosuppression).
Drug interactions can change the mechanism of action of drugs, reduce the effectiveness of treatment or increase the risk of serious side effects. Therefore, before treating diseases with Augmentin, doctors need to know the drugs the patient is taking to determine the risk of interactions. In addition, patients should not arbitrarily use or stop the drug, or change the dose of the drug without a doctor's prescription.
Although used as a medicine to treat diseases, like all other drugs, Augmentin also has certain side effects. However, when a doctor has decided to use a drug to treat a patient, it means that the drug is really effective and the risk of side effects, if any, is under control.

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