Penicillins and Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors (Systemic)

Proper Use of This Medicine

Amoxicillin and clavulanate combination may be taken on a full or empty stomach. Taking amoxicillin and clavulanate combination with food may decrease the chance of diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

For patients taking the oral liquid form of amoxicillin and clavulanate combination :

• Use a specially marked measuring spoon or other device to measure each dose accurately. The average household teaspoon may not hold the right amount of liquid.
• Do not use after the expiration date on the label. The medicine may not work properly after that date. If you have any questions about this, check with your pharmacist.

For patients taking the chewable tablet form of amoxicillin and clavulanate combination :

• Tablets should be chewed or crushed before they are swallowed.

To help clear up your infection completely, keep taking this medicine for the full time of treatment , even if you begin to feel better after a few days.

This medicine works best when there is a constant amount in the blood or urine. To help keep the amount constant, do not miss any doses. Also, it is best to take the doses at evenly spaced times, day and night . For example, if you are to take four doses a day, the doses should be spaced about 6 hours apart. If this interferes with your sleep or other daily activities, or if you need help in planning the best times to take your medicine, check with your health care professional.

Dosing - The dose of these medicines will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of these medicines. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The number of tablets or teaspoonfuls of suspension that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are taking a penicillin and beta-lactamase inhibitor combination .

For amoxicillin and clavulanate combination
• For bacterial infections:
  • For oral dosage forms (chewable tablets and suspension):
    • Adults, teenagers, and children weighing more than 40 kilograms (kg) (88 pounds) - 250 to 500 milligrams (mg) of amoxicillin, in combination with 125 mg of clavulanate, every eight hours or 500 to 875 mg of amoxicillin, in combination with 125 mg of clavulanate, every twelve hours.
    • Neonates and infants up to 12 weeks (3 months) of age - Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The usual dose is 15 mg of amoxicillin per kg (6.8 mg per pound) of body weight every twelve hours.
    • Infants 3 months of age and older and children weighing up to 40 kg (88 pounds) - 6.7 to 22.5 mg of amoxicillin per kg (3 to 10.2 mg per pound) of body weight, in combination with 1.7 to 3.2 mg of clavulanate per kg (0.8 to 1.5 mg per pound) of body weight, every eight or twelve hours.
  • For oral dosage form (tablets):
    • Adults, teenagers, and children weighing more than 40 kg (88 pounds) - 250 to 500 mg of amoxicillin, in combination with 125 mg of clavulanate, every eight hours or 500 to 875 mg of amoxicillin, in combination with 125 mg of clavulanate, every twelve hours.
    • Infants and children weighing up to 40 kg (88 pounds) - The amoxicillin and clavulanate combination tablets are too strong for children weighing less than 40 kg (88 pounds). The chewable tablets or oral suspension are used in these children.

For ampicillin and sulbactam combination
• For bacterial infections:
  • For injection dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers - 1 to 2 grams of ampicillin, in combination with 500 milligrams (mg) to 1 gram of sulbactam, injected into a vein or a muscle every six hours.
    • Children 1 to 12 years of age - Dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • Children up to 1 year of age - Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

For piperacillin and tazobactam combination
• For bacterial infections:
  • For injection dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers - 3 to 4 grams of piperacillin, in combination with 0.375 to 0.5 grams of tazobactam, injected into a vein every six to eight hours for seven to ten days.
    • Children up to 12 years of age - Dose must be determined by your doctor.

For ticarcillin and clavulanate combination
• For bacterial infections:
  • For injection dosage form:
    • Adults and teenagers weighing 60 kilograms (kg) (132 pounds) or more - 3 grams of ticarcillin, in combination with 100 milligrams (mg) of clavulanate, injected into a vein every four to six hours.
    • Adults and teenagers weighing less than 60 kg (132 pounds) - 50 mg of ticarcillin per kg (22.7 mg per pound) of body weight, in combination with 1.7 mg of clavulanate per kg (0.8 mg per pound) of body weight, injected into a vein every four to six hours.
    • Infants and children 1 month to 12 years of age - 50 mg of ticarcillin per kg (22.7 mg per pound) of body weight, in combination with 1.7 mg of clavulanate per kg (0.8 mg per pound) of body weight, injected into a vein every four to six hours.
    • Infants up to 1 month of age - Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Missed dose - If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. This will help to keep a constant amount of medicine in the blood or urine. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Storage - To store this medicine:

• Keep out of the reach of children.
• Store away from heat and direct light.
• Do not store tablets in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down.
• Store the oral liquid form of penicillins in the refrigerator because heat will cause this medicine to break down. However, keep the medicine from freezing. Follow the directions on the label.
• Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.