Amoxicillin... is this a problem?

[LisaLouise73]

I was prescribed a course of 250mg of Amoxicillin, 3 times a day for 7 days for an "supposidly" overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. The professor I saw didn't do a test for it, he thinks it is that!

Anyway, day 1 I took one at 1pm, then again at 3pm. All went ok but felt a tad nauseous in the eve and had that awful 'amoxi' taste starting. Day 2 I took one again at 11am and then again at 3pm. Within the hour of taking the 3pm one I started to get awful tummy gripes and thought it was just my IBS playing up. It wasn't. I visited the toilet 4-5 times over the next 2 hours with diarrehoa I then looked on the net to see what the adult dosage was and I was shocked to read that it was 250mg every 8 HOURS I felt releived that it wasn't me rejecting the anti's.

All night that night I felt soooooooooo nauseous and felt that if I moved I would have been sick, needless to say I didn't sleep well!
I took another dose this morning at 8am and again within an hour I was on the toilet again. I have only been twice today so far and am due to take my next at 3.30-4pm.

Do you think I had took them too close together and hence why I am still suffering and felt so awful last night? Or is this normal and I will have to put up with it until saturday? (which is when the course finishes)

I wouldn't know if I was allergic but I have taken amoxi 17 years ago for a recurring urine infection for a 4 week course but had to come off them as they made me start to feel dizzy and sick. Would that have affected me years on?

Any help would be really really appreciated :)

Thank you

Nausea/vomiting/loose stools are all common side effects of the amoxicillin, taking them a bit close together is absolutely fine - 3 x a day spread out evenly means around every eight hours. But it is common to be prescibed 500mg or more 3 x daily so it is not excessive at all.

Loose stools/tummy ache would not suggest allergy - allergy would be rash, itchy, swelling etc. But if the side effects are intolerable you can speak to the dr about an alternative.

The thing you are being treated for - any clue what it is? Amoxcil is sometimes part of the treatment for helicobacter pylori but is usually given with other drugs too for that.

Thanks for your reply :)

Bad bacteria in the gut is caused by either constipation for long periods (sometimes associated with IBS) and sometimes it can be caused by a tummy bug that festers in the gut's wall. I have been tested for the Helico and it showed that I wasn't suffering from that.

It's strange because when I took Amoxi all those years ago I don't recall being like this and I was on them more regularly and for a longer period. I only started to feel unwell on them when I was entering the 4th week of 4 a day!

Could it be that the Amoxi is upsetting my IBS?
x

Hi - I have much higher prescriptions that your dose, but I have no real issues with amoxycillin ... worth contacting person who prescribed it though, in case original condition not being helped with it, or it getting worse???? Few random thoughts??

Thanks kez

I have asked for my Dr to phone when he can today. He may tell me to stop taking them and concentrate on getting the prescribed dose of Probiotic VSL#3 into my system which has been lacking good bacteria for YEARS! x

Dr has phoned me now, since I last posted I have had another tablet and yet another bout of explosive ermmmmm number 2's (sorry!)

He said it seems like the Amoxil is doing too good a job on me and has suggested I go down to 2 tablets a day. One in the morning and one in the evening, just as long as I take the whole course, there is no strict timing. Phew, was I glad to hear that! So now instead of finishing them on saturday, I will be finishing them on Monday!

He's also said I can take Stemetil for the nausea. Which is a god send to me!

Glad you got that answer!!

Thank you Kez x