Name of medicine

Amoxicillin (sometimes spelt amoxycillin)
Common brands: Amoxil, Amix, Amoram, Amoxident, Galenamox, Rimoxallin

Why is it important for my child to take Amoxicillin?

It is important that your child takes this medicine in the way that your doctor has told you to so that it kills the harmful bacteria and gets rid of their infection.

What is Amoxicillin available as?

• Capsules: 250 mg and 500 mg
• Liquid medicine (suspension): 125 mg or 250 mg in 5 mL and 125mg in 1.25ml: these may contain a small amount of sugar. Sugar-free preparations are also available.

When should I give Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is usually given three times each day. These should be evenly spaced, usually 6 hours apart. For example, between 7 am and 8 am, between 1 pm and 2 pm, and between 7 pm and 8 pm.

How much should I give?

Your doctor will work out the amount of Amoxicillin (the dose) that is right for your child. The dose will be shown on the medicine label.

How should I give Amoxicillin?

Capsules

• Capsules should be swallowed whole with a glass of water or squash (but not juice). Your child should not chew the capsules.

Liquid medicine

• Shake the medicine well. Measure out the right amount using an oral syringe or a medicine spoon. You can get these from your pharmacist. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as it will not give the right amount. You can also dilute the  medicine (measured with a medicine spoon) in a small amount of water or squash. Make sure your child takes it all straight away.

When should the medicine start working?

Your child should start to get better after taking the medicine for 2-3 days. It is important that they take the whole course of the medicine that has been prescribed. Do not stop early.

What if my child is sick (vomits)?

• If your child is sick less than 30 minutes after having a dose of Amoxicillin, give them the same dose again.
• If your child is sick more than 30 minutes after having a dose of Amoxicillin, do not give them another dose. Wait until the next normal dose.

If your child is sick again, seek advice from your family doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or hospital. They will decide what to do based on your child’s condition and the specific medicine involved.

Amoxicillin Capsule

What if I forget to give it?

• If you remember up to 1 hour after you should have given a dose, give the missed dose.
• If you remember after this time, do not give the missed dose. Wait until the next normal dose.

What if I give too much?

You are unlikely to cause harm if you give an extra dose of Amoxicillin by mistake. If you are concerned that you may have given too much, contact your doctor or local NHS services (details at end of leaflet). Have the medicine or packaging with you if you telephone for advice.

Are there any possible side effects?

We use medicines to make our children better, but sometimes they have other effects that we don’t want (side-effects).

Side-effects are rare with amoxicillin and do not usually last for long. They will get better after a day or two as your child’s body gets used to the medicine, and should go away when the treatment course is finished.

Side effects you must do something about

Other side-effects you need to know about

• Contact your doctor or local NHS services (details at end of leaflet) or take your child to hospital if your child:
  • has diarrhoea that lasts for more than 4 days or it is severe, watery or contains blood.
  • is drowsy, floppy or does not respond.

• Some children get diarrhoea, stomach pains and may feel sick or be sick (vomit) when they first start taking Amoxicillin. See the information on antibiotics below for advice on what to do.

• You may see white patches inside your child’s mouth and throat, and girls may get itching or soreness around the vagina. This is caused by a fungal infection called thrush. Contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

There may sometimes be other side effects that are not listed above. If you notice anything unusual and are concerned, contact your doctor. 

Can other medicines be given at the same time as Amoxicillin?

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before giving any other medicines to your child. This includes herbal and complementary medicines.

• You can give your child medicines that contain paracetamol or ibuprofen, unless your doctor has told you not to.

Is there anything else I need to know about this medicine?

General advice about medicines

General advice about antibiotics

• It is vital that your child completes the course of antibiotic. This means that they must take the medicine for the number of days that the doctor has told you, or until all the tablets or capsules have been taken.
• Your child will probably start to feel better soon after starting to take the antibiotic. However, it takes a few days for the antibiotic to kill all the bacteria.
• If you stop giving the antibiotic too soon, the bacteria that are left will start to multiply again, and may cause another infection.
• There is also a risk that these bacteria will be ‘resistant’ to the first antibiotic. This means that it might not work next time, and your child might need a different antibiotic, which might not work as well or cause more side effects.
• Children are sometimes sick (vomit) or get diarrhoea when taking antibiotics. Encourage them to drink water to replace the fluid they have lost. You can also buy oral rehydration fluid from your pharmacist.
• Do not give your child any medicine to stop the diarrhoea unless your doctor has told you to.
• Try to give the antibiotic at about the same time(s) each day, to help you remember, and to make sure that there is the right amount of medicine in your child’s body to kill the bacteria.
• Only give this medicine to your child for their current infection.
• Never save medicine for future illnesses. Give old or unused antibiotics to your pharmacist to dispose of.
• Only give the antibiotic to the child it was prescribed for. Never give it to anyone else, even if their condition appears to be the same, as it could do harm.
• Antibiotics only kill bacteria; they do not kill viruses. This means that they do not work against colds, sore throats, flu or other infections that are caused by viruses. Your doctor will not prescribe antibiotics for these illnesses.

Where should I keep this medicine?

• You may need to keep liquid medicine in the fridge – check the instructions on the bottle. Make sure the medicine does not freeze.

• Make sure that children cannot see or reach the medicine.

• Keep the medicine in the container it came in.
• Keep this medicine in a cupboard, away from heat, direct sunlight and excess moisture (do not keep it in the bathroom).