Augmentin 156.25mg/5ml Suspension

Amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, also called co-amoxiclav, treats infections caused by bacteria. These include some ear, sinus, chest, skin, dental and urinary tract infections.

• Amoxicillin is a penicillin-type antibiotic that kills bacteria.
• Clavulanic acid blocks an enzyme some bacteria make to break down amoxicillin. This protects the amoxicillin so it keeps working.

Together they work against more types of bacteria than amoxicillin alone. It does not treat viral infections such as colds or flu.

Take it exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, at evenly spaced times.

• Take it with a meal or snack. This helps it work well and reduces stomach upset.
• Swallow tablets whole with water. Chew chewable tablets fully.
• Shake the liquid well and measure it with the syringe or spoon provided.
• Finish the full course, even if you feel better.
• If you miss a dose, take it when you remember unless the next dose is nearly due. Never take two doses together.
• Contact your doctor if you are not getting better after a few days or you feel worse.

Common side effects include:

• diarrhoea
• feeling sick or being sick
• thrush (itching or discharge in the vagina or white patches in the mouth)

Get medical help straight away if you have:

• swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing
• a rash that blisters or peels
• yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools or pain in the upper right tummy (liver problems)
• watery or bloody diarrhoea with cramps or fever, even weeks after finishing
• severe tummy or back pain that does not go away
• fever or sore throat that comes back

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• have had an allergic reaction to co-amoxiclav, penicillin or any other antibiotic
• have had liver problems or jaundice while taking an antibiotic before
• have liver or kidney disease
• have or might have glandular fever
• have phenylketonuria (PKU), as some liquids and chewable tablets contain aspartame
• take allopurinol, probenecid, warfarin or methotrexate

Keep tablets at room temperature away from heat and moisture. Keep the liquid in the fridge, tightly closed, and throw away any left after 10 days (or as the label says). Keep out of the reach of children.

Liver: this medicine can rarely affect the liver, sometimes after the course ends. Report yellowing of the skin or eyes at once.

Contraception: it may make hormonal contraception less reliable, especially if you have diarrhoea or vomiting. Use an extra method.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: it can usually be used if your doctor thinks it is needed. If you are breastfeeding, contact a doctor if your baby gets diarrhoea, thrush, a rash or feeds poorly.