What Is Ampicillin (Omnipen) ~ Welcome To Francis Uche's Blog

Ampicillin is the generic name of a drug that's prescribed to treat bacterial infections.
It was once sold under several brand names, such as Omnipen, Amcill, and Principen.
Though these brand names are no longer on the market, your health care provider can prescribe generic ampicillin to treat infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, meningitis, and typhoid fever.
Dentists often prescribe ampicillin before a dental procedure for people who are at risk of endocarditis, an infection in the lining of the heart.
Ampicillin, a penicillin-like drug, is an antibiotic that belongs to a class of drugs known as aminopenicillins. It kills bacteria by preventing them from making the protein needed to build their cell walls.
Ampicillin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the brand name Ominpen in 1965 and was originally manufactured by Wyeth Ayerst.

Ampicillin Warnings

You should not take ampicillin if:

You're allergic to ampicillin, any penicillin antibiotic, or any other ingredient in the medication
You have infectious mononucleosis

Talk to your doctor before taking ampicillin if you have:

Allergies to many things
Asthma or ever had asthma
Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the white blood cells
HIV/AIDS
Seizures
Kidney problems
Inflammation or an infection of the intestines caused by taking antibiotics recently

Pregnancy and Ampicillin

Ampicillin is an FDA Pregnancy Category B drug, meaning animal studies indicate there is no risk to a fetus, but there are no human studies showing it's safe for an unborn baby.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before taking this medication.
Ampicillin is safe for mothers to take while breastfeeding. Still, tell your doctor know if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed while taking it.

Ampicillin (Omnipen) Side Effects

Common side effects of ampicillin include:

Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
Hives or rash
Swelling of the tongue
Thrush or yeast infection
Black, hairy tongue
High levels of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell

Serious side effects of ampicillin include:

Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction in which your throat may close up, you have trouble breathing, and your skin breaks out in hives
C. difficile colitis, a bacterial infection causing a severe form of loose, watery diarrhea with an unusually foul smell
Life-threatening skin reaction called erythema multiforme (Stevens-Johnson syndrome)
Low level of red blood cells
Inability of bone marrow to make neutrophils, a type of white blood cell
Superinfection, an infection that occurs at the same time or after the original infection
Low levels of platelets, cells needed for blood clotting, or white blood cells
Skin peeling, possibly with redness

Ampicillin (Omnipen) Interactions

It's always important to share with your doctor and pharmacist all of the medications you are taking. This includes your prescriptions medications, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, vitamins, nutritional supplements (nutritional shakes, protein powders, etc.), herbal remedies, and any illegal or recreational drugs.
You should not take ampicillin if you are taking Theracrys [BCG live (intravesical)].
Medications that have serious interactions with ampicillin include the following:

Vivotif (live typhoid vaccine)
Warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin)
Methotrexate (Trexall, Rasuvo, Otrexup)
Magnesium citrate (Citroma, Citrate of Magnesia)
Exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon)
Acid reflux drugs, such as like Prevacid (deslansoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole), and Protonix (pantoprazole)
Tramadol, (Ultram, Ultracet)
Doxycycline (Vibramycin, Doryx)
Tiagabine (Gabitril)
Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban, Forfivo XL)
Allopurinol (Zyloprim, Lopurin, Aloprim)

Ampicillin and Alcohol

Because there are no known interactions between ampicillin and alcohol, you need not avoid or limit drinking alcohol while taking ampicillin.

Ampicillin and Grapefruit

Grapefruit interacts with some antibiotics, but it's not clear whether this includes ampicillin. Be safe, and avoid eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while taking the medication.

Ampicillin (Omnipen) Dosage

Ampicillin comes in 250 milligram (mg) and 500 mg tablets, syrup of 125 mg/5ml or 250 mg/5ml, and a solution that can be given intravenously or injected into a muscle of the thigh, hip, and upper arm.
How much ampicillin your doctor prescribes and how long you take it depend on your age, your kidney function, and the type of bacteria causing your infection.
For general bacterial infections, your doctor may prescribe 250 mg to 500 mg every six hours for up to 14 days.
Be sure to take the entire amount in your prescription. Finish all the medication, even if you're feeling better or the infection appears to be over. (Not feeling sick does not mean the infection is completely gone.)
If you stop taking ampicillin before completing the entire prescribed amount, the infection could come back and may be even more difficult to treat than it was the first time.
You should always take ampicillin one hour before or two hours after meals.

Ampicillin Overdose

If you suspect an overdose, you should contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. You can get in touch with a poison control center at (800) 222-1222.
Call 911 if someone has collapsed or is not breathing from a possible severe allergic reaction to ampicillin.

Missed Dose of Ampicillin

If you miss a dose of ampicillin, try to take it as soon as you remember.
If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of the medication at the same time.