Safety precautions

Ampicillin can be safely taken during pregnancy. There are, however, a few safety precautions to observe before starting the treatment. You need to make sure none of the medical issues you have are going to affect your treatment or be affected by it. Therefore, you need to let your doctor know if you have a history of diarrhea caused by taking any antibiotics, mononucleosis bleeding disorder, kidney disease or asthma. You are not supposed to be taking this medicine if you ever had an allergic reaction to it or other penicillin antibiotics, because the same reaction is likely to occur again. If you are taking other medications and intent to combine them with ampicillin, consult your doctor in advance. The following are known to interact: tetracycline antibiotics, probenecid, sulfa drugs, allopurinol and methotrexate. It's impossible to foresee the intensity of such an interaction or be sure it will not occur with some other drug you may be using. If you are not sure, it’s always best to talk to a doctor or pharmacist before starting your treatment.

How to take this drug

Ampicillin is available as capsules that contain 250 mg and 5090 mg of the active ingredient of the same name, as well as powder for suspension and powder for injection. The capsule form is the most common one. Each of those forms must be taken according to the directions supplied with the medicine. For instance, when powder is mixed with water, it can be stored for up to 7 days at room temperature or up to 14 days in a fridge. The dosage you will need to be taking depends on the infection being treated - it may be a middle ear infection, a stomach infection, an intestinal infections as well as a number of other ones. The usual dosage will range from 250 mg to 500 mg taken up to four times a day, usually for up to 14 days. Sometimes, for the treatment of certain infections, Ampicillin may need to be combined with another drug known probenecid. You should take the entire amount prescribed or keep taking the medicine for as long as recommended to cure the infection. Make sure you never take the medicine after its expiration date, because it may cause harm instead of being beneficial. Make sure you never share your dosage of this antibiotic with other people to whom it was not prescribed. Always observe the dose you are supposed to be taking and avoid missing or skipping your doses.