• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is ampicillin?
Ampicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin group of drugs. It fights bacteria in your body. Ampicillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection. Ampicillin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of ampicillin?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• fever, sore throat, and headache with a severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

• diarrhea that is watery or bloody;

• fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;

• easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;

• urinating less than usual or not at all;

• agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior; or

• seizure (black-out or convulsions).

Less serious side effects may include

• nausea, vomiting, stomach pain;

• vaginal itching or discharge;

• headache;

• swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue; or

• thrush (white patches or inside your mouth or throat).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I take ampicillin?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Take the medicine with a full glass of water. Ampicillin should be taken on an empty stomach, at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after eating a meal. To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney or liver function may also need to be tested. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

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What is the most important information I should know about ampicillin?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to ampicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as amoxicillin (Amoxil), carbenicillin (Geocillin), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids), and others. Before using ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others, or if you have asthma, kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, mononucleosis (also called "mono"), or a history of any type of allergy.

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at your next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

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What other drugs will affect ampicillin?
Before taking ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: allopurinol (Zyloprim); methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall); probenecid (Benemid); a sulfa drug (such as Bactrim or Septra); or a tetracycline antibiotic such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin, Solodyn, Vectrin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap). This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with ampicillin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Ampicillin has been assigned to pregnancy category B by the FDA. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. However, the majority of retrospective data available indicate that ampicillin is not likely to be a human teratogen. Ampicillin is only recommended for use during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

A case report of the prophylactic use of ampicillin to reduce the chances of miscarriage secondary to group B streptococci infection in a high risk patient, has been described in the medical literature. A 38-year-old patient with a past history of 3 prior pregnancy losses due to second trimester chorioamnionitis, was treated prophylactically with oral ampicillin in an attempt to carry her fourth pregnancy to term. Beginning at 14 weeks of gestation, the patient received amoxicillin, 250 mg orally four times a day for the first 10 days of each calendar month. Because the patient also had diabetes, the obstetrician performed a cesarean section at 40 weeks of gestation, delivering a healthy, 3630 g male infant whose Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were 9 and 9.

Ampicillin is excreted into human milk in small amounts. Candidiasis and diarrhea in the nursing infant have been reported, although a causal relationship was not established. Sensitization of the infant may occur. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers some other penicillins (amoxicillin, ticarcillin) to be compatible with breast-feeding. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering ampicillin to nursing women.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known hypersensitivity to any penicillin.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include confusion, behavior changes, a severe skin rash, urinating less than usual, or seizure (black-out or convulsions).

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking ampicillin?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to ampicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as: amoxicillin (Amoxil, Amoxicot, Biomox, Dispermox, Trimox); carbenicillin (Geocillin); dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen); oxacillin (Bactocill); or penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids, and others). Before using ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs (especially cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others), or if you have:

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you have been diagnosed with a disease for which an antibiotic is needed, you must complete the prescribed course of treatment. Even if you start to feel better, do not skip any doses and remember to take the medication until it is all gone.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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