'Amoxicillin' must be recognized, it is only effective for 7 diseases! The right use is a treasure, the wrong use is a poison
Speaking of amoxicillin, everyone will think of the anti- inflammatory trilogy of "taking medicine - injection - infusion" . It seems that after these three steps, the disease will be cured. For this reason, many families have amoxicillin in their small medicine cabinet.
But what you may not know is that the act of using amoxicillin as an anti-inflammatory drug may be brewing a health crisis.
1. Can amoxicillin be used to reduce inflammation?
Amoxicillin is a penicillin broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic with strong bactericidal effect and wide application. Common dosage forms include capsules, tablets, granules and dispersible tablets. Many families use amoxicillin as a regular medicine, taking it as soon as they have a cold and fever, thinking that it can reduce inflammation.
In fact, amoxicillin is an antibacterial drug, not an anti-inflammatory drug.
Anti-inflammatory drugs refer to drugs that can inhibit the production or release of inflammatory substances and relieve inflammatory symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat, pain, etc., but anti-inflammatory drugs cannot kill pathogenic microorganisms and have no direct therapeutic effect on the cause .
According to different structures, anti-inflammatory drugs can be divided into two categories: non-steroidal and steroidal.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, etc., are mostly used for non-infectious inflammations, such as headaches, arthritis, and muscle sprains;
·Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs : refers to glucocorticoid drugs, such as dexamethasone, prednisone and hydrocortisone, which are mainly used for allergic and immune diseases.
Although amoxicillin has always been known as the "anti-inflammatory magic drug", it is an antibiotic and is suitable for bacterial infections. Antibiotics are only used for inflammation caused by bacterial infection to kill bacteria to achieve indirect anti -inflammatory purposes.
Therefore, it is not reliable to use it directly to reduce inflammation.
Second, these diseases can really be cured
According to the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, amoxicillin can inhibit the cell wall synthesis of sensitive bacteria, so that the bacteria quickly turn into spheroids, which are then dissolved and ruptured to exert a bactericidal effect . The main indications are as follows:
1. Skin and soft tissue infections : mainly hemolytic streptococcus, staphylococcus or Escherichia coli infection;
2. Upper respiratory tract infection : pharyngitis, tonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media, etc. caused by Streptococcus hemolyticus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus or Haemophilus influenzae;
3. Lower respiratory tract infection : pneumonia, acute bronchitis, etc. caused by Streptococcus hemolyticus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus or Haemophilus influenzae;
4. Urogenital tract infection : mainly enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli or Proteus mirabilis infection;
5. Simple gonorrhea ;
It can be used to treat typhoid fever, typhoid bacteria carriers, and leptospirosis;
It can be combined with lansoprazole and clarithromycin for the treatment .
3. What is the difference between amoxicillin and cephalosporin?
Both amoxicillin and cephalosporin are antibiotics with some notable differences.
Essential difference
Amoxicillin is a specific drug, while cephalosporins are a class of drugs that can be divided into four generations. Amoxicillin is a semi-synthetic penicillin broad-spectrum β-lactam antibiotic, and cephalosporin is a β-lactam antibiotic, and the chemical structures of the two are different.
difference in security
The side effects of amoxicillin are relatively low, and the liver and kidney toxicity is not strong. While the first generation of cephalosporins usually has nephrotoxicity, the nephrotoxicity of the second generation is reduced, and the nephrotoxicity is not observed after the third generation.
Differences in Indications
The two have different antibacterial spectrums and different indications. Cephalosporin can be used for more severe infections , such as obstetrics and soft tissue infections, meningitis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease and sepsis.
The difference between using contraindications
For amoxicillin, it is not suitable for patients who are allergic to penicillin, have infectious mononucleosis, urticaria, eczema, asthma, hay fever, as well as the elderly and people with poor kidneys;
For cephalosporins, people allergic to penicillin should be used with caution, they should not drink alcohol within a week of taking cephalosporins, and the dosage should be controlled.
Fourth, long-term wrong use, good medicine becomes "harmful medicine"
Abuse of amoxicillin may cause a variety of side effects, including gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, allergic reactions such as itching, urticaria, and asthma, and central nervous system symptoms such as excitement, insomnia, and dizziness. Caused by superinfection, etc., serious can lead to death.
In February of this year, a Lancet study covering 204 countries and territories found that antibiotic resistance-related deaths are as high as 6.22 million each year , making it the third leading cause of death globally. Antibiotic resistance is expected to kill 10 million people by 2050.
Therefore, we must use amoxicillin correctly and follow the following principles:
1. Take it with cold water
Amoxicillin and other penicillin drugs may undergo intermolecular polymerization to form high molecular polymers, resulting in allergic reactions. Under normal circumstances, the higher the temperature, the more high-molecular polymers are generated. It is recommended to take it with cold water.
2. Do not mix with other medicines without authorization
Amoxicillin should not be taken at the same time with other antibacterial drugs, biological agents, probenecid, methotrexate, contraceptives, and allopurine uric acid synthesis inhibitors, otherwise it will reduce the efficacy or cause adverse reactions.
Under normal circumstances, a single dose of amoxicillin can effectively kill sensitive bacteria. If you have other needs, you need the guidance of a doctor.
3. Do not take leftover medicines at will
The causative bacteria of different diseases may also be different, and it is not advisable to take the remaining medicines because of similar symptoms. It is recommended to consult a doctor first, and the doctor can choose the appropriate medicine and take it according to the doctor's order.
4. Allergic persons are prohibited
Amoxicillin is an oral penicillin drug that can cause anaphylactic shock. Therefore, amoxicillin should be contraindicated in patients allergic to penicillin or with a positive penicillin skin test, and patients with a history of allergic diseases such as asthma should also be used with caution.
Finally, Xiao Jiu still wants to remind that antibiotics must be used correctly , not to let good drugs become "harmful drugs", let alone " no drugs available " in the future.
References:
[1] The Lancet: The most comprehensive analysis to date! Antibiotic resistance-related deaths have become the third leading cause of death globally, academic headlines, 2022-02-04
[2] "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" 2020 Edition, 2020 National Licensed Pharmacist Professional Qualification Examination Guidelines - Pharmacy Professional Knowledge (1)
[3] Experts say | What exactly is an anti-inflammatory drug? , Hubei Drug Administration, 2020-08-20
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