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Side Effects of Apo-Amoxi Clav

Apo-Amoxi Clav is a prescription medication available in Canada, which is commonly prescribed to treat infections of your respiratory tract, ears, skin and bladder. One of the main components of Apo-Amoxi Clav is amoxicillin, an antibiotic derived from penicillin. The other component is clavulinic acid, a chemical which enhances the actions of amoxicllin, making it more effective. Despite its effectiveness, Apo-Amoxi Clav is not for everyone as it presents several risks for side effects and complications in some patients.

  1. Common Side Effects

    • The most common side effects of Apo-Amoxi Clav are not normally serious in nature and do not require you to stop taking the drug. Approximately 9 percent of users report diarrhea or loose stools, making these the most common side effects of the drug. Nausea, hives and red welts are also common, occurring in around 3 percent of users. Vomiting occurs in 1 percent of users, and 1 percent of women who take Apo-Amoxi Clav experience vaginal infections.

    Other Side Effects

    • Apo-Amoxi Clav also has the potential to cause a number of other troublesome or annoying, but not dangerous, side effects in less than 1 percent of patients. Additional gastrointestinal effects include abdominal cramps, taste aversion, gas and darkening of your tongue. Some patients also experience neurological and psychological side, such as agitation, anxiety, mood swings, confusion, dizziness, insomnia and hyperactivity. Infrequently, Apo-Amoxi Clav causes yellowing of your teeth, which can be relieved through brushing.

    Drug Interactions

    • There are some medications which produce unwanted side effects when used in conjunction with Apo-Amoxi Clav. Gout drug Probenecid often causes amoxicillin to remain in the body for extended periods of time, increasing your risk of developing side effects from Apo-Amoxi Clav. Taking allopurinol, another drug used primarily for gout, with penicillin derivative drugs frequently causes outbreaks of skin rashes in patients. While taking Apo-Amoxi Clav, you should use an additional form of birth control as the drug has the potential to make oral contraceptives less effective.

    Risks

    • In addition to minor side effects and the risk of interactions, Apo-Amoxi Clav has the potential to cause serious medical complications. Like other drugs related to penicillin, Apo-Amoxi Clav causes severe allergic reactions in some patients. These reactions are typically considered anaphylactic, meaning the reaction affects the immune system. Anaphylaxis is potentially-life threatening, causing severe skin rashes, difficulty breathing and even shock in some cases. Infrequently, Apo-Amoxi Clav causes harmful effects to the liver, resulting in yellowing of your skin or eyes known as jaundice or inflammation known as hepatitis. Rarely, use of the drug disrupts kidney functioning.

    Considerations

    • Apo-Amoxi Clav has the potential to cause complications during pregnancy and is reserved for use in expectant mothers only when there are no other drugs available for safe substitution. If you have a history of liver or kidney disease, Apo-Amoxi Clav may not be safe for you to take due to its side effects. Apo-Amoxi Clav is not intended for use in conjunction with mononucleosis infections because the drug often causes severe skin rashes in such patients. If you have ever experienced an allergic reaction or hypersensitivity to any type of penicillin or to aspartame, it is not safe for you to take Apo-Amoxi Clav.

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