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Amoxicillin 250mg/5ml Oral Suspension – patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Updated:
Key facts
Status:
Prescription only (POM)
Medicine strength:
125 mg / 5 ml (25 mg/ml)
Contains active substance:

Patient leaflet - Amoxicillin 125 mg / 5 ml oral suspension BP sugar free

1. What Amoxicillin Oral Suspension is and what it is used for

This oral suspension is available in two different strengths. Each 5ml of oral suspension contains either 125mg or 250mg of the active ingredient, amoxicillin (as trihydrate). Amoxicillin is one of a group of antibiotics called penicillins. lt is used to kill bacteria which cause infections in your body.

Amoxicillin Oral Suspension is used to treat bacterial infections of the ear, respiratory tract (e.g. lungs and chest), urinary tract (e.g. kidneys and bladder), skin, and gastrointestinal tract (e.g. stomach and intestines) such as typhoid. It is also used to stop infections when you have a tooth removed or other surgery. It may also be used for other infections determined by your doctor.

2. What you need to know before you take Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

Some people must not take this medicine.

Do not take Amoxicillin Oral Suspension:

  • If you know you are allergic to amoxicillin, penicillin or to any of the other ingredients (these are listed in section 6)
  • If you have ever had an allergic reaction (e.g. rash, itching, shortness of breath or swelling of face and neck) to another antibiotic in the past such as cephalosporins e.g. cefaclor. Warnings and precautions:

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

  • If you have glandular fever (a viral infection which causes a sore throat, high temperature (above 39 deg C (102.2 deg F)), tiredness, muscle pains and headache or lymphocytic leukaemia
  • If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
  • If you are breastfeeding
  • If you are not passing water regularly
  • If you suffer from any kidney problems.

If any of the conditions above apply to you, please discuss your treatment with your doctor before taking this medicine.

Having urine or blood tests

If you are having tests on your water (urine glucose tests) or blood tests for liver function, let the doctor or nurse know that you are on Amoxil. This is because Amoxil can affect the results of these tests.

Other medicines and Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

Amoxicillin Oral Suspension and other medicines you may be taking may affect how each other work. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking any of the following:

  • Anticoagulants (to prevent blood clotting) e.g. warfarin or phenindione, extra blood tests may be needed
  • Probenecid or allopurinol (used to treat gout). It may be more likely to have allergic skin reaction
  • Oral contraceptives (as it may not work properly and you will need to use other means of contraception e.g. a condom)
  • Methotrexate (a cancer drug which can also be used to treat psoriasis)
  • Dietary fibre supplements.

If you are having tests on your water (urine glucose tests) or blood tests

for liver function, let the doctor or nurse know you are taking amoxicillin because amoxicillin can affect the results of these tests. Always tell your doctor or pharmacist about all the medicines you are taking. This means medicines you have bought yourself as well as those you have on prescription from your doctor.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Other special warnings

Thrush (a yeast infection of moist areas of the body) may develop if amoxicillin is used for a long time. If this occurs tell your doctor. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to

some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine as it contains sorbitol (E420).

Driving and using machines

Amoxicillin Oral Suspension may very rarely cause dizziness and convulsions. Do not drive or operate machinery if it has this effect on you.

3. How to take Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Shake the bottle well before use. Do not further dilute the prepared product.

For treating some infections the dose may be different to the usual

dose given below. For example if your infection is more serious, the dose might be doubled.

The doctor will decide what dose you need to take. Always take the medicine exactly as the doctor has told you. The dose will be on the pharmacist‘s label. If you are not sure, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Carry on taking the medicine for as long as you have been told unless you have any problems. In that case, check with your doctor.

The recommended doses are as follows:

Adults: To treat an infection, you should usually take 250 mg of your medicine three times a day. This is two 5ml spoonfuls of Amoxicillin Oral Suspension 125 mg or one 5ml spoonful of Amoxicillin Oral Suspension 250 mg three times a day.

Use in children: The doctor will advise you of the dose.

It is important that you take your medicine at the right times of day. Space the doses out as evenly as possible throughout the day, at least 4 hours apart. Never give 2 doses in 1 hour. Do not give doses of Amoxicillin at night. If child has kidney problems the dose might be lower than the ususal dose. Keep taking this medicine until your doctor tells you to stop. Do not stop taking it just because you feel better. If you stop taking the medicine, your condition may reoccur or get worse. If some bacteria survive they can cause the infection to come back. Treatment should be continued for 2 to 3 days after the symptoms have gone. Thrush (a yeast infection of moist areas of the bosy) may develop if Amoxicillin is used for a long time.

If you take more Amoxicillin Oral Suspension than you should

You should contact your doctor or go to your nearest hospital casualty department immediately. Take the bottle with you so that the doctor knows what you have taken. Signs might be an upset stomach (feeling sick or diarrhoea) or crystals in the urine, which may be seen as cloudy urine, or problems passing urine.

If you forget to take Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

Take it as soon as you remember. Then carry on as before, but do not take two doses within four hours of each other. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

4. Possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Some side effects can be serious. Stop taking the medicine and tell your doctor straightaway if you notice the following

very rare effects (may occur in less than 1 in 10,000 people):

  • Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, body or throat, difficulty in breathing or dizziness. These may be signs of a severe allergic reaction
  • Rash or pinpoint flat red round spots under the skin surface or bruising of the skin due to inflammation of blood vessel walls caused by an allergic reaction. It can be associated with joint pain (arthritis) and kidney problems.
  • A delayed allergic reaction may occur 7 to 12 days after taking the medicine. Symptoms may include rash, fever, joint pains and enlargement of the lymph nodes especially under the arms
  • Blistering of the skin, mouth, eyes and genitals, other serious skin reactions including itchy reddish purple patches on the skin, especially on the palms of hands and soles of the feet,

    which is a skin reaction known as 'erythema multiforme' hives, pustules, swelling, peeling, redness, pain, itching and scaling. These may be associated with fever, tiredness, headache and aching body

    • Blood disorders including severe reduction in the number of white or red blood cells which may cause pale yellow skin, weakness, breathlessness, increased risk of bruising or bleeding, high temperature (fever), chills, a sore throat and make infections more likely
    • Diarrhoea sometimes containing blood, pain and fever caused by inflammation of the large bowel (colon)
    • People having treatment over a long period, males and the elderly must tell your doctor urgently if you find: yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, (jaundice), severe diarrhoea with bleeding, pale stools and dark urine, loss of appetite, stomach

      discomfort which may be caused due to severe liver or blood problems.

      The following side effects have also been reported:

      Less than 1 in 10 people have experienced:

      • Diarrhoea, indigestion, feeling sick
      • Skin rash.

Less than 1 in 100 people have experienced:

  • A mildly itchy rash (round, pink-red patches), 'hive-like' swollen areas on their forearms, legs, palms, hands or feet.
  • Being sick.

Less than 1 in 10,000 people have experienced:

  • Tiredness, headache, shortness of breath, dizziness, looking pale and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. These may be symptoms of a type of anaemia

    • Thrush (a yeast infection of the vagina, mouth or skin folds)
    • Increased or decreased urine output, fever, rash, swelling of any area of the body or weight gain caused by kidney problems
    • Fits (convulsions) which may be seen in patients taking high doses or with kidney problems, hyperactivity, dizziness
    • Crystals in the urine which may cause cloudy urine or difficulty or discomfort when passing urine. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids to reduce the chance of these symptoms
    • An increase in the length of time it takes to stop bleeding if you cut yourself or have a nosebleed
    • Yellow, brown or black hairy tongue
    • Tooth discolouration in children which usually returns to normal with brushing.

      Reporting of side effects

      If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

      By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. How to store Amoxicillin Oral Suspension

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children. Store this medicine in a refrigerator (2-8°C).

Do not freeze. Store in the original bottle and keep tightly closed to protect from light and moisture.

Do not transfer your medicine to another container.

Do not use your medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the label. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. If your doctor tells you to stop taking the medicine, please take any unused medicine back to your pharmacist to be destroyed. Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Amoxicillin Oral Suspension contains

Each 5ml of medicine contains either 125 mg or 250 mg of the active ingredient, amoxicillin (as trihydrate). The other ingredients are Sodium Benzoate (E211), Disodium Edetate, Sodium Citrate, Citric

Acid, Colloidal Anhydrous Silica, Sorbitol (E420), Saccharin Sodium, Banana Flavour (containing Gum Arabic, Amyl Acetate, Amyl and Ethyl Butyrates, Euginol, Acetaldehyde, Citral, Ethyl and Allyl Heptanoates, Amyl Valerianate and Orange Oil), Quinoline Yellow E104 and Xanthan Gum.

What Amoxicillin Oral Suspension looks like and contents of the pack

The medicine is a yellow coloured suspension. This bottle contains 100ml of medicine.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

The product licence holder is Special Concept Development (UK) Ltd., Units 1-7 Colonial Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 4YR

Manufactured by RX Farma Ltd., Unit 3, Colonial Way, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 4YR.

Product Licence Numbers:

PL 36722/0003

PL 36722/0004

Date of revision: May 2016

If you would like this leaflet in a different format, please contact the licence holder at the above address.

(See

package leaflet for further information).

Read the package leaflet before use.

07/06/16

p/tone:

About this document

Source: MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (products.mhra.gov.uk) · Marketing authorisation: PL 36722/0003

Last revision stated in the text: May 2016 · MHRA data as of 13 October 2026

What the sections and the side effect frequencies mean: How to read a patient leaflet

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The information on this site does not replace the advice of a doctor or pharmacist.

Facts about Amoxicillin 125 mg / 5 ml oral suspension BP sugar free

What these facts mean

Prescription needed?? Yes, prescription-only medicine (POM)
Active substance? Amoxicillin
Strength? 125 mg / 5 ml (25 mg/ml)
Pharmaceutical form? Oral suspension
Pale-yellow free flowing powder
How is it taken? Oral
Excipients? Sodium Benzoate (E211), Disodium Edetate, Sodium Citrate, Citric acid anhydrous, Colloidal anhydrous silica, Sorbitol (E420), Saccharin sodium, Banana flavour (containing Gum Arabic, Amyl acetate, Amyl and Ethyl butyrates, Euginol, Acetaldehyde, Citral, Ethyl heptanoate, Amyl valerianate, Allyl heptanoate and Orange oil), Quinoline Yellow (E104), Xanthan gum
Pack sizes 100 ml
Is it available?? Listed as available (NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices – not a record of current supplies)
Shelf life? Dry powder: 3 years
Reconstituted suspension: 7 days
Reconstituted suspension: Do not store above 25°C
Storage Dry granules: Do not store above 25°C. Keep the bottle tightly closed. Store in the original package.
After reconstitution: Store in a refrigerator (2-8°C). Do not freeze. Keep the bottle tightly closed. Use within 1 week of reconstitution.
For storage conditions after reconstitution of the medicinal product, see section 6.3.
Drug group (ATC)? Penicillins with extended spectrum
  1. J Antiinfectives for systemic use
    1. J01 Antibacterials for systemic use
      1. J01C Beta-lactam antibacterials, penicillins
        1. J01CA Penicillins with extended spectrum
          1. J01CA04 amoxicillin
Marketing authorisation? PL 36722/0003 (first authorised 28 January 2003)
Marketing authorisation holder? Special Concept Development (UK) Ltd
Codes? GTIN 5060637640975 · BNF 05010103

Sources: the MHRA product information (products.mhra.gov.uk) and the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d), release 11.0.0 of 2 November 2026, NHS Business Services Authority. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.