Patient leaflet - AMOXICILLIN 500 MG FILM-COATED TABLETS
1. What Amoxicillin is and what it is used for
What Amoxicillin is
Amoxicillin is an antibiotic. The active ingredient is amoxicillin. This belongs to a group of medicines called 'penicillins'.
What Amoxicillin is used for
Amoxicillin is used to treat infections caused by bacteria in different parts of the body. Amoxicillin may also be used in combination with other medicines to treat stomach ulcers.
2. What you need to know before you take Amoxicillin
Do not take Amoxicillin
:
- if you are allergic to amoxicillin, penicillin or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any antibiotic. This can include a skin rash or swelling of the
face or throat.
Do not take amoxicillin if any of the above apply. If you are not sure, talk to your healthcare professional before taking amoxicillin.
Warnings and Precautions
Talk to your healthcare professional before taking Amoxicillin if you:
- have infectious mononucleosis (fever, sore throat, swollen glands and extreme tiredness)
- have kidney problems.
- are not urinating regularly.
If you are not sure if any of the above apply to you, talk to your healthcare professional before taking Amoxicillin.
Blood and urine tests
If you are having:
- Urine tests (glucose) or blood tests for liver function
- Oestriol tests (used during pregnancy to check the baby is developing normally)
Tell your healthcare professional that you are taking Amoxicillin. This is because Amoxicillin can affect the results of these tests.
Other medicines and Amoxicillin
Tell your healthcare professional, if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
If you are taking allopurinol (used for gout) with Amoxicillin, it may be more likely that you will have an allergic
skin reaction.
If you are taking probenecid, (used to treat gout), concomitant use of probenecid may reduce the excretion of
amoxicillin and is not recommended. Your healthcare professional may decide to adjust your dose of Amoxicillin.
- If you are taking medicines to help stop blood clots (such as warfarin), you may need extra blood tests.
- If you are taking other antibiotics (such as tetracycline) Amoxicillin may be less effective.
If you are taking methotrexate (used to treat cancer and severe psoriasis), penicillins may reduce the
excretion of methotrexate causing a potential increase in side effects.
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 healthcare professional for advice before taking this medicine.
Driving and using machines
Amoxicillin can have side effects and the symptoms (such as allergic reactions, dizziness and convulsions) may make you unfit to drive.
Do not drive or operate machinery unless you are feeling well.
3. How to take Amoxicillin
Always take this medicine exactly as your healthcare professional has told you. Check with your healthcare professional, if you are not sure.
You can take Amoxicillin either before, during or after meals.
The usual dose is:
Children weighing less than 40 kg
All doses are worked out depending on the child's body weight in kilograms.
- Your healthcare professional will advise you how much Amoxicillin you should give to your baby or child.
The usual dose is 40 mg to 90 mg for each kilogram of body weight a day, given in two or three divided
doses.
- The maximum recommended dose is 100 mg for each kilogram of body weight a day.
Adults, elderly patients and children weighing 40 kg or more
The usual dose of Amoxicillin is 250 mg to 500 mg three times a day or 750 mg to 1 g every 12 hours, depending on the severity and type of infection.
750 mg to 1 g three times a day.
Severe infections:
: 3 g twice daily for one day.
Urinary tract infection
Isolated erythema migrans (early stage
Lyme disease (an infection spread by parasites called ticks):
- red or pink circular rash): 4 g a day, Systemic manifestations (late stage – for more serious symptoms or when the disease spreads around your body): up to 6 g a day.
one 750 mg or one 1 g dose twice a day for 7 days with other antibiotics and medicines
Stomach ulcers:
to treat stomach ulcers.
the dose will vary according to the type of surgery. Other
To prevent heart infection during surgery:
medicines may also be given at the same time. Your healthcare professional can give you more details.
- The maximum recommended dose is 6 g per day.
Kidney problems
If you have kidney problems the dose might be lower than the usual dose.
Method of administration
Swallow your tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not crush or chew the tablets.
Amoxicillin 500 mg / 1000 mg film-coated tablets
The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
Amoxicillin 750 mg film-coated tablets
The score line is only to facilitate breaking for ease of swallowing and not to divide into equal doses.
How long should you take Amoxicillin for?
Keep taking Amoxicillin for as long as your healthcare professional has told you to, even if you feel better.
You need every dose to help fight the infection. If some bacteria survive they can cause the infection to come back.
- Once you finish treatment, if you still feel unwell you should go back to see the healthcare professional.
Thrush (a yeast infection of moist areas of the body which can cause soreness, itching and white discharge) may develop if Amoxicillin is used for a long time. If this occurs tell your healthcare professional.
If you take Amoxicillin for a long time, your healthcare professional may perform additional tests to check your kidneys, liver and blood are working normally.
If you take more Amoxicillin than you should
If you have taken too much Amoxicillin, signs might be an upset stomach (feeling sick, being sick or diarrhoea) or crystals in the urine, which may be seen as cloudy urine, or problems urinating. Talk to your healthcare professional as soon as possible. Take the medicine to show the healthcare professional.
If you forget to take Amoxicillin
- If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember.
- Do not take the next dose too soon, wait about 4 hours before taking the next dose.
- Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your healthcare professional.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Size: 140(L) x 560(W) mm
Front Side
Colours not for Printing
Revision: 00
Date:07-11-25
Head Production/ Packing (Site)
Head QA (Site)
140 mm
Stop taking Amoxicillin and see a healthcare professional straight away, if you notice any of the following serious side effects – you may need urgent medical treatment:
The following are very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
- Allergic reactions, the signs may include: skin itching or rash, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, body or breathing difficulties. These can be serious and occasionally deaths have occurred
- rash or pinpoint flat red round spots under the skin surface or bruising of the skin. This is due to inflammation of blood vessel walls due to an allergic reaction. It can be associated with joint pain (arthritis) and kidney problems
a delayed allergic reaction can occur usually 7 to 12 days after having Amoxicillin, some signs include:
rashes, fever, joint pains and enlargement of the lymph nodes especially under the arms
- a skin reaction known as 'erythema multiforme' where you may develop: itchy reddish purple patches on the skin especially on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, 'hive-like' raised swollen areas on the skin, tender areas on the surfaces of the mouth, eyes and genitals. You may have a fever and be very tired
- other severe skin reactions can include: changes in skin colour, bumps under the skin, blistering, pustules, peeling, redness, pain, itching, scaling. These may be associated with fever, headaches and body aches.
- flu-like symptoms with a rash, fever, swollen glands, and abnormal blood test results (including increased white blood cells (eosinophilia) and liver enzymes) (Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)).
- fever, chills, a sore throat or other signs of an infection, or if you bruise easily. These may be signs of a problem with your blood cells
- inflammation of the large bowel (colon) with diarrhoea (sometimes containing blood), pain and fever
serious liver side effects may occur. They are mainly associated with people having treatment over a long period, males and the elderly. You must tell your healthcare professional urgently if you get:
- severe diarrhoea with bleeding
- blisters, redness or bruising of the skin
- darker urine or paler stools
- yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes (jaundice). See also anaemia below which might result in jaundice.
These can happen when having the medicine or for up to several weeks after.
The following side effects occur with undetermined frequency (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
- the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction which occurs during treatment with Amoxicillin for Lyme disease and causes fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and skin rash.
- Chest pain in the context of allergic reactions, which may be a symptom of allergy triggered cardiac infarction (Kounis syndrome).
a red rash commonly seen on both sides of the buttocks, upper inner thighs, armpits, neck (Symmetric
Drug-Related Intertriginous and Flexural Exanthema (SDRIFE).
- Drug-induced enterocolitis syndrome (DIES): DIES has been reported mainly in children receiving amoxicillin. It is a certain kind of allergic reaction with the leading symptom of repetitive vomiting (1-4 hours after drug administration). Further symptoms could comprise abdominal pain, lethargy, diarrhoea, and low blood pressure
If any of the above happens stop taking the medicine and see your healthcare professional straight away.
Sometimes you may get less severe skin reactions such as:
- a mildly itchy rash (round, pink-red patches), 'hive-like' swollen areas on forearms, legs, palms, hands or feet. This is uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people).
If you have any of these talk to your healthcare professional as Amoxicillin will need to be stopped.
The other possible side effects are:
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- skin rash
- feeling sick (nausea)
- diarrhoea.
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- being sick (vomiting).
Very rare (may affects up to 1 in 10,000 people)
- thrush (a yeast infection of the vagina, mouth or skin folds), you can get treatment for thrush from your healthcare professional
- kidney problems
- fits (convulsions), seen in patients on high doses or with kidney problems
- dizziness
- hyperactivity
- Teeth may appear stained, this is usually reversible with brushing (reported in children)
- the tongue may change to yellow, brown or black and it may have a hairy appearance
- an excessive breakdown of red blood cells causing a type of anaemia. Signs include: tiredness, headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, looking pale and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes
- low number of white blood cells
- low number of cells involved with blood clotting
- the blood may take longer to clot than it normally would. You may notice this if you have a nosebleed or cut yourself.
Not known (cannot be estimated from the available data)
- Rash with blisters arranged in a circle with central crusting or like a string of pearls (linear IgA disease)
- Inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (aseptic meningitis)
- Crystals in urine, leading to acute renal injury, which may be seen as cloudy urine, or difficulty or discomfort in passing urine. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids to reduce the chance of these symptoms
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your healthcare professional. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via Yellow Card Scheme at Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Amoxicillin
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Amoxicillin film-coated tablets contains
The active substance is amoxicillin
Each Amoxicillin 250mg film-coated tablet contains 250mg amoxicillin as amoxicillin trihydrate. Each Amoxicillin 500mg film-coated tablet contains 500mg amoxicillin as amoxicillin trihydrate. Each Amoxicillin 750mg film-coated tablet contains 750mg amoxicillin as amoxicillin trihydrate. Each Amoxicillin 1000mg film-coated tablet contains 1000mg amoxicillin as amoxicillin trihydrate. The other ingredients are:
Tablet Core: Microcrystalline cellulose, crospovidone, magnesium stearate
Tablet coat:
Opadry QX 321A180025 containing
Macrogol poly (vinyl alcohol) grafted copolymer, talc, titanium dioxide (E171), glycerol monocaprylocaprate type 1, poly vinyl alcohol-part hydrolysed
What Amoxicillin looks like and contents of the pack
For 250mg: White to off white, capsule shaped, film coated tablets debossed with “C” and “18” on one side and plain on other side. Approximately 13.50 mm in length and 6.00 mm in width. For 500mg: White to off white, capsule shaped, film coated tablets, debossed with “C” and “19” separated with break line on one side and break line on other side. Approximately 16.50 mm in length and 8.00 mm in width. For 750mg: White to off white, capsule shaped, film coated tablets debossed with “C” and “20” on one side and break line on the other side. Approximately 19.20 mm in length and 8.90 mm in width. For 1000mg: White to off white, capsule shaped, film coated tablets, debossed with “C” and “21” separated with break line on one side and break line on other side. Approximately 21.00 mm in length and 10 mm in width.
Amoxicillin 500 mg / 1000 mg film-coated tablets
The tablet can be divided into equal doses.
Amoxicillin 750 mg film-coated tablets
The score line is only to facilitate breaking for ease of swallowing and not to divide into equal doses. Pack sizes: PVC-PVDC / Alu blister packs consisting of: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 100 & 500 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Brown & Burk UK Limited
Micro House
5 Marryat Close
Hounslow
TW4 5DQ
United Kingdom
This leaflet was last revised in 10/2025
BBUK Code
Size: 140(L) x 560(W) mm
Back Side