Amoxil Capsules 500 mg amoxicillin – patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

1 What Amoxil is and what it is used for

What Amoxil is

Amoxil is an antibiotic. The active ingredient is amoxicillin. This belongs to a group of medicines called ‘penicillins’.

What Amoxil is used for

Amoxil is used to treat infections caused by bacteria in different parts of the body. Amoxil may also be used in combination with other medicines to treat stomach ulcers.

2 What you need to know before you take Amoxil

Do not take Amoxil:

• 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 Amoxil if any of the above apply. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Amoxil.

Warnings and Precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Amoxil if you:

• have glandular fever (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 doctor or pharmacist before taking Amoxil.

Conditions you need to look out for

Amoxil can make some existing conditions worse, or cause serious side effects, such as severe allergic reactions, serious skin reactions, chest pain, repetitive vomiting within 1 to 4 hours of Amoxil administration or severe diarrhoea (pseudomembranous colitis). You must look out for certain symptoms while you are receiving Amoxil to help reduce the risk of any problems (see section 4).

Amoxil can cause a serious immune system condition, in which the part of the body that fights disease is overactive, and this condition can be life-threatening. If you have any of the symptoms listed under ‘Conditions you need to look out for’ while taking Amoxil, contact your doctor straight away.

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 doctor or pharmacist that you are taking Amoxil. This is because Amoxil can affect the results of these tests.

Other medicines and Amoxil

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

• If you are taking allopurinol (used for gout) with Amoxil, it may be more likely that you will have an allergic skin reaction.
• If you are taking probenecid (used for gout), your doctor may decide to adjust your dose of Amoxil.
• 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) Amoxil may be less effective.
• If you are taking methotrexate (used for the treatment of cancer and severe psoriasis) Amoxil may cause an increase in side effects.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

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.

Driving and using machines

Amoxil 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 Amoxil

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

• Swallow with water without opening capsule.
• If you cannot swallow the capsule, tell your doctor and he or she may prescribe another presentation that is more appropriate for you. Capsules are not suitable for patients who cannot swallow capsules due to the risk of choking. Other presentations are available, depending on the dosage, including oral formulations that can be used especially in patients who cannot swallow capsules.
• Space the doses evenly during the day, at least 4 hours apart.

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 doctor will advise you how much Amoxil 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 Amoxil 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.

• Severe infections: 750 mg to 1 g three times a day.
• Urinary tract infection: 3 g twice daily for one day.
• Lyme disease (an infection spread by parasites called ticks): isolated erythema migrans (early stage – 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.
• Stomach ulcers: 750 mg or 1 g dose twice a day for 7 days with other antibiotics and medicines to treat stomach ulcers.

• To prevent heart infection during surgery: the dose will vary according to the type of surgery.

  Other medicines may also be given at the same time. Your doctor, pharmacist or nurse 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.

If you take more Amoxil than you should

If you have taken too much Amoxil, 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 doctor as soon as possible. Take the medicine to show the doctor.

If you forget to take Amoxil

• 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.

How long should you take Amoxil for?

• Keep taking Amoxil for as long as your doctor 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 doctor.

Thrush (a yeast infection of moist areas of the body which can cause soreness, itching and white discharge) may develop if Amoxil is used for a long time. If this occurs tell your doctor.

If you take Amoxil for a long time, your doctor may perform additional tests to check your kidneys, liver and blood are working normally.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4 Possible side effects

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

Stop taking Amoxil and see a doctor 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
• chest pain which can be a sign of a potentially serious allergic reaction called Kounis syndrome
• repetitive vomiting (1 to 4 hours after Amoxil administration), stomach pain, abnormal drowsiness, diarrhoea and low blood pressure which can be a sign of a serious allergic reaction called drug-induced enterocolitis syndrome
• 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 Amoxil, 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)].

• a red rash commonly seen on both sides of buttocks, upper inner thighs, armpits, neck [Symmetrical

  Drug-Related Intertriginous and Flexural Exanthema (SDRIFE)]

• 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
• the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction which occurs during treatment with Amoxil for Lyme disease and causes fever, chills, headache, muscle pain and skin rash.

• serious immune system condition (haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome). Signs include:

  • fever
  • skin rashes
  • problems related to nerves, such as shaking or tremor, confusional state
  • upper abdominal pain
  • yellowing of the skin and/or eyes
  • swollen glands in the neck, armpit and/or groin
  • bleeding and/or bruising more easily; looking pale, feeling tired.
• 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 urgently tell your doctor 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 taking the medicine or for up to several weeks after.

If any of the above happens stop taking the medicine and see your doctor 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 doctor as Amoxil may 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 doctor or pharmacist
• kidney problems
• fits (convulsions), seen in patients on high doses or with kidney problems
• dizziness
• inflammation of the protective membrane surrounding the brain (aseptic meningitis)
• rash with blisters arranged in a circle with central crusting or like a string of pearls (linear IgA disease)
• serious immune system condition (haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome)
• hyperactivity

• crystals in the urine, 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

• 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.
• high blood level of protein that stores iron in the body
• high blood levels of triglycerides

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. 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 or by searching 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 Amoxil

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date (EXP) which is stated on the carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• Do not store above 25^oC.
• Do not use this medicine if there are visible signs of deterioration.
• 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 Amoxil contains

• The active substance in each capsule is 500 mg amoxicillin.

• The other ingredients are: magnesium stearate (E572) , gelatin , erythrosine (E127), titanium dioxide

  (E171), indigotine (E132), iron oxide yellow (E172), and shellac (E904)

What Amoxil looks like and contents of the pack

Amoxil 500 mg Capsules are yellow and red capsules printed with “GS JVL”. They are packaged in blister packs enclosed in a carton. Available in packs of 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 30, 32, 50, 100 and 500 capsules.

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorisation Holder: Beecham Group plc, 79 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1DG, United Kingdom

Manufacturer: Glaxo Welcome Production, Terras 2, Zone Industrielle de la Peyenniere, 53100 Mayenne, France

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Product name Amoxil Capsules 500 mg

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This leaflet was last revised in November 2025

Trade marks are owned by or licensed to the GSK group of companies.

© 2025 GSK group of companies or its licensor.

General advice regarding the use of antibiotics

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They have no effect against infections caused by viruses.

Sometimes an infection caused by bacteria does not respond to a course of an antibiotic. One of the commonest reasons for this to occur is because the bacteria causing the infection are resistant to the antibiotic that is being taken. This means that they can survive and even multiply despite the antibiotic.

Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics for many reasons. Using antibiotics carefully can help to reduce the chance of bacteria becoming resistant to them.

When your doctor prescribes a course of an antibiotic it is intended to treat only your current illness. Paying attention to the following advice will help prevent the emergence of resistant bacteria that could stop the antibiotic working.

1. 1. It is very important that you take the antibiotic at the right dose, at the right times and for the right number of days. Read the instructions on the label and if you do not understand anything ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain.
2. 2. You should not take an antibiotic unless it has been prescribed specifically for you and you should use it only to treat the infection for which it was prescribed.
3. 3. You should not take antibiotics that have been prescribed for other people even if they had an infection that was similar to yours.
4. 4. You should not give antibiotics that were prescribed for you to other people.
5. 5. If you have any antibiotic left over when you have taken the course as directed by your doctor you should take the remainder to a pharmacy for appropriate disposal.