Which is better amoxicillin or penicillin

A round of antibiotics must be taken, as prescribed, and in its entirety, even if symptoms disappear after a few days of use. Penicillins are used to treat bacterial infections of all kinds.

The first successful penicillin treatment was for eye infections, in adults and infants. Skin infections were also responsive to the antibiotics, and by the time World War II broke out, penicillin became a common treatment for battlefield wounds and sexually-transmitted diseases , with varying results. It was during the s and s that researchers discovered penicillin is ineffective against viral infections.

Viruses are basically DNA strands that lack a cell structure and so are not affected by an antibiotic's cell wall attacks.

Penicillin is most effective against strep and soft tissue infections mainly caused by Staphylococcus strains , syphilis, meningitis, and pneumonia. Amoxicillin is effective against most of the same strains as penicillin, but is more effective against otitis media ear infections, endocarditis heart valve infections , and infections caused by enteroccocus strains.

Natural penicillins and synthesized versions, such as amoxicillin, are frequent weapons in the medical arsenal against disease due to their effectiveness. Not only can they cure bacterial infections, they can also prevent subsequent bacterial infections from occurring. This has led many doctors, veterinarians, and the agricultural industry to overprescribe the use of antibiotics, which in turn has led to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Amoxicillin and penicillin are often equally effective in treating a wide variety of infections, from medical to dental.

As such, amoxicillin is often prescribed simply because it is cheaper. However, one antibiotic may be prescribed for a certain type of infection more than another. For example, amoxicillin was found to decrease swelling caused by abscessed primary "baby" teeth better than penicillin, making amoxicillin the preferred antibiotic for this type of infection. One of the most virulent antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains in humans is Methiciliin-Resistant Staphyloccus aurea , commonly referred to by its acronym, MRSA often pronounced mur-suh.

While Staphyloccus aurea was once a form of bacteria easily killed by penicillins, its multi-resistant form is now a "flesh-eating disease" that is capable of destroying tissue in hours and resisting a wide variety of heavy antibiotic treatments. Despite resistant strains, antibiotics are still effective in controlling and defeating most bacterial infections. Awareness of overusing antibiotics has curtailed their use somewhat in favor of alternative treatments, or, as in the case of colds and flus , which are mostly caused by viruses, letting the illness proceed untreated unless a bacterial infection develops.

There is some evidence that prescribed doses of penicillin can be lowered, yet remain highly effective. Amoxicillin, more than penicillin, appears to remain effective at a lower dose. If antibiotic doses can be lowered, the potential for the development of "superbugs" may decrease.

However, even with antibiotic-resistance being a concern, patients should defer to their doctors' recommendations, as dosing requirements are often closely related to the type of infection. An allergic reaction to any one of the penicillins is enough to presume one is allergic to all of them. Blaser M. Antibiotic overuse: Stop the killing of beneficial bacteria. Amoxil , Moxatag amoxicillin dosing, indications, interactions, adverse effects, and more.

Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. It should be noted there are a few infections for which amoxicillin and Augmentin are prescribed equally: Pyelonephritis kidney infections Erysipelas, a type of skin infection Chronic strep "carriers".

See Photo. How to Avoid Antibiotic Resistance Always take an antibiotic as prescribed. Complete the entire course even if you feel better.

Do not save antibiotics for future use. Do not use someone else's antibiotics. Do not take antibiotics for a viral infection. Avoid overuse. Take an antibiotic only if your healthcare provider deems it necessary. Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback!

Sign Up. What are your concerns? Introduction Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics increases the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Results An overview of the different studies included in this review [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ] is given in Table 1. Table 1 Overview of the included studies. Open in a separate window. Group A Streptococci GAS Tonsillitis Eleven studies [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ] have been published comparing clinical effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin and amoxicillin in the treatment of GAS.

Acute Sinusitis The aim of all the three studies [ 18 , 19 , 20 ] on acute sinusitis was to investigate the effect of the two antibiotics compared with placebo. Acute Otitis Media Two studies on acute otitis media were identified. Lyme Borreliosis We identified two studies on Lyme borreliosis [ 23 , 24 ]. Pneumonia One non-inferiority RCT was identified where phenoxymethylpenicillin was tested against amoxicillin for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia [ 25 ].

Discussion 3. Summary of Main Results According to our results, 19 studies have been performed where phenoxymethylpenicillin has been tested directly against amoxicillin for the treatment of any diagnosis in ambulatory care.

Strengths and Limitations We performed a systematic literature search in two databases, which strengthens the probability for including the relevant literature. Comparison with Other Literature For GAS tonsillitis, there is a general agreement between guidelines that phenoxymethylpenicillin is the recommended treatment when an antibiotic is warranted. Materials and Methods 4. Figure 1. Inclusion Criteria All studies published where the clinical effect of phenoxymethylpenicillin and amoxicillin, given per os, have been compared, in either a randomized controlled trial or solely controlled trial, as treatment for any diagnosis in an ambulatory care setting.

Exclusion Criteria Trials performed in a hospital setting, trials concerning dental health, trials reporting only microbiological and not clinical effect, and trials where amoxicillin was given in combination with clavulanic acid. Quality Assessment The quality of the included randomised controlled trials RCTs was assessed by using the first six criteria from a checklist designed for RCTs, provided by the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services [ 42 ].

Acknowledgments We thank the staff at The University of Oslo Medical Library for assistance with the literature search. Click here for additional data file. Author Contributions Conceptualization, S. Funding This research received no external funding. Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. References 1. Straand J. Health Care. Versporten A. Adriaenssens N.

Pulcini C. Breese B. Treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with amoxicillin. Stillerman M. Treatment of pharyngitis associated with group A Streptococcus: Comparison of amoxicillin and potassium phenoxymethyl penicillin.

The treatment of beta hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. Comparison of amoxicillin, erythromycin estolate, and penicillin V. Phila ; 16 — Pankey G. Shvartzman P. Treatment of streptococcal pharyngitis with amoxycillin once a day. Peyramond D. Cohen R. Six-day amoxicillin vs. Feder H. Once-daily therapy for streptococcal pharyngitis with amoxicillin. Curtin-Wirt C. Efficacy of penicillin vs. Phila ; 42 — Lennon D. Once-daily amoxicillin versus twice-daily penicillin V in group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis.

Pichichero M. Pharmacodynamic analysis and clinical trial of amoxicillin sprinkle administered once daily for 7 days compared to penicillin V potassium administered four times daily for 10 days in the treatment of tonsillopharyngitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes in children.

Agents Chemother. Lindbaek M. Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial of penicillin V and amoxycillin in treatment of acute sinus infections in adults. Antibiotic treatment of patients with mucosal thickening in the paranasal sinuses, and validation of cut-off points in sinus CT. Varonen H. Treatment of acute rhinosinusitis diagnosed by clinical criteria or ultrasound in primary care: A placebo-controlled randomised trial.

Howard J. Otitis media of infancy and early childhood. A double-blind study of four treatment regimens. Puhakka H. Treatment of acute otitis media in children: Penicillin-V or amoxicilin? Acta Otolaryngol. Strle F. Treatment of borrelial lymphocytoma. Eliassen K. Also, Augmentin may lead to an overgrowth of bacteria called Clostridium difficile. This can cause severe diarrhea that requires treatment to prevent complications.

The United States Food and Drug Administration note that, while Augmentin has a low risk of toxicity, people who take it for a longer period should be under close supervision, as there may be a chance of damage to the kidney or liver. Before taking any antibiotic, it is important to ensure that the infection is bacterial.

Augmentin and amoxicillin will have no effect on viral or fungal infections. Anyone who has experienced an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, especially penicillin, should inform their doctor before taking another antibiotic.

It is also best to check the packaging for additional ingredients, such as flavorings or coatings. Some medications contain lactose or gelatin. Discuss any potential allergens with a doctor before using either medication. Some drugs or supplements can change how effective an antibiotic is. Doctors may ask people to stop taking certain supplements or medications while on the antibiotics, if possible.

Anyone who has had kidney or liver disease should consult their doctor before taking these drugs. Augmentin may also make birth control pills less effective. Sexually active people should use other forms of birth control while taking Augmentin to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

Anyone who becomes pregnant or learns that they are pregnant while taking Augmentin should speak to a doctor. Women who are breastfeeding may also need to avoid taking Augmentin. Amoxicillin and Augmentin are similar drugs that may help clear a wide range of bacterial infections. A doctor may recommend Augmentin if an infection could be antibiotic-resistant or if amoxicillin alone does not work.

The drugs are generally well-tolerated, but there is still a chance of side effects. Anyone taking these drugs should follow their dosage instructions closely. Resistance to antibiotics kills more than 20, people in the U.