Medications and Drugs
Brand Names: PrincipenGeneric Name: ampicillin (Pronunciation: am pi SIL in)
What is ampicillin (Principen)?Ampicillin is an antibiotic in the penicillin group of drugs. It fights bacteria in your body. Ampicillin is used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection. Ampicillin may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide. What are the possible side effects of ampicillin (Principen)?Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
Less serious side effects may include
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. What is the most important information I should know about ampicillin (Principen)?Do not use this medication if you are allergic to ampicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic, such as amoxicillin (Amoxil), carbenicillin (Geocillin), dicloxacillin (Dycill, Dynapen), oxacillin (Bactocill), penicillin (Beepen-VK, Ledercillin VK, Pen-V, Pen-Vee K, Pfizerpen, V-Cillin K, Veetids), and others. Before using ampicillin, tell your doctor if you are allergic to cephalosporins such as Ceclor, Ceftin, Duricef, Keflex, and others, or if you have asthma, kidney disease, a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, mononucleosis (also called "mono"), or a history of any type of allergy. Ampicillin can make birth control pills less effective, which may result in pregnancy. Before taking ampicillin, tell your doctor if you use birth control pills. Take this medication for the entire length of time prescribed by your doctor. Your symptoms may get better before the infection is completely treated. Ampicillin will not treat a viral infection such as the common cold or flu. Do not give this medication to another person, even if they have the same symptoms you do. Antibiotic medicines can cause diarrhea, which may be a sign of a new infection. If you have diarrhea that is watery or has blood in it, call your doctor. Do not use any medicine to stop the diarrhea unless your doctor has told you to. (Page 1 of 3) |
Women's Health
Find out what women really need.
From WebMD
Infectious Disease Resources
- Are You Protected From Deadly Diseases?
- How to Keep Your Family Safe From Germs
- Bathroom Germs You Really Can Catch
Featured Centers
- Ask the Nutritionist: Weight Loss Tips
- Which Drugstore Tooth Whiteners Work Best?
- Gout: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Toxoplasmosis Overview
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In most instances, human infection occurs after the parasite is ingested. The majority of people infected have no symptoms, but the disease has the potential to cause serious problems in some people, especially in those who are immunodepressed and in pregnant women. If symptoms develop, they are flu-like (for example, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, malaise) and may last for a few weeks. Less frequently, severe infections can lead to eye problems, brain impairments, seizures, and rarely, death. Certain drugs, alone and in combination, can be used to treat toxoplasmosis. Many people in the U.S. and in other developed countries develop infections from eating infected meat or inadvertent ingestion of cat or kitten feces. Prevention of this disease mainly centers on avoiding human contact with undercooked, contaminated meat and contact with cat or kitte...
Featured Topics
Medical Dictionary
Pill Identifier on RxList
- quick,
easy,
pill identification
Find a Local Pharmacy
- including
24 hour
pharmacies







