Bacterial infections during pregnancy require the use of medications that will simultaneously destroy harmful microbes and not harm the baby's development. When you cannot do without their use, doctors prescribe the most gentle means. One of them is "Amoxiclav". This antibiotic helps with many infectious diseases, but should be used in pregnant women only as directed by a doctor.
Features of the drug
Amoxiclav is produced in Slovenia by Lek. It comes in three different forms. Adults are most often prescribed pills, which are elongated and white, dense. They are sold in jars or blisters of 10-21 pieces per pack.
In childhood, "Amoxiclav" is usually prescribed in suspension... This form is represented by a dark glass bottle with a white powder inside. By adding water inside, a homogeneous sweet liquid is obtained that smells like fruit. The third form of medication is powder for injection. It is packaged in sterile vials, diluted with saline or water for injection, and then injected intravenously.
In addition, there is also "Amoxiclav Kviktab"... Such a drug is a fruit-flavored tablet with a yellow tint. They are dispersible, that is, after contact with water, they dissolve very quickly to form a sweet suspension. This version of the antibiotic is sold in packs of 10-14 tablets.
All types of "Amoxiclav", including "Kviktab", contain two active compounds "working" together. The first is an antibacterial agent called amoxicillin... Its dosage for 1 tablet can be 250 and 500 mg, as well as 875 mg, for one dispersible tablet - 500 and 875 mg. In suspension, the amount of antibiotic per 5 ml can be 125, 250 or 400 mg, and one vial of powder for injection contains 500 or 1000 mg of amoxicillin.
The second active ingredient in all forms of the drug is clavulanic acid... This "companion" is added to amoxicillin in different proportions. Its amount in any of the tablets, including dispersible ones, is 125 mg, regardless of the dosage of the antibacterial compound. But in other forms, the dose of clavulanic acid is different and depends on the dosage of amoxicillin. So, in a powder for injection, it is 5 times less, and in a suspension with a dosage of 125 and 250 mg - 4 times less.
Operating principle
Amoxicillin is a group of penicillin antibiotics that affect many pathogens. Thanks to the addition of clavulanic acid, its spectrum of antibacterial effect on infectious agents is further expanded. This is due to the ability of some microbes to produce beta-lactamase enzymes.
These enzyme compounds reduce the effectiveness of penicillins, but clavulanic acid blocks them, therefore "Amoxiclav" is effective even against those bacteria that do not die under the action of amoxicillin alone. The drug is prescribed for infection with clostridia, enterococci, escherichia, streptococci, bacteroids, proteus, haemophilus influenzae and many other infectious agents. This allows you to write it out for a variety of diseases caused by pathogenic microbes.
Is it allowed during pregnancy?
The waiting period for the child is noted in the annotation to all forms of "Amoxiclav" in the section "take with caution". The drug has no direct contraindications and can be prescribed to expectant mothers, if the benefits of its use outweigh the potential risk to the fetus. Moreover, in the 1st trimester, for example, at 8 weeks, it is worth refusing to take such a medicine, if there is such a possibility.
In the early stages, "Amoxiclav" is prescribed only in serious cases, when the infection is much more dangerous than its treatment. If a woman has chronic bacterial diseases, it is recommended to treat them at the stage of pregnancy planning, in order to prevent an exacerbation in the first trimester and to exclude the prescription of medications during this important period. This will help avoid a frozen pregnancy and other complications.
In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, the appointment of "Amoxiclav" is relatively harmless, but the risk of side effects is still present, so the drug is taken only after a doctor's examination. The specialist will make sure that there are no contraindications and the need for antibiotic therapy, and will also select a suitable treatment regimen that will not cause negative consequences.
When is it prescribed?
The doctor can prescribe "Amoxiclav" to a woman in a position with a variety of infectious diseases. The tool is in demand in the treatment of:
- purulent sore throat, sinusitis, otitis media and other infections in the ENT organs;
- bacterial damage to the bronchi or pneumonia;
- cystitis and other infections of the excretory system;
- microbial damage to joints, skin, bone tissue, ligaments or subcutaneous tissue;
- odontogenic infection;
- purulent inflammation of the biliary tract;
- bacterial infection of the genitals.
Contraindications
Treatment with "Amoxiclav" is prohibited in case of hypersensitivity to any of the components of the drug, and also in the following cases:
- if a woman is allergic to other penicillin drugs or drugs of the cephalosporin group;
- if a serious liver disease of the patient has caused a violation of her functions;
- if the expectant mother gets sick with infectious mononucleosis.
The presence of serious kidney damage requires an individual selection of the dosage (as a rule, it is reduced, taking into account the test results). If in the past a woman had a negative reaction of the digestive tract to any antibiotics, apply "Amoxiclav" under the close attention of a doctor.
Side effects
Some women react to "Amoxiclav" by the occurrence of negative symptoms from the digestive system, for example, episodes of vomiting, poor appetite, severe nausea or pain in the stomach. In addition, the medication can:
- impair liver function or provoke jaundice;
- cause fungal stomatitis or other candidal infection;
- cause itching, Quincke's edema or other allergic reaction;
- negatively affect blood formation, due to which the level of platelets and leukocytes will decrease;
- cause headaches or difficulty sleeping;
- disrupt kidney function.
If the expectant mother has such side effects, she should immediately inform the attending physician about them in order to change the treatment.
How to use?
Tablet "Amoxiclav" is swallowed, trying not to damage the film shell. To dissolve one tablet "Kviktab" take from 30 milliliters of water. It is also permissible to put such an antibiotic in your mouth and wait for saliva to dissolve, then swallow. If a woman uses a suspension, then the powder is diluted with clean water before treatment according to the annotation and marks on the bottle. The liquid must be poured in two passes, closing the bottle each time and shaking vigorously.
So that the ingredients of "Amoxiclav" taken orally do not worsen digestion, tablets and suspension should be drunk at the beginning of a meal. The doctor calculates the dosage individually, taking into account the amount of amoxicillin.
If the infection in a woman in the position is assessed as severe, injections may be used. For their implementation, the powder is diluted with one of the infusion solutions. The injection is done slowly, injecting the drug into a vein. Quite often, such "Amoxiclav" is prescribed in the form of droppers, so that the patient receives one dose of antibiotic for 30-40 minutes.
The duration of the course is determined taking into account many factors, but usually you need to drink or inject Amoxiclav for at least 5 days.
If you stop using the medication earlier than the doctor indicated, the risk of developing resistance in bacteria increases and the disease may remain untreated. For this reason, it is impossible to quit treatment earlier, even if the expectant mother is already feeling well.
Reviews
Women who were prescribed "Amoxiclav" while waiting for a baby leave mostly positive reviews about such a medicine. They confirm the effectiveness of this antibiotic in bronchitis, sore throat, otitis media, pyelonephritis and other diseases. Among the advantages of the drug are a variety of forms, an affordable price, a wide antibacterial spectrum. According to the patients, the medication is generally well tolerated, but there are also negative reactions in the form of allergic symptoms, nausea, and so on.
Analogs
If it is necessary to replace "Amoxiclav" with a similar remedy, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, which also includes a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. These medicines are "Augmentin", "Ekoklav", "Panklav", "Medoklav" and other medicines produced in tablets, suspensions and injectable forms.
In case of ineffectiveness or an allergic reaction, "Amoxiclav" can be replaced by drugs of other groups, for example, cephalosporin antibiotics or macrolide agents. The question of such a replacement is decided in each case individually.
See the doctor's comments about the drug "Amoxiclav" in the following video.
