Is Augmentin effective against strep throat?!
Question: Is Augmentin effective against strep throat!?
Since it's a form of amoxicillin, wouldn't that make it ineffective against strep bacteria!? To my knowledge, they stopped giving amoxicillin-based antibiotics for strep throat because it's not powerful enough!. Or is Augmentin different than amoxicillin!? Please advise!. I need to know if I should get a prescription for something different!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
yes, but it is a poor choice for that condition!.
it is not better than amoxicllin alone - see below!.
if you truly have a strep throat, you need either penicillin, or amoxicillin!. Period!. Either of those would cost less than $5!.
In the case of strep throat you do NOT take the antibiotic to get better - because you will actually get better even without the antibiotic!. You only take the antibiotic in an effort to prevent "acute rheumatic fever"!. That's another topic - it's an autoimmune reaction that occurs AFTER you have made yourself better from a sore throat!. It is truly unheard of in the United States in the past 30 years!.
Reasons that Augmentin (amoxicillin / clavulanate) is a POOR choice for your condition!.
1!. it has no activity against strep above and beyond that of penicillin or plain amoxicillin!.
Adding the clavulanate does NOT add any additional activity against strep germs - because they do not manufacture a beta-lactamase enzyme!.
2!. the clavulanate that is added is therefore unnecessary - and it will give you diarrhea!. So you've gotten a bothersome side effect but without any clinical benefit!.
3!. adding the clavulanate makes the cost of your prescription rougly $60 or more, compared to $4 if you had bought amoxicillin alone!.
The reason doctors do this (incorrectly) is because they really forget what they're treating - if you are only trying to prevent rheumatic fever, penicillin is all that is needed!. There has never been any bacterial resistance to penicillin nor amoxicllin in the past 80 years, when dealing with Group A strep (the one that rarely causes sore throats)!.
So what do you do now that you've already paid for this antibiotic!?
1!. take it, since the $$ is gone !.
2!. take it only with food - to decrease the diarrhea problem
3!. take it for a full 10 days - that's how long you have to take it in order to get the benefit on prevention of rheumatic fever!.
4!. print this all out - and discuss with your doctor the next time they try to treat you with a very broad spectrum antibiotic for a strep throat - a good doctor will benefit from these reminders!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
it is not better than amoxicllin alone - see below!.
if you truly have a strep throat, you need either penicillin, or amoxicillin!. Period!. Either of those would cost less than $5!.
In the case of strep throat you do NOT take the antibiotic to get better - because you will actually get better even without the antibiotic!. You only take the antibiotic in an effort to prevent "acute rheumatic fever"!. That's another topic - it's an autoimmune reaction that occurs AFTER you have made yourself better from a sore throat!. It is truly unheard of in the United States in the past 30 years!.
Reasons that Augmentin (amoxicillin / clavulanate) is a POOR choice for your condition!.
1!. it has no activity against strep above and beyond that of penicillin or plain amoxicillin!.
Adding the clavulanate does NOT add any additional activity against strep germs - because they do not manufacture a beta-lactamase enzyme!.
2!. the clavulanate that is added is therefore unnecessary - and it will give you diarrhea!. So you've gotten a bothersome side effect but without any clinical benefit!.
3!. adding the clavulanate makes the cost of your prescription rougly $60 or more, compared to $4 if you had bought amoxicillin alone!.
The reason doctors do this (incorrectly) is because they really forget what they're treating - if you are only trying to prevent rheumatic fever, penicillin is all that is needed!. There has never been any bacterial resistance to penicillin nor amoxicllin in the past 80 years, when dealing with Group A strep (the one that rarely causes sore throats)!.
So what do you do now that you've already paid for this antibiotic!?
1!. take it, since the $$ is gone !.
2!. take it only with food - to decrease the diarrhea problem
3!. take it for a full 10 days - that's how long you have to take it in order to get the benefit on prevention of rheumatic fever!.
4!. print this all out - and discuss with your doctor the next time they try to treat you with a very broad spectrum antibiotic for a strep throat - a good doctor will benefit from these reminders!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Yes!.
Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium!. The combination drug amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium (Augmentin) is resistant to degradation from beta-lactamase produced by copathogens that may colonize the tonsillopharyngeal area!. Amoxicillin-clavulanate is often used to treat recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis!. Its major adverse effect is diarrhea!. Also it is expensive!.
EDIT: as listed above, Augmentin is a COMBINATION of Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium!.!.!.therefore, yes, it is more effective than Amoxicillin alone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium!. The combination drug amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium (Augmentin) is resistant to degradation from beta-lactamase produced by copathogens that may colonize the tonsillopharyngeal area!. Amoxicillin-clavulanate is often used to treat recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis!. Its major adverse effect is diarrhea!. Also it is expensive!.
EDIT: as listed above, Augmentin is a COMBINATION of Amoxicillin and Clavulanate Potassium!.!.!.therefore, yes, it is more effective than Amoxicillin alone!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
this is an answer that someone left on my question http://answers!.yahoo!.com/question/index;!.!.!.
sorry to have to point this out --
there is no cause of BACTERIAL sore throat that requires an antibiotic to get better!. There are two exceptions:
1!. diphtheria (eradicated from the US by vaccination)
2!. gonorrhea (seen extremely rarely in prostitutes)
No, strep throat does not require an antibiotic to get better - you get better on your own even without antibiotics!.
You didn't get better in a week because you have a VIRAL PHARYNGITIS - and the average duration of that entity is a week - that means some people are better in 3 days, some are not better until 14 days!.
Sure you'll get better - some time within the next 7 days !.
But is has nothing to do with your antibiotic!.
The antibiotic was unnecessary!.
17 minutes ago
Source(s):
I'm an infectious disease specialist - MD
trained for 14 years, in practice for 13 years!.
board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases!.
currently the Chair of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control at a local hospital!.
Not to be pompous, but I hope you'll believe I know a little bit about the common cold, and winter time viruses!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
sorry to have to point this out --
there is no cause of BACTERIAL sore throat that requires an antibiotic to get better!. There are two exceptions:
1!. diphtheria (eradicated from the US by vaccination)
2!. gonorrhea (seen extremely rarely in prostitutes)
No, strep throat does not require an antibiotic to get better - you get better on your own even without antibiotics!.
You didn't get better in a week because you have a VIRAL PHARYNGITIS - and the average duration of that entity is a week - that means some people are better in 3 days, some are not better until 14 days!.
Sure you'll get better - some time within the next 7 days !.
But is has nothing to do with your antibiotic!.
The antibiotic was unnecessary!.
17 minutes ago
Source(s):
I'm an infectious disease specialist - MD
trained for 14 years, in practice for 13 years!.
board certified in internal medicine and infectious diseases!.
currently the Chair of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control at a local hospital!.
Not to be pompous, but I hope you'll believe I know a little bit about the common cold, and winter time viruses!.Www@Answer-Health@Com