Ampicillin

Ampicillin is used for:

Treating infections caused by certain types of bacteria.

Ampicillin is a penicillin antibiotic. It works by killing sensitive bacteria by interfering with formation of the bacteria's cell wall while it is growing. This weakens the cell wall and it ruptures, resulting in the death of the bacteria.

Do NOT use Ampicillin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Ampicillin or to any other penicillin antibiotic (eg, amoxicillin)
• you have mononucleosis ("mono")

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Ampicillin :

Some medical conditions may interact with Ampicillin . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you have a stomach infection or diarrhea
• if you have had a severe allergic reaction (eg, severe rash, hives, difficulty breathing, dizziness) to a cephalosporin antibiotic (eg, cephalexin) or other beta-lactam antibiotic (eg, imipenem)

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Ampicillin . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Tetracyclines (eg, doxycycline) because they may decrease Ampicillin 's effectiveness
• Allopurinol because the risk of skin rash may be increased
• Anticoagulants (heparin, warfarin) or methotrexate because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Ampicillin
• Aminoglycosides or birth control pills because their effectiveness may be decreased by Ampicillin

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Ampicillin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.