Augmentin Drug Interactions

If birth control pills, methotrexate, or an oral typhoid vaccine is taken in conjunction with Augmentin, drug interactions could develop. These negative interactions may increase your risk of side effects, reduce the effectiveness of the medications, or lead to high drug levels in your system. To help prevent Augmentin drug interactions, talk to your healthcare provider before taking any other medicines.

Augmentin Antibiotic Information

An Overview of Augmentin Drug Interactions

Augmentin^® (amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium) can potentially interact with several other medicines. Some of the medicines that may lead to Augmentin drug interactions include:

Allopurinol (Aloprim™, Zyloprim^®)
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex^®, Trexall™)
Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
Oral typhoid vaccine
Probenecid (Benuryl™).

Augmentin Interactions Explained

The following sections explain in detail the potentially negative interactions that can occur when Augmentin is combined with any of the drugs listed above.

Allopurinol

Combining allopurinol with antibiotics similar to Augmentin increases the risk of skin rashes. It is not known whether this is also true with Augmentin.

Methotrexate

Penicillin-type antibiotics (including Augmentin) may decrease the body's ability to remove methotrexate, leading to high blood levels of methotrexate in the blood. Your healthcare provider may need to monitor your more closely to prevent this interaction from occurring.

Oral Contraceptives

Despite the longstanding belief that antibiotics interact with birth control pills, several studies have shown that almost all antibiotics do not increase the risk of pregnancy in women taking birth control pills. Nevertheless, there have been reports of birth control pill failure in women who have taken antibiotics. Ask your healthcare provider about whether you need a backup method of birth control while taking Augmentin.

(Augmentin Drug Interactions Continued: Page 2)