What are amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin?
Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium (also referred to as amoxicillin/clavulanate) and azithromycin are medications primarily prescribed for treating infections.
Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic, meaning that it fights bacteria by blocking it from reproducing. Azithromycin is prescribed for a variety of bacterial infections including sexually transmitted diseases, respiratory infections, ear infections and skin infections.
Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium work together as a combination medication to treat bacterial infections, including bronchitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, sinusitis, ear infections and more. Amoxicillin is a beta-lactam (penicillin) antibiotic which targets and kills the bacteria, and clavulanate potassium is a beta-lactamase inhibitor, which means that it can help keep certain bacteria from developing resistance to the amoxicillin.
Amoxicillin/clavulanate is often the first-choice antibiotic prescribed for many common types of infections, whereas azithromycin can be more effective than amoxicillin/clavulanate for treating less common or more serious types of infection.
What are the similarities between amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin?
Both amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin are available as a generic product (their brand versions are Augmentin and Zithromax, respectively). They are both antibiotics, which can be used to treat many types of bacterial infections. A doctor may choose to prescribe one over the other based on the specific type of bacteria causing the infection.
What are the main differences between amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin?
Although amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin are both antibiotics, they are in different classes. Amoxicillin/clavulanate is a penicillin-based beta-lactam antibiotic (referring to its structure), which is bactericidal (acts by killing the targeted bacteria). The clavulanate potassium is a beta-lactamase inhibitor, meaning that it can prevent the bacteria from developing a resistance to the antibiotic. In this way, the amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium work together to fight and neutralize the enemy bacteria.
Azithromycin is in the macrolide class of antibiotic and is bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal (meaning it acts by blocking the bacteria from reproducing, rather than actively killing it).
Azithromycin can be more effective than amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium against certain types of infections because several strains of bacteria have developed resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanate. The prescribing physician may be able to run tests to determine which antibiotic will be most effective against the specific type of bacteria causing a given infection.
Amoxicillin is often prescribed for a wide range of common infections, whereas azithromycin is mainly prescribed for respiratory, soft tissue and skin infections and sexually transmitted diseases. Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium may also be prescribed for pregnant women with a chlamydial infection unable to take erythromycin, and as a prophylaxis before a medical procedure such as surgery.
Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin also differ in dosage: amoxicillin/clavulanate may be prescribed in varying strengths to be taken every 8 hours and needs to be taken for at least 5 days, whereas azithromycin can be taken for between 1 and 8 days as a single daily dose at least an hour before food or two hours after a meal.
What are the possible side effects of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium and azithromycin?
Side effects of amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium can include interference with birth control pill effectiveness, allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock), diarrhea, gastritis, vomiting, yeast overgrowth and rarely, anemia and other blood disorders.
Side effects of azithromycin can include gastrointestinal issues as well as cardiac arrhythmia, vasculitis, or urticaria.
There are also a total of 77 known drug interactions with Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium) and 399 drug interactions with azithromycin.
