Principen vs. Augmentin

• Are Principen and Augmentin the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Principen?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Augmentin?
• What Is Principen?
• What Is Augmentin?
• What Drugs Interact with Principen?
• What Drugs Interact with Augmentin?
• How Should Principen Be Taken?
• How Should Augmentin Be Taken?

Principen (ampicillin) and Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) are penicillin-type antibiotics used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria.

Principen is a penicillin-type antibiotic.

Side effects of Principen and Augmentin that are similar include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, vaginal itching or discharge, headache, or oral thrush (white patches inside your mouth or throat).

Side effects of Principen that are different from Augmentin include mouth/tongue sores or swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue.

Side effects of Augmentin that are different from Principen include gas, skin rash, or itching.

Common side effects of Principen include:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain,
• diarrhea,
• vaginal itching or discharge,
• headache,
• mouth/tongue sores,
• thrush (white patches inside your mouth or throat), or
• swollen, black, or "hairy" tongue.

Tell your doctor if you have rare but very serious side effects of Principen including:

• dark urine,
• persistent nausea or vomiting,
• yellowing eyes or skin,
• easy bruising or bleeding, or
• persistent sore throat or fever.

Common side effects of Augmentin include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Stomach pain
• Skin rash or itching
• White patches in your mouth or throat
• Vaginal yeast infection (itching or discharge)

Rare and severe side effects of Augmentin can include:

• watery or bloody diarrhea;
• pale or yellowed skin, dark colored urine, fever, confusion or weakness;
• easy bruising or bleeding;
• skin rash, bruising, severe tingling, numbness, pain, muscle weakness;
• agitation, confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior, seizures (convulsions);
• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes); or
• severe skin reaction -- fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads (especially in the face or upper body) and causes blistering and peeling.  

Principen (ampicillin) is a penicillin-type antibiotic used to treat many different types of infections caused by bacteria, such as ear infections, bladder infections, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and E. coli or salmonella infection. Principen is available in generic form.

Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) is a combination antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections including sinusitis, pneumonia, ear infections, bronchitis, urinary tract infections, and infections of the skin.

Principen may interact with allopurinol, methotrexate, sulfa drugs, or tetracycline antibiotics. Tell your doctor all medications you are taking. Principen should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. This medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Augmentin may interact with allopurinol.

Augmentin may also interact with probenecid or blood thinners.

Augmentin is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby, but a woman should tell her doctor if she is pregnant or plans to become pregnant during treatment. Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use Augmentin without telling your doctor if you are breastfeeding a baby.

The usual oral dose range of Principen for most infections is 250 to 500 mg 4 times daily for 7-14 days. To treat gonorrhea, a single 3.5 g dose is administered along with probenecid.

The dosage of Augmentin varies by the patient and the condition being treated.