Is amoxicillin good for cough and cold

Can Antibiotics Treat My Cold?

You've got a cold and feel lousy. Maybe you already tried some over-the-counter meds. Time for something stronger, you think. Can antibiotics do the trick?

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Can Antibiotics Treat My Cold?
Why Taking Antibiotics for a Cold Can Be a Problem
When Antibiotics Can Help
Take Antibiotics Responsibly
Common Cold
Risk Factors
When to Seek Medical Care
How to Feel Better
Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children
Does amoxicillin stop coughing?
How much amoxicillin do I take for a cough?
How long does amoxicillin take to work for cough?
Can you treat a cold with amoxicillin?

Here's the plain truth: Colds are caused by viruses, and no antibiotic in the world can fight one. They only treat an infection that's brought on by another small living thing -- bacteria.

Why Taking Antibiotics for a Cold Can Be a Problem

It might not seem like you're doing any harm if you take a medicine even though it doesn't treat your cold, but it can. When people take antibiotics when they don't have to, over time, the medicine becomes less effective. Someday you'll really need one because you've got an illness caused by a bacteria, but it won't work.

The reason has to do with the bacteria themselves. They can be sneaky. When they come into contact over and over with antibiotics, they may change in order to survive.

These new strains are "resistant" to some types of antibiotics. If you get an infection with one of these bacteria, your doctor may need to try several types of drugs until they find one that works. You could get a lot sicker while you wait for the one that can treat you.

Antibiotics also have side effects, some very serious. Minor problems include dizziness, vomiting, yeast infections and diarrhea, More serious problems include allergic reactions, difficulty breathing and damage to the colon as the result of infection growing in the body.

When Antibiotics Can Help

When they're used the right way, antibiotics can save lives. For example, they can treat bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, ear infection, and pinkeye -- as long as they're caused by bacteria.

Sometimes, you get infected with a bacteria after you've got a cold. Some signs of bacterial sinus infection are pain around your face and eyes that may get worse when you bend over. You might also cough up thick, yellow or green mucus.

These symptoms may also occur with a cold. But if they last for more than a week or are severe, you may have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics.

Only your doctor can prescribe antibiotics. Talk to them if you think you might need them.

Take Antibiotics Responsibly

Here are three things to remember when you're thinking about taking antibiotics:

Listen to your doctor. They'll let you know if you're sick because of a virus or a bacteria and will prescribe antibiotics if you need them.

Follow instructions carefully. Finish all the medicine your doctor asks you to take and stick to the schedule. If there are pills left when your treatment ends, don't save them "just in case" you might get sick later on.

Don't share medicine. Never give antibiotics to anyone else, and don't take someone else's drugs. They're not the same. When you need one, it's important that you take the right medicine for your condition.

Common Cold

Sneezing, stuffy and runny nose? You might have a cold. Colds are one of the most frequent reasons for missed school and work. Every year, adults have an average of 2 to 3 colds, and children have even more.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses that cause colds and will not help you feel better.

Causes

More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common type. Viruses that cause colds can spread from person to person through the air and close personal contact.

Risk Factors

Many factors can increase your risk of catching a cold, including:

Close contact with someone who has a cold
Season (colds are more common during the fall and winter, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year)
Age (infants and young children have more colds per year than adults)

Symptoms

Symptoms of a cold usually peak within 2 to 3 days and can include:

Sneezing
Stuffy nose
Runny nose
Sore throat
Coughing
Mucus dripping down your throat (post-nasal drip)
Watery eyes
Fever (although most people with colds do not have fever)

When viruses that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses, the nose makes clear mucus. This helps wash the viruses from the nose and sinuses. After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic.

Some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days. Those symptoms should improve over time.

When to Seek Medical Care

See a doctor if you have:

Trouble breathing or fast breathing
Dehydration
Fever that lasts longer than 4 days
Symptoms that last more than 10 days without improvement
Symptoms, such as fever or cough, that improve but then return or worsen
Worsening of chronic medical conditions

This list is not all-inclusive. Please see a doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.

Colds can have similar symptoms to flu. It can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Learn more about differences between cold and flu.

When you have a cold, mucus fills your nose and could cause post-nasal drip, headache, and a sore throat.

How Long Will Symptoms Last with a Typical Cold?

When you have a cold:

a sore throat could last for 8 days
a headache could last for 9 or 10 days
congestion, runny nose, and cough could last for more than 14 days

baby icon Talk to a healthcare professional right away if your child is under 3 months old with a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher.

Treatment

Your doctor can determine if you have a cold by asking about symptoms and examining you. Your doctor may also need to order laboratory tests.

There is no cure for a cold. It will get better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won’t help you get better if you have a cold.

When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from mild reactions, like a rash, to more serious health problems. These problems can include severe allergic reactions, antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection. C. diff causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.

How to Feel Better

Below are some ways you can feel better while your body fights off a cold:

Get plenty of rest.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.

Use saline nasal spray or drops.
- For young children, use a rubber suction bulb to clear mucus.
Breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water or shower.

Suck on lozenges. Do not give lozenges to children younger than 4 years of age.
Use honey to relieve cough for adults and children at least 1 year of age or older.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed. Remember, over-the-counter medicines may provide temporary relief of symptoms, but they will not cure your illness.

Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children

Carefully read and follow instructions on over-the-counter medicine product labels before giving medicines to children. Some over-the-counter medicines are not recommended for children of certain ages.

Pain relievers:
- Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen.
- Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye’s syndrome. Reye’s syndrome is a very serious, but rare illness that can harm the liver and brain.

Cough and cold medicines:
- Children younger than 4 years old: do not use over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Cough and cold medicines can result in serious and sometimes life-threatening side effects in young children.
- Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.

Prevention

You can help prevent colds by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:

Clean your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections.
Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.

Does amoxicillin stop coughing?

Antibiotics Not Helpful for Persistent Cough The researchers found that amoxicillin did not shorten the duration of the cough, nor did it mitigate the severity of symptoms in persons of any age group, including the elderly.

How much amoxicillin do I take for a cough?

Dosage. The usual dose of amoxicillin capsules is 250mg to 500mg, taken 3 times a day. The dose may be lower for children. Amoxicillin liquid is available in 125mg and 250mg doses.

How long does amoxicillin take to work for cough?

How long does it take amoxicillin to work? Amoxicillin starts fighting bacteria in your body soon after you take it. However, it needs some time before it starts to make a difference. You may begin to feel better after 2 to 3 days of taking the medication.