Amoxicillin-Clavulanate
Prescription ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
A combination antibiotic pairing amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. This extends the spectrum of amoxicillin to include beta-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus (MSSA), E. coli, and Klebsiella. It is a first-line agent for acute bacterial sinusitis, recurrent or resistant otitis media, bite wounds, diabetic foot infections, and lower respiratory tract infections.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
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This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
A combination antibiotic pairing amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. NutriStack rates the supporting evidence as strong. Common adult dosing is 500/125 mg every 8 hours or 875/125 mg every 12 hours; XR: 2000/125 mg every 12 hours (as prescribed by your physician), though a prescriber sets the actual dose. With long-term use it can deplete vitamin k. This profile indexes 10 sources.
- Diarrhea (more common than amoxicillin alone due to clavulanate)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin rash
- Known penicillin or beta-lactam allergy
- History of cholestatic jaundice or hepatic dysfunction with prior amoxicillin-clavulanate use
The bottom line
Evidence rating strong. Most-documented uses: treats beta-lactamase-producing bacterial infections, first-line for acute bacterial sinusitis, treats recurrent or resistant otitis media. 10 sources indexed (2023–2024), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Amoxicillin inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis by binding penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs). Clavulanic acid is a beta-lactam structurally related to penicillin that irreversibly inhibits many beta-lactamase enzymes produced by resistant bacteria. By binding the active site of bacterial beta-lactamases (particularly class A enzymes such as TEM and SHV), clavulanate protects amoxicillin from enzymatic degradation, restoring its antibacterial activity.1,2
Dosing & protocol.
Take at the start of a meal to maximize absorption of clavulanate and reduce GI side effects. Amoxicillin absorption is not significantly affected by food, but clavulanate bioavailability and GI tolerability improve with food.1,3
What it depletes.
Nutrients this medication can lower over time, and what to replace.
Vitamin K
MildBroad-spectrum antibiotic exposure can suppress gut bacteria that synthesize menaquinones, lowering vitamin K availability in susceptible patients.
Full Amoxicillin-Clavulanate depletion and interaction guide →
Full safety detail.
Side effects
- Diarrhea (more common than amoxicillin alone due to clavulanate)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin rash
- Vaginal candidiasis
- Hepatic dysfunction (cholestatic jaundice, rare)
- Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea
- Abdominal discomfort
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
5- 1Efficacy and safety of vonoprazan and high-dose amoxicillin dual therapy in eradicating Helicobacter pylori: A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDZhang J, Zhang H, Zhu XJ et al. · International journal of antimicrobial agents · 2024
Zhang J, Zhang H, Zhu XJ et al.. Efficacy and safety of vonoprazan and high-dose amoxicillin dual therapy in eradicating Helicobacter pylori: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of antimicrobial agents. 2024
- 2Vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy versus bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDZhou BG, Jiang X, Ding YB et al. · Helicobacter · 2024
Zhou BG, Jiang X, Ding YB et al.. Vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy versus bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Helicobacter. 2024
- 3Low-dose or high-dose amoxicillin in vonoprazan-based dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication? A systematic review and meta-analysisPMIDJu KP, Kong QZ, Li YY et al. · Helicobacter · 2024
Ju KP, Kong QZ, Li YY et al.. Low-dose or high-dose amoxicillin in vonoprazan-based dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Helicobacter. 2024
- 4Amoxicillin-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis: systematic reviewPMIDPejcic AV, Milosavljevic MN, Folic M et al. · Journal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy) · 2023
Pejcic AV, Milosavljevic MN, Folic M et al.. Amoxicillin-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis: systematic review. Journal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy). 2023
- 5Relationship Between Amoxicillin Use in Pregnancy and Congenital Anomalies: A Systematic ReviewPMIDBahri N, Dashti S, Mohammadzadeh A et al. · Current drug research reviews · 2023
Bahri N, Dashti S, Mohammadzadeh A et al.. Relationship Between Amoxicillin Use in Pregnancy and Congenital Anomalies: A Systematic Review. Current drug research reviews. 2023
Reference material
5- 6Chow AW et al. IDSA clinical practice guideline for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis in children and adults. Clin Infect Dis. 2012.Source linkedPMID
- 7Stevens DL et al. Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of skin and soft tissue infections: 2014 update by the IDSA. Clin Infect Dis. 2014.Source linkedPMID
- 8Tamma PD et al. Combination therapy for treatment of infections with gram-negative bacteria. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2012.Source linkedPMID
- 9Tsergouli K, Karampatakis N, Karampatakis T. Efficacy of antimicrobials or placebo compared to amoxicillin-clavulanate in children with acute otitis media: a systematic review. The Turkish journal of pediatrics. 2023Source linkedPMID
- 10Puttagunta S, Aronin SI, Gupta J et al.. Sulopenem versus Amoxicillin/Clavulanate for the Treatment of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection. NEJM evidence. 2025Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Amoxicillin-Clavulanate, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Amoxicillin-Clavulanate?
A combination antibiotic pairing amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, a beta-lactamase inhibitor. This extends the spectrum of amoxicillin to include beta-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae, M. catarrhalis, S. aureus (MSSA), E. coli, and Klebsiella. It is a first-line agent for acute bacterial sinusitis, recurrent or resistant otitis media, bite wounds, diabetic foot infections, and lower respiratory tract infections.
What is Amoxicillin-Clavulanate used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Amoxicillin-Clavulanate include: Treats beta-lactamase-producing bacterial infections; First-line for acute bacterial sinusitis; Treats recurrent or resistant otitis media; Treats bite wounds (animal and human); Treats lower respiratory tract infections. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as strong.
What is a typical dose of Amoxicillin-Clavulanate?
A typical adult dose of Amoxicillin-Clavulanate is 500/125 mg every 8 hours or 875/125 mg every 12 hours; XR: 2000/125 mg every 12 hours (as prescribed by your physician). The commonly recommended form is Oral tablets, chewable tablets, or suspension; take at the start of a meal. These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Amoxicillin-Clavulanate?
Reported side effects include diarrhea (more common than amoxicillin alone due to clavulanate), nausea and vomiting, skin rash, vaginal candidiasis, hepatic dysfunction (cholestatic jaundice, rare), clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Amoxicillin-Clavulanate?
NutriStack rates this as Strong, meaning multiple high-quality meta-analyses or systematic reviews converge on the same finding. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
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