Augmentin vs. Cipro

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

Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate) and Cipro (ciprofloxacin) are antibiotics used to treat various bacterial infections of the skin, lungs, airways, bones, joints, and urinary tract.

Augmentin and Cipro are different types of antibiotics. Augmentin is a combination penicillin-type antibiotic and a beta-lactamase inhibitor and Cipro is a quinolone antibiotic.

Augmentin may cause serious side effects, including:

• 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.  

Common side effects of Cipro include:

• diarrhea
• dizziness
• drowsiness
• headache
• stomach upset
• abdominal pain
• nausea/vomiting
• blurred vision
• nervousness
• anxiety
• agitation
• sleep problems (insomnia or nightmares), and
• rash

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Cipro including severe dizziness, fainting, fast or pounding heartbeats; sudden pain, snapping or popping sound, bruising, swelling, tenderness, stiffness, or loss of movement in any of your joints; watery or bloody diarrhea; confusion, hallucinations, depression, unusual thoughts or behavior; seizure (convulsions); severe headache, ringing in your ears, pain behind your eyes; pale or yellow skin, dark colored urine, fever, weakness; urinating less than usual or not at all; easy bruising or bleeding; numbness, tingling, or unusual pain anywhere in your body; the first sign of any skin rash, no matter how mild; 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.

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.

It is not known if Augmentin is safe and effective in children.

Cipro (ciprofloxacin) is a quinolone antibiotic. Cipro is available as a generic drug and is prescribed to treat infections of the skin, lungs, airways, bones, joints, and urinary tract infections caused by susceptible bacteria.

Augmentin may interact with probenecid.

Augmentin may also interact with allopurinol, blood thinners, or other antibiotics.

Cipro may also interact with tizanidine, clozapine, cyclosporine, glyburide, methotrexate, metoclopramide, phenytoin, probenecid, ropinirole, theophylline, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroids.

For Adults:

• The usual adult dose is one 500-mg tablet of Augmentin every 12 hours or one 250-mg tablet of Augmentin every 8 hours. For more severe infections and infections of the respiratory tract, the dose should be one 875-mg tablet of Augmentin every 12 hours or one 500-mg tablet of Augmentin every 8 hours. Adults who have difficulty swallowing may be given the 125 mg/5 mL or 250 mg/5 mL suspension in place of the 500-mg tablet. The 200 mg/5 mL suspension or the 400 mg/5 mL suspension may be used in place of the 875-mg tablet.
• Two 250-mg tablets of Augmentin should not be substituted for one 500-mg tablet of Augmentin. Since both the 250-mg and 500-mg tablets of Augmentin contain the same amount of clavulanic acid (125 mg, as the potassium salt), two 250-mg tablets are not equivalent to one 500-mg tablet of Augmentin.
• The 250-mg tablet of Augmentin and the 250-mg chewable tablet should not be substituted for each other, as they are not interchangeable. The 250-mg tablet of Augmentin and the 250-mg chewable tablet do not contain the same amount of clavulanic acid (as the potassium salt). The 250-mg tablet of Augmentin contains 125 mg of clavulanic acid, whereas the 250-mg chewable tablet contains 62.5 mg of clavulanic acid.

For Pediatric Patients

Based on the amoxicillin component, Augmentin should be dosed as follows:

Neonates And Infants Aged under 12 Weeks (under 3 Months)

• The recommended dose of Augmentin is 30 mg/kg/day divided every 12 hours, based on the amoxicillin component. Experience with the 200 mg/5 mL formulation in this age group is limited, and thus, use of the 125 mg/5 mL oral suspension is recommended.

Patients Aged 12 Weeks (3 Months) And Older

• The every 12 hour regimen is recommended as it is associated with significantly less diarrhea. However, the every 12 hour suspension (200 mg/5 mL and 400 mg/5 mL) and chewable tablets (200 mg and 400 mg) contain aspartame and should not be used by phenylketonurics.

• Take Cipro exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
• Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Cipro to take and when to take it.
• Take Cipro Tablets in the morning and evening at about the same time each day. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush or chew the tablet. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablet whole.
• Take Cipro Oral Suspension in the morning and evening at about the same time each day. Shake the Cipro Oral Suspension bottle well each time before use for about 15 seconds to make sure the suspension is mixed well. Close the bottle completely after use.
• Take Cipro XR one time each day at about the same time each day. Swallow the tablet whole. Do not split, crush or chew the tablet. Tell your healthcare provider if you cannot swallow the tablet whole.
• Cipro IV is given to you by intravenous (IV) infusion into your vein, slowly, over 60 minutes, as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
• Cipro can be taken with or without food.
• Cipro should not be taken with dairy products (like milk or yogurt) or calcium-fortified juices alone, but may be taken with a meal that contains these products.
• Drink plenty of fluids while taking Cipro.
• Do not skip any doses of Cipro, or stop taking it, even if you begin to feel better, until you finish your prescribed treatment unless:
  • you have tendon problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have nerve problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have central nervous system problems. See “What is the most important information I should know about Cipro?”
  • you have a serious allergic reaction. See “What are the possible side effects of Cipro?”
  • your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking Cipro

Taking all of your Cipro doses will help make sure that all of the bacteria are killed. Taking all of your Cipro doses will help lower the chance that the bacteria will become resistant to Cipro. If you become resistant to Cipro, Cipro and other antibacterial medicines may not work for you in the future.

• If you take too much Cipro, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away.