{"id":630574,"date":"2024-11-21T16:39:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T21:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=630574"},"modified":"2026-04-17T18:53:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T22:53:13","slug":"amoxicillin-for-cough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/amoxicillin-for-cough\/","title":{"rendered":"Amoxicillin for cough and cold symptoms: What experts say"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amoxicillin<\/span><\/a> is a generic antibiotic that can treat many infections caused by bacteria, such as pneumonia, bacterial bronchitis, urinary tract infections, and ear infections. Like other antibiotics, amoxicillin is <\/span>not effective for treating viral infections<\/span> like colds and the flu. But since coughing can be a symptom of various bacterial infections, such as bacterial bronchitis and pneumonia, you may wonder whether amoxicillin can help shorten the duration and severity of your cough. The answer isn\u2019t so straightforward, and taking antibiotics when you don\u2019t need them can do more harm than good.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Save up to 80% on Amoxicillin with SingleCare<\/p>\n\t\t\t

Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\tAmoxicillin 500 mg (21 Capsules)\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t23666 - Hampton, VA\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\"Walmart\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t$3.22\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\ti<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tGet free coupon<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\"Walmart\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t$3.22\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\ti<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\tPrice with signup<\/a>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tGet free coupon<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\tSee Amoxicillin prices at all pharmacies<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n

Can you take amoxicillin for cough and cold symptoms?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Amoxicillin may help a cough caused by a bacterial infection, but most coughs are caused by viral infections. And amoxicillin won\u2019t help a cough caused by a virus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost coughs that occur during the cold and flu season are caused by viral infections,\u201d says<\/span> Sean Ormond<\/span>, MD, of Atlas Pain Specialists in Glendale, Arizona. \u201cBacterial infections are much less common.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coughs have many causes, and not all are caused by infections. \u201cA cough with a runny nose could be due to allergies in the environment from something you are allergic to, such as pollen,\u201d says <\/span>Dmitry Volfson<\/span><\/a>, DO, chief medical officer at CityMD Urgent Care in New York City. If your <\/span>cough is due to allergies<\/span><\/a>, amoxicillin or another antibiotic will not help.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your cough is due to a bacterial infection, amoxicillin may be helpful in clearing the infection, but some research proves otherwise. <\/span>Research published in <\/span>The Lancet<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0found that amoxicillin offered little benefit for many respiratory tract infections and may even worsen the symptoms. Another study, which was discussed <\/span>in an <\/span>American Family Physician <\/span><\/i>review<\/span><\/a>, found that 1 in 8 people who took a form of amoxicillin for acute bronchitis experienced adverse effects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another<\/span> large study<\/span><\/a> in primary and urgent care settings in the United States found that people had unrealistic expectations that taking an antibiotic would shorten their illness. But in reality, antibiotics had no impact on how bad their cough was or how long it lasted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problem with taking antibiotics for coughs<\/span><\/h2>\n

When we take antibiotics unnecessarily or misuse them, we threaten their effectiveness. Taking an antibiotic like amoxicillin when it isn\u2019t needed may cause <\/span>antimicrobial resistance<\/span><\/a>, which happens when germs like bacteria develop the ability to defeat the antibiotics designed to kill them. As a result, the antibiotics that would otherwise treat them become ineffective.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many kinds of bacteria have developed a resistance to amoxicillin. This antibiotic\u2019s mechanism of action depends on a part of the drug\u2019s structure called the beta-lactam ring. When bacteria become resistant to amoxicillin, they produce enzymes called beta-lactamases that break apart the beta-lactam ring, which means the drug doesn\u2019t work. Because of this,<\/span> amoxicillin is now usually given along<\/span><\/a> with clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor that helps amoxicillin kill the resistant and the susceptible bacteria. Typically, these two drugs are combined into a single drug,<\/span> amoxicillin-clavulanate<\/span><\/a> (Augmentin). But taking amoxicillin-clavulanate is also a <\/span>risk factor<\/span><\/a> for having other kinds of antibiotic-resistant infections in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot only can taking an antibiotic to treat a viral infection contribute to antibiotic resistance, but it also can disrupt the balance of good bacteria in your body, which can lead to issues like digestive disturbances and yeast infections,\u201d Dr. Ormond<\/a> says.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to know whether you need antibiotics to treat your cough<\/span><\/h2>\n

It can be difficult to determine whether you need antibiotics to treat your cough since <\/span>coughs have a variety of causes<\/span><\/a>, and the cause determines the best course of treatment<\/span>. It is important to communicate all of your symptoms and a timeline of when they started with your healthcare provider, who will determine the best course of treatment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your healthcare provider may suggest watchful waiting before prescribing an antibiotic. \u201cUnless you have a compromised immune system or another medical condition, it is okay to just monitor your symptoms for two or three days,\u201d Dr. Volfson says. \u201cIf your symptoms are getting worse, or you have a fever that is not going down, and you feel really lousy for more than a couple of days, you should go to the doctor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If your cough is caused by <\/span>bronchitis<\/span><\/a>, you may also experience tiredness, wheezing, and a low fever. Acute bronchitis can clear up on its own within two to three weeks. Chronic bronchitis, which occurs in people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), can last for months.<\/span> Treatment for bronchitis<\/span><\/a> may include home remedies (like gargling with salt water and using a humidifier), <\/span>NSAIDs<\/span><\/a> (like ibuprofen and naproxen), bronchodilators (like Ventolin, Alupent, Xopenex, and Maxair), an expectorant like Mucinex, cough suppressants (dextromethorphan), and antihistamines (like Zyrtec or Claritin).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Antibiotics like amoxicillin may be prescribed for bronchitis if a healthcare provider believes the case of bronchitis is caused by a severe bacterial infection that isn\u2019t clearing up with other methods. <\/span>Daniel B. Levy<\/span><\/a>, MD, of Mercy Personal Physicians at Lutherville in Lutherville, Maryland says that people with bronchitis won\u2019t benefit from an antibiotic in many cases. Exceptions include people who have a compromised immune system, are taking steroids, or are in chemotherapy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pneumonia<\/span><\/a> is a lung infection that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties and feel like a bad case of the flu. It can be caused by bacteria or by a virus. \u201cSigns that the infection may be bacterial include a cough that lasts for three weeks, a fever that doesn\u2019t go away after a few days, difficulty breathing, and chest pain,\u201d Dr. Ormond says. If your healthcare provider suspects pneumonia, they may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, cough medicines, plenty of liquids, and lots of rest. Dr. Levy says that although someone with pneumonia is likely to be prescribed an antibiotic, the antibiotic won\u2019t help if the pneumonia is viral. <\/span>\u201cIt is not always obvious that pneumonia is viral,\u201d he adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour doctor can perform the necessary evaluations and tests to determine the cause of your symptoms,\u201d Dr. Ormond says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t