Amox-clav is a name sometimes given to a prescription antibiotic medication that contains a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. Despite its effectiveness at treating bacterial infections, amox-clav poses a risk for side effects in some patients.

Types of Side Effects

Common side effects of amox-clav include diarrhea, loose stools, nausea, skin rashes, vomiting and increased incidences of vaginal yeast infections.

Time Frame

In most cases the common side effects of amox-clav are transient, meaning they diminish over time as your body becomes accustomed to the effects of the antibiotic, explains the Mayo Clinic.

Drug Interactions

The gout and kidney stone drug probenecid increases your risk of developing side effects from amox-clav, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Another drug used for gout, allopurinol causes skin rashes when taken with some types of antibiotics like amox-clav.

Risks

Some patients develop severe anaphylactic allergic reactions to amox-clav, which in extreme cases is fatal. Amox-clav also poses a risk for inflammation of your colon or colitis and decreased liver functioning, warns the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Considerations

Because the drug is known to cause fetal abnormalities in laboratory animals, doctors rarely prescribe amox-clav for use in pregnant women. If you have a history of chronic diarrhea, kidney or liver disease, mononucleosis and phenylketonuria, it may not be safe for you to take amox-clav, cautions the Mayo Clinic.

Source:

U.S. National Library of Medicine Daily Med: AUGMENTIN (amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium) tablet, film coated

Mayo Clinic: Amoxicillin and Clavulanate (Oral Route)