Amoxicillin ER Uses: An Overview
Amoxicillin ER (
Moxatag™) is a prescription antibiotic approved for the treatment of strep throat that is caused by a type of bacteria known as
Streptococcus pyogenes (
S. pyogenes). It is taken just once a day for 10 days.
Strep throat is a painful infection of the throat and tonsils usually caused by S. pyogenes bacteria, although other types of bacteria (as well as viruses) may also infect the throat. Some of the common symptoms of strep throat include:
- An irritated, red, sore throat
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
- Headaches
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- White patches in the throat.
Although rare, untreated cases of strep throat can progress to rheumatic fever, a dangerous condition that can cause significant problems, such as damaged heart valves.
How Does This Medication Work?
Amoxicillin ER belongs to a group of drugs known as aminopenicillins, which is part of a larger group of medications known as beta-lactam antibiotics (named after the ring-like "lactam" structure of these antibiotics). It works by stopping bacteria from making cell walls, which eventually causes the bacteria to die.
Amoxicillin (the active ingredient) causes "concentration-dependent killing" of bacteria. Essentially, this means that the drug will be most effective if a certain minimum blood level is maintained for the longest period of time. This is why most amoxicillin products should be taken multiple times per day.
However, amoxicillin ER is uniquely designed to provide three separate releases of the medication, prolonging the time that the minimum effective blood levels are achieved. This allows the drug to be taken just once a day and to be taken at a lower dosage, compared to most other amoxicillin products.
