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Expert Q&A
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| By David L. Fay, M.D. Family Physician Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program | ||
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My 2 ?-year-old daughter has been on Amoxicillan since she was a month old, and takes it every night for a condition called Grade 3 Reflux of the Urine. What effects might taking this antibiotic for so long have on her? I heard antibiotics drain one of all nutrients and is very bad on a daily basis, especially for babies and children. Please help!"
While using antibiotic prophylaxis (prevention) for children with vesicoureteral (from the bladder to the ureter) reflux has become standard of care, there is very little good science to recommend it.
There is also very little in the medical literature about the adverse effects of long-term use of antibiotics. Amoxicillin is generally very well tolerated. Perhaps the most problematic long-term effect is that of bacterial resistance. We all have bacteria that live in and on our bodies; when they are exposed to an antibiotic, they can develop resistance. One study noted that children exposed to an antibiotic for four weeks were 23 times more likely to have resistant bacteria.
Side effects of Amoxicillin include: allergic reactions (most are minor, but rarely can be severe and life-threatening); nausea; vomiting; diarrhea (one of the most common); rash (not an allergic rash); bone marrow suppression (rare); kidney inflammation (rare); seizures (rare); and liver disease (rare).
There is no evidence that Amoxicillin "drains nutrients," although diarrhea is very common, and if the child is not given replacement fluids and electrolytes, these "nutrients" can become depleted. Overall, Amoxicillin is generally safe, even if taken for a long time; however, bacterial resistance over a few years is very likely.