Can You Take Vitamins With Amoxicillin?

Answer

While the vitamins and minerals contained in multivitamins can certainly interact with a number of different medications, they are considered safe to take with amoxicillin.

When it comes to antibiotics and multivitamins, we are generally concerned about calcium, aluminum, and magnesium 'chelating' or binding, to antibiotics, which can significantly decrease their absorption. This is a concern with several antibiotic drug classes including:

• Fluoroquinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin)
• Tetracyclines (e.g., minocycline, tetracycline, doxycycline)

Fortunately, amoxicillin does not chelate with the ingredients in multivitamins and they are safe to combine.

Other Concerns With Multivitamin - Drug Interactions

While we're on the topic, I know you asked about antibiotics, but I think it is an important reminder that you should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining drugs and supplements.

Some major interactions between vitamins and drugs include:

• Vitamin B6 and levodopa
• Vitamin A and retinoids
• Potassium and ACE-Inhibitors
• Vitamin K and warfarin
• Vitamin E and cyclosporinrine
• Vitamin B6 and phenytoin
• Calcium and atazanavir

The above list provides only a small number of drug-vitamin/mineral interactions that can have significant clinical consequences.

Vitamins Are Recommended With Some Drugs

Even though there are concerns with interactions between some combinations, there are certainly cases where vitamins are recommended to take with certain drugs.

One such example is metformin and vitamin B6. Metformin can delete vitamin B6 levels, which can increase the risk of nerve pain in diabetics. Vitamin B6 supplementation can help prevent this.

Diuretics are another great example of a drug (class) that can deplete certain vitamins and minerals.

 Make sure you talk to your doctor or pharmacist for recommendations about what to take with your prescriptions.

Final Words

I hope you found this helpful!

Amoxicillin, as mentioned, is safe with your multivitamin, but always ask your healthcare professional about interactions before combining things!