Do You Need To Take Amoxicillin With Food?

Whether or not a particular medication needs to be taken with food is a very common question a pharmacist gets. Some medications need to be taken with food for best effects, while others may need to be taken on an empty stomach. The vast majority of medications actually fall into the recommendation of 'can be taken with or without food' however.

Why Do Some Medications Need To Be Taken With Food?

If a medication is supposed to be taken with food, there are generally two reasons why:

• The medication is better absorbed
• Food reduces the potential adverse effects

When it comes to amoxicillin, the recommendation varies depending on the formulation.

Some Amoxicillin Forms Need To Be Taken With Food But Most Do Not

Amoxicillin is available in a variety of dosage forms, including:

• Capsules
• Tablets
• Chew tabs
• Suspension
• Extended-release tablets

Amoxicillin capsules, chewable tablets, and suspension can be taken with or without food. However, your pharmacist will likely recommend going with the food option.

Food can help reduce the severity of certain side effects of amoxicillin, like nausea, cramping, and diarrhea. The fact that taking amoxicillin with food does not negatively affect its absorption or overall effects, it just makes sense to take it with a snack or small meal.

Additionally, most clinical studies for amoxicillin, when it was first brought to the market in the 1970s, only evaluated the drug when it was administered with food. The excerpt below is from the prescribing information for amoxicillin tablets/suspension:

The 400-mg suspension, 400-mg chewable tablet, and the 875-mg tablet have been studied only when administered at the start of a light meal. However, food effect studies have not been performed with the 200-mg and 500-mg formulations.

Now, there is one amoxicillin formulation that does need to be taken with food, and that is the extended-release tablet Moxatag. Moxatag (amoxicillin 775mg extended-release) is recommended to be taken with food. From the prescribing information:

MOXATAG should be taken within 1 hour of finishing a meal and at approximately the same time every day

Amoxicillin Dosage Form - Recommendations

So, there you have it...pretty simple instructions to follow:

• Take amoxicillin chew tabs, tablets, capsules, and suspension products with or without food (food doesn't affect the medication but can help with side effects) 
• Take extended-release amoxicillin 775mg (Moxatag) within 1 hour after finishing a meal

Final Words

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