Augmentin Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others

Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you take Augmentin. In that case, your doctor may not prescribe Augmentin for you. This is known as a contraindication. The list below includes contraindications of Augmentin.

If you’ve had liver problems after taking Augmentin in the past. In rare cases, Augmentin treatment can cause liver problems, including liver damage. If you’ve had any liver problems from taking Augmentin in the past, you shouldn’t take the medication again. Examples of liver problems include hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes).

Your doctor can recommend alternative treatments for your infection instead.

If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Augmentin. If you have had an allergic reaction to Augmentin or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Augmentin. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better options for you.

Before you start taking Augmentin, talk with your doctor if any of the factors above apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Augmentin is safe for you to take.

There’s no known direct interaction between taking Augmentin and drinking alcohol.

However, drinking alcohol could raise your risk of certain side effects from Augmentin. These include nausea, vomiting, and liver problems.

If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much, if any, is safe to drink while you’re taking Augmentin.

Before you start taking Augmentin, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.

If you have questions about what not to take with Augmentin, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

The chart below lists drugs that may interact with Augmentin. Keep in mind that this chart does not include all drugs that may interact with Augmentin. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.

Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Augmentin.

Interaction with methotrexate

Augmentin can interact with methotrexate (Trexall, others), as described in the table below. Methotrexate is prescribed to treat certain cancers and certain autoimmune conditions, such as psoriasis. It belongs to a group of drugs called antimetabolites.

Interaction with warfarin

Augmentin and the blood thinner drug warfarin (Jantoven) are generally safe to take together. But in some cases, they can interact.

Note: Warfarin is a generic drug that used to be available as the brand-name drug Coumadin. But Coumadin has been discontinued.

Interaction with combined birth control pills

Augmentin can interact with combined birth control that you take by mouth. These are birth control pills that contain forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. They’re also called combination oral contraceptives.

Augmentin may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details.

Does Augmentin interact with supplements?

Before you start taking Augmentin, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any supplements, herbs, and vitamins you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.

If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Augmentin and herbs

There are currently no reports of Augmentin interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Augmentin.

Augmentin and vitamins

There are currently no reports of Augmentin interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.

For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while taking Augmentin.

Does Augmentin interact with food?

There are currently no reports of Augmentin interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Augmentin, talk with your doctor.

Does Augmentin interact with vaccines?

Augmentin may interact with the oral (taken by mouth) live* typhoid vaccine by making the vaccine less effective. The brand name of this vaccine is Vivotif.

For this reason, you should wait at least 24 hours after taking your last Augmentin dose before receiving the live oral typhoid vaccine.

If you have questions about receiving vaccines while you’re taking Augmentin, talk with your pharmacist or doctor. And before getting any vaccines, be sure your doctor or healthcare professional knows you’re taking Augmentin.

* Live vaccines contain a weakened live version of the virus or bacteria they protect against.

Does Augmentin interact with lab tests?

Augmentin may interact with certain lab tests that check for glucose (sugar) in your urine. If your doctor wants to check your urine for sugar, be sure to let them know you’re taking Augmentin. They can order certain tests that won’t interact with the medication.

Does Augmentin interact with cannabis or CBD?

There are currently no reports of Augmentin interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Augmentin.

Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.

Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Augmentin. Before taking Augmentin, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Augmentin is right for you.

Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Augmentin include:

• Kidney problems. It’s typically safe to use Augmentin if you have mild or moderate kidney problems. But your doctor will likely prescribe a lower Augmentin dose than usual if you have severe kidney problems (such as severe chronic kidney disease) or are on dialysis. Your kidneys help get rid of Augmentin, so if they don’t function well, Augmentin could build up in your body. This can increase your risk of side effects.
• Liver problems. Taking Augmentin could worsen existing liver problems you may have, such as alcohol-related liver disease. This is because, in rare cases, Augmentin can cause liver problems, including liver damage, as a side effect. Your doctor can help determine whether Augmentin is safe for you to take.
• Phenylketonuria (PKU). Doctors won’t prescribe the liquid suspension form of Augmentin (which is a powder mixed with a liquid) if you have PKU. This form of Augmentin contains phenylalanine, which can’t be broken down by people with PKU. If you have PKU, your doctor will prescribe a different form of Augmentin instead.
• Mononucleosis. If you have a mononucleosis infection (commonly called “mono”), your doctor likely won’t prescribe Augmentin. Mono can raise your risk of developing a rash during your Augmentin treatment. Your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic other than Augmentin.
• Pregnancy. It’s not known for sure whether it’s safe to use Augmentin while pregnant. Talk with your doctor about treatment options for your infection if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• Breastfeeding. In small studies, it’s been found that, in rare cases, breastfeeding while using Augmentin may cause mild side effects in a breastfed child. Side effects that have been reported include rash, diarrhea, and restlessness. However, Augmentin is still considered safe to use while breastfeeding, provided that you and your doctor agree it’s safe for you to do so.
• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Augmentin or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Augmentin. This is because taking the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask them about other treatments that may be better choices for you.

Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Augmentin and possible interactions.

Is it safe to take Augmentin and Xarelto together?

Yes, it’s thought that Augmentin and Xarelto (rivaroxaban) are safe to take together. There haven’t been reports of interactions between these medications.

Augmentin can interact with warfarin (Jantoven). Warfarin and Xarelto are both blood thinners. These drugs are used to prevent or treat blood clots. But unlike warfarin, Xarelto hasn’t been reported to interact with Augmentin.

Does Prozac interact with Augmentin?

No, Prozac (fluoxetine) isn’t known to interact with Augmentin. There haven’t been reports of interactions between these medications.

Prozac is a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) used to treat certain mental health conditions, such as depression. If you have more questions about interactions with Prozac or other medications you may take, talk with your pharmacist or doctor.

Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Augmentin. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:

• Whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis.
• Other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you fill out a medication list.
• What to do if you start taking a new drug during your Augmentin treatment.

Taking Augmentin exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.

It’s also important to understand Augmentin’s label and other paperwork that may come with the drug. Colored stickers that describe interactions may be on the label. And the paperwork (sometimes called the patient package insert or medication guide) may have other details about interactions. (If you did not get paperwork with Augmentin, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you.)

If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.

If you still have questions about Augmentin and its possible interactions, talk with your doctor.

Questions you may want to ask your doctor include:

• Is there a different antibiotic for treating my infection that doesn’t interfere with my medications?
• Will my Augmentin dosage affect my risk for interactions?
• Should I space out my Augmentin dose from when I take other medications to avoid interactions?

To learn more about Augmentin, see these articles:

• Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium)
• Augmentin and Cost: What You Need to Know
• Augmentin and Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Birth Control
• Side Effects of Augmentin and How to Manage Them

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Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.