Penicillin G Potassium
Penicillin G potassium treats a variety of bacterial infections. This medication may reduce the effectiveness of birth control medications.
Penicillin G Potassium Overview
Penicillin G potassium is a prescription medication used to treat bacterial infections that affect the blood, heart, lungs, joints, and genital areas. Penicillin G potassium belongs to a group of drugs called penicillin antibiotics, which stop the growth of bacteria in the body.
This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV), the muscle (IM), the lining of the lungs, or the spine (IT) by a healthcare professional.
Common side effects include an allergic reaction, skin rash, and itching of the skin.
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Penicillin G Potassium Cautionary Labels
Uses of Penicillin G Potassium
Penicillin G potassium is a prescription medication used to treat bacterial infections that affect the blood, heart, lungs, joints, and genital areas.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Penicillin G Potassium Brand Names
Penicillin G Potassium Drug Class
Penicillin G Potassium is part of the drug class:
Side Effects of Penicillin G Potassium
Serious side effects have been reported with penicillin G potassium. See the “Drug Precautions” section.
Common side effects include:
- an allergic reaction, with symptoms of itching, redness and warmth of skin, and swelling that may occur
- itching of the skin
- skin rash
This is not a complete list of penicillin G potassium side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Penicillin G Potassium Interactions
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:
- erythromycin (EES, Erythrocin)
- tetracycline antibiotics such as doxycycline (Vibramyin, Doryx), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin), and tetracycline (Sumycin)
- probenecid (Probalan, Benemid)
- methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)
- birth control pills
This is not a complete list of penicillin G potassium drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Penicillin G Potassium Precautions
Serious side effects have been reported with penicillin G potassium including:
- hypersensitivity (severe allergic reaction). Signs of a hypersensitivity reaction, which include the following:
- chest pain
- swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, arms, or legs
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- new or increasing irregularities in your heart rate
- superinfection. penicillin G potassium should not be used for extended periods. Prolonged use can lead to the growth of dangerous organisms that are resistant or unresponsive to this medication. Take penicillin G potassium for the duration prescribed by your doctor.
Do not take penicillin G potassium if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
Penicillin G Potassium Food Interactions
Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of penicillin G potassium, salt substitutes containing potassium should be avoided.
Before taking penicillin G potassium, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:
- are allergic to penicillin G potassium any of its ingredients
- are allergic to penicillins
- have any other allergies
- have any kind of blood disorder
- have kidney problems
- have heart problems
- have asthma
- are pregnant or breastfeeding
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Penicillin G Potassium and Pregnancy
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.
Penicillin G potassium falls into category B. There are no well-done studies that have been done in humans with penicillin G potassium. But in animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication, and the babies did not show any medical issues related to this medication.
Penicillin G Potassium and Lactation
Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.
Penicillin G potassium has been detected in human breast milk. Because of the possibility for adverse reactions in nursing infants from this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or to stop use of penicillin G potassium. The importance of the drug to the mother should be considered.
Penicillin G Potassium Usage
Take penicillin G potassium exactly as prescribed.
This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV), muscle (IM), into the lung spaces, or into the spine (IT) by a healthcare professional.
Penicillin G Potassium Dosage
Take penicillin G potassium exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.
The penicillin G potassium dose your doctor recommends will be based on:
- the condition being treated
- other medical conditions you have
- other medications you are taking
- how you respond to this medication
- your age
The recommended dose range for penicillin G potassium is 300,000 to 20,000,000 units daily.
Penicillin G Potassium Overdose
Penicillin G potassium is usually administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting making it unlikely for an overdose to occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.