Penicillin is often the first choice when fighting diseases caused by bacteria. It kills the pathogens and prevents them from reproducing unless resistance is present.
What is penicillin?
In 1928, penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming. It is the first antibiotic of modern times. In 1928, penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming. It is the first antibiotic of modern times. Penicillin is obtained from Penicillium fungi. Penicillin is a type of antibiotic which is injected or administered orally. It is used against bacterial infections and prevents the bacteria from forming a protective outer shell. The drug must be taken for a long time to have its full effect. As more and more bacteria become resistant to penicillin, new synthetic antibiotics have to be developed all the time.
Application and use
Penicillin is administered for bacterial infections. Benzylpenicillin is always used as an injection because this penicillin is not acid fast. Although this drug can be easily cleaved by the bacteria, doctors like to administer it because of its good tolerance. Common uses include infections with pneumococci, streptococci, diphtheria bacteria, meningococci, and spirochetes. Oral penicillins such as phenoxymethylpenicillin and propicillin can be administered orally. They are less potent than benzylpenicillin but have the same effect. More potent against cleavage by bacteria are penicillinase-safe agents such as oxacillin, flucloxacillin, and dicloxacillin. However, these are only effective against staphylococci, and in most cases these are already resistant to antibiotics. A modern variant of penicillin is, for example, amoxicillin. It is taken orally and helps with respiratory tract infections, infections in the urinary and biliary tracts, blood poisoning, whooping cough and otitis media.
Interactions
Taking penicillin may cause interactions with other medications. Many preparations prevent or reduce the absorption of hormones in the intestinal flora. This can worsen contraception provided by birth control pills by reducing their effectiveness. Therefore, if penicillin is taken, additional contraception with condoms should be used. Simultaneous use of bacterial growth-inhibiting antibiotics and phenoxymethylpenicillin such as tetracyclines and erythromycin should be avoided. These agents are effective only on adult bacteria. Penicillin and indomethacin or salicylates should not be used together. These agents are used for rheumatism. If they are taken together with penicillin, then the concentration of phenoxymethylpenicillin is prolonged and increased. Persistent diarrhea, increased urination, or concomitant use of aminoglycoside antibiotics worsens the absorption of penicillin and thus decreases its concentration and mode of action. Intake of penicillin may worsen the detection of sugars or bile pigments.
Risks and side effects
There are various risks and side effects that may occur from taking penicillin. These are not the rule and vary in severity. It also depends on whether penicillin was given as a tablet, injection, or ointment. There may be tooth discoloration, inflammation of the tongue, inflammation of the oral mucosa, dry mouth, changes in taste, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and flatulence. It is possible that neutropenia may occur, which is a decrease in white blood cells. Likewise, thrombocytopenia, a decrease in blood platelets, occurs. Other side effects may include: Agranulocytosis, skin rash, hives, Lyell’s syndrome, drug fever, anemia, protein allergic reaction, kidney inflammation, facial swelling, heart palpitations, blood vessel inflammation, shortness of breath, joint pain, allergic shock, and bronchial muscle spasm. If penicillin is taken over a long period of time, resistant fungi and bacteria may infect the colon. The consequences are diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. The intake of penicillin must then be stopped immediately and replaced by another antibiotic. Vancomycin may be suitable. Long-term and repeated use of penicillin can lead to so-called superinfections with already resistant bacteria or fungi.Furthermore, infections in the mouth or vaginal inflammations occur. If allergic reactions such as hives occur immediately after taking penicillin, it is probably an allergy to penicillin. In this case, treatment should be discontinued immediately and replaced with an appropriate antibiotic. Penicillin should only be taken during pregnancy after consultation with the treating physician. There are no known adverse effects. Penicillin should be avoided during breastfeeding. The active substance is absorbed by the baby through breast milk and may cause diarrhea and intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, this may lead to sensitization of the baby.
