I have a Penicillin question (details provided)?

Question

I have an absessed tooth and the dentist wrote me a rx for Penicillin (yesterday). She said it would make my tooth start feeling better in a couple days as the infection clears, but that I still may need a root canal (oh joy...).

She said to take 2 last night, 2 six hours later, and then one every 6 hours. I feel like that is way too much.... That means in a 24 hr period of time, I'm getting 3,000mg of penicillin if I did my math right. It's making me want to throw up and my chest is hurting a little bit (which I think it just anxiety over needing a root canal...).

Do you think they could give me a lighter antibiotic? Or should I just stick it out? Is Penicillin the strongest one or something?

Answer 1

A normal dose would be 500mg every 6 hours, assuming you are in good health and your kidneys are working well. You do need a lot at first to get your blood level up to what is called a "therapeutic level". Your body really clears penicillin pretty quickly if you are healthy. In just a couple of hours the level of the drug in your system begins to fall. That is why the frequent doing is necessary. If it is making you sick though, just call the dentist and he will call you something else to the pharmacy.  

Answer 2

You should stick it out if you can keep the pills down.  Auburngirl is exactly right (and if I remember correctly, Auburn has a great pharmacy school).  

Penicillin is a reasonable drug for the bacteria that would typically be in an infected tooth, and your doctor gave you what is called a "loading dose" that gets the drug into your system faster.  This is required for proper dosing of some drugs and not others.

Hopefully you won't throw up your penicillin, though nausea could be a side effect, and the chest pain is not from the penicillin.

Good luck relaxing, good luck with the root canal, and there isn't a lighter antibiotic, actually.  Your doctor's being conservative - someone had a similar question last night and their abcessed tooth was being treated with Augmentin (a stronger combination of drugs that includes a penicillin) and clindamycin (an extremely powerful antibiotic).

Answer 3

If you're worried talk to the pharmacist about it.

It's quite important to take the medication as prescribed... they aren't just making this stuff up. Infections in the head can be extremely dangerous.

Talk to a pro about it, not us.

Answer 4

Pcn is a very good antibiotic.  Your doctor gave you a "loading dose".  This is a larger dose at the beginning of treatment to attempt to get the medicine in your system quicker to begin to fight the infection.  The pain in your chest may be anxiety or stomach discomfort from the medications.  Make sure you eat before taking the meds.