Why is Penicillin V Potassium prescribed?

Penicillin V potassium is used to treat infections, including dental infection, infections in the heart, middle ear infections, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, skin infections and respiratory tract infections.

Penicillin V works against only certain types of bacteria--it is ineffective against fungi, viruses, and parasites.

Important safety information:

• Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or blurred vision. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Penicillin G Potassium with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• Contact your doctor right away if stomach pain or cramps, severe diarrhea, or bloody stools occur. Do not treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor.
• Be sure to use Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium for the full course of treatment. If you do not, the medicine may not clear up your infection completely. The bacteria could also become less sensitive to this or other medicines. This could make the infection harder to treat in the future.
• Penicillin G Potassium only works against bacteria; it does not treat viral infections (eg, the common cold).
• Long-term or repeated use of this medicine may cause a second infection. Tell your doctor if signs of a second infection occur. Your medicine may need to be changed to treat this.
• Diabetes patients - Penicillin G Potassium may cause the results of some tests for urine glucose to be wrong. Ask your doctor before you change your diet or the dose of your diabetes medicine.
• Hormonal birth control (eg, birth control pills) may not work as well while you are using Penicillin G Potassium . To prevent pregnancy, use an extra form of birth control (eg, condoms).
• Lab tests may be performed while you use Penicillin G Potassium . These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
• PREGNANCY AND BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium while you are pregnant. Penicillin G Potassium is found in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you use Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium , contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Penicillin G Potassium while you are pregnant.

Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium is used for:

Treating some types of infections caused by certain bacteria.

Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium is a Penicillin antibiotic. It works by interfering with the formation of the bacteria's cell wall while it is growing. This weakens the cell wall and kills the bacteria.

Do NOT use Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) G Potassium if:

you are allergic to any ingredient in Penicillin G Potassium or to other Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K)s
• you are taking a tetracycline antibiotic

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Why should Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) V Potassium not be prescribed?

You should not be using Penicillin (Pen-Vee-K) V if you have had an allergic reaction to Penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics.