penicillin V potassium
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) is an antibiotic used to treat several types of infections throughout the body in adults and children. It's available as tablets and suspension that are taken by mouth. The dosage depends on the type of infection you have and how severe it is, but the medication is typically taken every 6 to 12 hours. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
What is Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)?
What is Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) used for?
- Certain types of streptococcal infections, such as upper respiratory tract infections, strep throat, scarlet fever, erysipelas (a type of skin infection)
- Pneumococcal respiratory tract infections
- Staphylococcal skin infections
- Vincent's gingivitis
- Prevention of rheumatic fever or chorea (long-term problems from strep infection)
- Prevention of heart valve infections in certain people with heart problems
How Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) works
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) is a type of penicillin antibiotic. It kills bacteria by preventing them from making an additional covering around themselves for protection.
Drug facts
More on Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) essentials
Side effects of Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach upset
- Diarrhea
Less Common Side Effects
- Black hairy tongue
- Rash, itchy skin
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Serious allergic and skin reactions: hives, rash, blisters, skin reddening, blisters, swelling of the lips or tongue, difficulty breathing
- Infectious diarrhea: fast heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, frequent bowel movements (even up to 15 times per day)
The following Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Stop taking this medicine and get emergency help immediately if any of the following effects occur:
Less common
Fast or irregular breathing
joint pain
lightheadedness or fainting (sudden)
puffiness or swelling around the face
red, scaly skin
shortness of breath
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
Rare
Abdominal or stomach cramps and pain (severe)
abdominal tenderness
convulsions (seizures)
decreased amount of urine
diarrhea (watery and severe), which may also be bloody
mental depression
pain at place of injection
sore throat and fever
unusual bleeding or bruising
yellow eyes or skin
Rare
For penicillin G procaine only
Agitation or combativeness
confusion
fear of impending death
feeling, hearing, or seeing things that are not real
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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Pros and cons of Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)
Pros
- Works well to treat many different bacterial infections
- Can use for adults and children
- Can be taken with or without food
- Available as a tablet and suspension
Cons
- Can cause stomach side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Might not be able to take this medication if you've had a severe allergy to penicillin
- Not recommended for treating a cold or the flu because these are viral infections
- Needs to be taken every 6 to 8 hours
Pharmacist tips for Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)
- Take penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) exactly as prescribed. Make sure to finish your treatment course, even if you're feeling better. Stopping the medication earlier than prescribed can make your infection come back and become harder to treat.
- Swallow the penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) oral tablets whole. If you're having trouble swallowing them, ask your prescriber about switching you to the suspension (liquid).
- You can take penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) with or without food. But nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are common with antibiotics, so taking it with food can help lessen or prevent these side effects.
- Don't drink alcohol while taking penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) because it could raise your risk for stomach side effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). Drinking alcohol can also make it harder for you to recover from your infection since alcohol can weaken your immune system.
- Get medical attention as soon as possible if you have a rash, itchy skin, difficulty breathing, or swelling in your face or mouth. These could be signs of a severe allergic reaction.
- Ask your healthcare professional (HCP) whether it's safe and appropriate for you to take a probiotic to help lessen the risk of a rare, but more serious form of diarrhea caused by a Clostridium difficile (C. diff) bacterial infection. If your HCP says you can, make sure to separate the probiotic from penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) by at least 2 hours to prevent the antibiotic from killing the "good" bacteria in the probiotic.
- Get medical help as soon as possible if you develop watery or bloody diarrhea, fever, fatigue, or stomach cramps anytime during treatment or after stopping penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK). These could be signs of C. difficile-related diarrhea, which needs to be treated right away.
- Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) is generally safe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. But to be safe, it's always best to let your primary care provider know that you're pregnant or breastfeeding before starting penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) so they can go over the risks and benefits of the medication with you.
More tips for penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) oral suspension:
- Make sure you know which strength of the penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) oral suspension you have to avoid giving the wrong dose. The suspension comes as 125 mg/5 mL and 250 mg/5 mL.
- Shake the bottle well before measuring out the dose. Make sure to only use an oral dosing syringe from the pharmacy to measure out your dose. Don't use household spoons because they aren't accurate and might cause you to take the wrong dose.
- Store the penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) suspension in the refrigerator. After 14 days, throw away the bottle, even if there's still some medication left. Your pharmacist typically writes this date on the bottle to help remind you when to throw it away.
Common questions about Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)
Yes, taking too much penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) can be dangerous and raises your risk for serious side effects, such as kidney damage, nerve damage, and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) diarrhea. Make sure to take penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) exactly as prescribed by your healthcare professional (HCP). Ask your HCP or pharmacist if you're not sure what your penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) dose is.
No, penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) is an antibiotic that's available by prescription only.
Ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) don't have any direct interactions with penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK). But ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) might not be safe options for people with certain medical conditions, including heart risks, kidney problems, or liver problems. Before taking either of these medications with penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK), check with your HCP to make sure it's safe for you to do so.
It takes less than 1 day for most of penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) to leave your body after a single dose. This time-frame is estimated based on the half-life of penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK). In order for this medication to work well to treat your infection, you must take it as directed by your HCP.
Tiredness isn't a commonly reported side effect of penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK). Keep in mind that it's normal for your body to feel a little tired while it's fighting off an infection. Let your HCP know if you experience weakness or fatigue that don't get better after starting penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK), since that might be a sign that you need more medical attention.
Yes, you can take penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) on an empty stomach. But because penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) can cause stomach upset (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), taking it with food can help ease these side effects.
Don't use other antibiotics with penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) unless your HCP prescribed them to you and instructed you to take them together. Additionally, you shouldn't drink alcohol because it can worsen side effects from penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) as well as make it more difficult to recover from your infection.
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) oral tablet or solution isn't approved to treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs, also called sexually transmitted diseases or STDs). But the injectable form of penicillin, Bicillin L-A (pencillin G benzathine long-acting injection), is a first-choice medication for syphilis. Viral STDs can't be treated with antibiotics.
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Risks and warnings for Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK)
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Allergic reaction
- Risk factors: History of allergy to penicillin or cephalosporin antibiotics
Severe allergic reactions to penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) are possible, including life-threatening reactions like facial swelling and anaphylaxis (e.g., closing of the throat). Let your healthcare professional (HCP) know if you have an allergy to antibiotics. If you notice hives, rash, red skin, swelling of the lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing after taking penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK), get medical help right away.
Infectious diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common side effect of taking antibiotics, including penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK). But rarely, people have reported infectious diarrhea, which can be life-threatening. This happens because antibiotics change the balance of gut bacteria in your stomach and intestines. Sometimes, the "bad" bacteria takes over and causes serious infections. Get medical help right away if you experience symptoms of infectious diarrhea, including fast heart rate, foul-smelling diarrhea, fever, nausea, bloody stools, and stomach cramps.
Development of drug-resistant bacteria
Your HCP will make sure that you're taking penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) for the appropriate infection and amount of time. Using penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) for any shorter or longer periods of time or taking the antibiotic for other illnesses can raise your risk for developing infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria. This raises your risk for severe and life-threatening infections that might be difficult to treat.
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) dosage
Interactions between Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking any of these medicines, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using medicines in this class with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Alfentanil
- Amifampridine
- Amiodarone
- Avapritinib
- Axitinib
- Benzhydrocodone
- Brigatinib
- Buprenorphine
- Bupropion
- Capmatinib
- Chlortetracycline
- Cholera Vaccine, Live
- Clarithromycin
- Codeine
- Cyclosporine
- Daclatasvir
- Darunavir
- Deflazacort
- Demeclocycline
- Desogestrel
- Dienogest
- Dihydrocodeine
- Donepezil
- Doxorubicin
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
- Doxycycline
- Dronedarone
- Drospirenone
- Elbasvir
- Encorafenib
- Entrectinib
- Eravacycline
- Erdafitinib
- Estradiol
- Ethinyl Estradiol
- Ethynodiol
- Etonogestrel
- Fedratinib
- Fentanyl
- Gestodene
- Glasdegib
- Grazoprevir
- Hemin
- Hydrocodone
- Lefamulin
- Lemborexant
- Levonorgestrel
- Lorlatinib
- Lumateperone
- Lurbinectedin
- Lymecycline
- Meclocycline
- Medroxyprogesterone
- Meperidine
- Mestranol
- Methacycline
- Methadone
- Methotrexate
- Minocycline
- Mycophenolate Mofetil
- Neratinib
- Nifedipine
- Nomegestrol
- Norelgestromin
- Norethindrone
- Norgestimate
- Norgestrel
- Olaparib
- Omadacycline
- Oxycodone
- Oxytetracycline
- Pemigatinib
- Pentazocine
- Perampanel
- Piperaquine
- Pretomanid
- Rimegepant
- Rolitetracycline
- Sarecycline
- Segesterone
- Selpercatinib
- Selumetinib
- Simeprevir
- Sufentanil
- Sulfasalazine
- Tacrolimus
- Tazemetostat
- Tetracycline
- Tigecycline
- Tramadol
- Ubrogepant
- Ulipristal
- Vancomycin
- Vecuronium
- Velpatasvir
- Venetoclax
- Venlafaxine
- Voclosporin
- Voxelotor
- Voxilaprevir
- Warfarin
- Zanubrutinib
How much does Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) cost?
$8.86
Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Penicillin V potassium (Penicillin VK) will not be safe for you to take.
- Severe allergy to other penicillins or beta-lactam antibiotics
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