Drug interactions
Ampicillin + Bcg vaccine live
Severity: Moderate
Ampicillin and Bcg vaccine live: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Live BCG is a viable bacterium, and an active antibiotic may reduce its viability in the host. Ampicillin has limited activity against BCG, so the effect is mainly theoretical.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ampicillin and Bcg vaccine live can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Antibacterial activity could reduce replication of the live attenuated organism, though ampicillin activity against BCG is limited.
What to do
Where timing is flexible, give BCG after the antibiotic course is complete. Do not delay urgent vaccination solely because of ampicillin.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Ampicillin
- Allopurinol + Ampicillin Moderate
- Ampicillin + Chloramphenicol Moderate
- Ampicillin + Chloroquine Moderate
- Ampicillin + Cholera vaccine Moderate
- Ampicillin + Demeclocycline Moderate
- Ampicillin + Eravacycline Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ampicillin with Bcg vaccine live?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ampicillin and Bcg vaccine live can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Live BCG is a viable bacterium, and an active antibiotic may reduce its viability in the host. Ampicillin has limited activity against BCG, so the effect is mainly theoretical.
How serious is the interaction between Ampicillin and Bcg vaccine live?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Where timing is flexible, give BCG after the antibiotic course is complete. Do not delay urgent vaccination solely because of ampicillin.
What other medicines interact with Ampicillin?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Ampicillin with, for example, Allopurinol, Chloramphenicol, Chloroquine. The full list is on the Ampicillin page.
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