Drug interactions
Ampicillin-sulbactam + Bcg vaccine live
Severity: Moderate
Ampicillin-sulbactam 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 contains viable bacteria, and antibiotics active against them can reduce vaccine take. Ampicillin has limited activity against BCG, but the labeling for live bacterial vaccines advises avoiding concurrent antibiotics.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ampicillin-sulbactam 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 may reduce replication of the live vaccine organism, lessening the immune response.
What to do
Defer BCG vaccination until antibiotic therapy is complete, where the vaccine is not urgent.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Ampicillin-sulbactam and Bcg vaccine live, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Ampicillin-sulbactam
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ampicillin-sulbactam with Bcg vaccine live?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Ampicillin-sulbactam 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 contains viable bacteria, and antibiotics active against them can reduce vaccine take. Ampicillin has limited activity against BCG, but the labeling for live bacterial vaccines advises avoiding concurrent antibiotics.
How serious is the interaction between Ampicillin-sulbactam 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: Defer BCG vaccination until antibiotic therapy is complete, where the vaccine is not urgent.
What other medicines interact with Ampicillin-sulbactam?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Ampicillin-sulbactam with, for example, Methotrexate, Allopurinol, Chloramphenicol. The full list is on the Ampicillin-sulbactam page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
