Moxatag Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Moxatag Tablet contains amoxicillin extended-release, a penicillin antibiotic from the Penicillins, Amino drug class. It is used to treat tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis (strep throat) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria in adults and children 12 years and older. Moxatag is an extended-release tablet that is taken once a day, and the full 10-day course should be completed even if symptoms improve early.

What is Moxatag Tablet

Moxatag is a penicillin antibiotic used to treat infections caused by bacteria. It is an extended-release form of amoxicillin that is taken once a day.

Moxatag Tablet uses

• Treats tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis (strep throat) caused by Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria in adults and children 12 years and older

Benefits of Moxatag Tablet

• Provides once-daily dosing instead of multiple doses per day, which may improve convenience and help patients complete their full course of treatment
• Treats susceptible streptococcal throat infections
• Provides once-daily dosing
• Helps eliminate Streptococcus pyogenes
• Extended-release formulation maintains antibiotic exposure
• Reduces symptoms as the bacterial infection resolves

How Moxatag Tablet works

Amoxicillin kills bacteria by blocking them from building their protective cell walls, which causes the bacteria to break down and die. The extended-release tablet releases the medicine slowly so it stays in the body longer, allowing once-daily dosing.

Moxatag Tablet dosage

Take once daily within 1 hour of finishing a meal, at about the same time every day. Swallow the tablet whole — do not chew or crush it. No other forms of immediate-release amoxicillin can be substituted for this tablet. Complete the full 10-day course of treatment even if you feel better early, to make sure the infection is fully treated and to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance. This medicine has not been established as safe and effective for children younger than 12 years old. Elderly patients may need closer monitoring of kidney function since this drug is removed from the body mainly through the kidneys.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablets (775 mg, blue film-coated, oval-shaped, extended-release)

Side effects of Moxatag Tablet

Common

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Vaginal itching or discharge
• Headache
• Swollen, black, or hairy tongue
• Unusual or unpleasant taste
• Change in taste

Serious

• Hives
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Burning eyes
• Skin pain
• Red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling
• Severe stomach pain
• Watery or bloody diarrhea (even months after the last dose)
• Sudden vision loss, blurred vision, tunnel vision, eye pain or swelling, or seeing halos around lights
• Fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeats; fluttering in the chest; shortness of breath; sudden dizziness or passing out
• Severe headache, confusion, slurred speech, arm or leg weakness, trouble walking, loss of coordination, feeling unsteady, very stiff muscles, high fever, profuse sweating, or tremors

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause serious, sometimes fatal, allergic reactions. Tell your doctor about any past allergic reactions to penicillin, cephalosporins, or other allergens before starting treatment. Stop the medicine and get emergency care right away if an allergic reaction happens.
• This medicine may cause severe skin reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, DRESS, or AGEP. Stop taking it and contact your doctor right away if you develop a skin rash, mouth sores, or other signs of an allergic skin reaction.
• This medicine can cause severe diarrhea caused by C. difficile bacteria, which can happen even two or more months after finishing treatment and can range from mild to life-threatening.
• People with mononucleosis should not take this type of antibiotic because it commonly causes a skin rash in these patients.
• Taking antibiotics when they are not needed — for example for a viral illness — will not help you and increases the chance that bacteria will become resistant to treatment in the future.
• This medicine should not be used by anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to amoxicillin, other penicillin-type drugs, or beta-lactam antibiotics in the past.
• Birth control pills may not work as well while taking this medicine, so use an additional form of birth control to prevent pregnancy.
• Available evidence has not shown that amoxicillin causes major birth defects or pregnancy loss, but this medicine should only be used during pregnancy if your doctor says it is needed.
• Amoxicillin passes into breast milk and may cause diarrhea in the breastfed infant. Talk to your doctor before breastfeeding while taking this medicine.
• This medicine is removed from the body mainly by the kidneys, so people with severe kidney problems should not take this medicine, including those on dialysis.
• Significant liver disease should be discussed with the prescriber.
• Alcohol does not stop this medicine from working, but drinking too much alcohol may make side effects worse or slow down recovery.
• Usually does not impair driving; avoid driving if dizziness occurs.

Storage

• Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C-30°C (59°F-86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature.]

When to see a doctor

• Get medical help right away if you notice a skin rash, itching, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or swelling of your hands, face, mouth, or throat.
• Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you develop watery or bloody diarrhea, even if it happens weeks or months after you stop taking this medicine.
• Stop taking this medicine right away and tell your doctor immediately if you get a skin rash, mouth sores, or any other signs of a serious skin reaction.
• If your or your child's symptoms do not get better after a few days, or if they get worse, check with your doctor.

Alternatives

• Standard amoxicillin
• Penicillin V
• Cephalexin