Given Augmentin ES-600 for 10 days for Cellulitis in lower leg; now have changed Antibiotics and have had severe pain in both knees in all positions. Is the knee pain from the Augmentin??
Does Augmentin ES-600 cause severe knee / joint pain during and after the prescribed course?
Question posted by beggk on 26 Oct 2012
Last updated on 17 January 2025 by SanefromMaine
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14 Answers
I experienced a severe Pseudogout attack in my right knee after taking Augmentin. I had several vials of crystals aspirated from the knee joint followed by a cortisone shot for residual pain.
I’ve taken Amoxicillin before and since the attack with no side effects but will avoid clavulanic acid (or any meds with the word ‘acid’ in the name) in the future.
I took augmentin once and had the worst hip and leg pain I have ever had in my life. It was a 9 on the pain scale. Took 2 doses and figured it had to be from that. It did ease up the pain with ibuprofen but as soon as it wore off it was back. Years later, I took it again, 8 hours later the pains are back. Woke me up from sleep, got up and was white as a ghost, pretty sure it made me hypotensive. The pain lasted 3 days from ONE dose along with a fever without chills or any other flu like symptoms. This was absolutely from the augmentin. Why is there no info for this online!? Is this an allergy, what is going on?
I started taking Augmentin 875 mg 3 days ago for a throat & sinus infection. I have had mild upset stomach and tiredness. The main problem I'm having is extreme knee pain & swelling. I'm also having tenderness & pain in the lymph nodes in my groin. It's making standing up & walking difficult. I do have Rheumatoid Arthritis. All my joints were fine and my inflammation markers were extremely low before taking this med. This isn't coming from my RA, I've had it long enough to know when I'm in a flare. This is not a flare. I'm almost certain it is the medicine.
I think it does - I started taking augmentin for a sinus infection and have been having the worst aches and pains. It started in my neck and wrist and then it spread to my whole body. I stopped taking it yesterday (after 17/20 doses) and today my neck and back feel better, but my arms and legs are still extremely painful, down to my fingers and toes. I am normally very active - I thought the pain was related to over exercising at first actually. Now it hurts to move and I feel like I am never getting better. I really hope the feeling goes away soon. Regardless, I am never taking this drug again. It also messed up my stomach and made me feel nauseous. Awful drug.
It absolutely DOES! Severe joint pain throughout my body occurred 3 of 3 times about 24hpir after ingestion and lasting 3 days after discontinuing. I will NEVER take this drug again
I was prescribed augmentin 875/125 for a bad sinus infection. 24 hours later i had severe body aches. I never have body aches when im sick so it looks like im not finishing day 5 of the antibiotic. They keep telling me its just the infection but i get this all the time every winter and ive rode it out every winter till this winter it got bad. Well im on my 9th dose and something has to give. My hands ache, my feet ache and my legs. Actually my whole body hurts.
I started Augmentin 875/125 for an infection in my tooth. 2-3 days later I had a rash that some of it turned into fluid filled blisters. EVERY JOINT in my body hurt and it was painful taking full breaths. My neck, shoulders,and back were in so much pain I would scream when my husband would assist me into bed. I also had severe muscle spasms in my neck and back. I went to the ER and waited several hours sitting in a wheelchair because it was to painful to walk and they saw me less than 5 min and said they didn’t know what was wrong. My daughter googled and said she thought it may be an allergic reaction to the Augmentin so I went back to my primary Dr and he gave me prednisone for 3 days and the rash cleared up within two days leaving scabs of course but after a few days of sleep I was good to go.
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I’m struggling with severe neck/shoulder/back pain after being prescribed a 10-day, twice daily regimen of 875-125 mg (whatever that means) Augmentin tabs.
I took my first dose at 5:30/6pm and could not sleep because it hurt so bad. Thought I slept on it wrong. Have been nursing it with heating pads, pain meds, massages, you name it. None of it helps. But it hurts so bad it’s unsafe to drive because I can’t easily check my blind spots.
I never really take any meds (even over the counter) unless I’m in serious pain. So it really means something that I’m now looking into seeing a doctor for this. The problem is my primary no longer takes insurance so I need to find a new one and I’m worried no one will believe me because it’s not listed as a common side effect.
The first doctor I tried scheduling with said they wouldn’t prescribe pain meds (presumably because Id be a new patient and they’d be worried about drug seekers). My insurance ends in 3 days. I feel so helpless!
Pain from Augmentin IS A THING!
My doctor told me he was prescribing amoxicillin when he really prescribed augmentin... amoxicillin with a number following. I took it for 2 days and was in excruciating pain between waist and knees and could hardly get up from the chair. One time the fire department came and helped me up. Returned to doctor who told me he did not know that joint pain was a side effect, so why don't I take it again to see if it happens again, and then he would know. I was still in pain when I went to him!!! He knows I do not take any other prescription drugs!!! My new primary doctor knew exactly what happened when I told him. I was in pain for four months, and went to 3 or 4 doctors who could not tell me what happened. I am very upset with my original primary doctor!!
So only after 2 days you felt horrible but did you continue taking the drug or did you stop after 2 days? I was taking Augmentin for 4 days and had really bad burning sensation from my stomach to my feet. It's affecting my prostate as well and it is driving me crazy. I wanted to get an idea of how long this horrible feeling might last.
How long did it take you guys to feel better? Im on day 5 of augmentin i was trying to ride it out for the full 7 days but this joint pain is ridiculous. It started 24 hours after my first dose. I think ill skip a ddose and see how i feel.
Last year in late December,I got a cat bite and was prescribed Augmentin,(Before I was always given Cipro,which worked and never bothered me.) Next thing I knew,I had horrible pain in the joint of one knee..and it has never gone away completely even after 8 months.) It is gout like pain and severe at night. Prior to taking this drug,I never had knee pain.
I experienced severe knee pain -- at night only -- during the first two days of Augmentin treatment. On the afternoon of day 3, I went to the ER via ambulance because of unbearable knee/ankle/hand pain and was diagnosed with acute CPPD crystals (also known as pseudogout). I could not walk by myself for almost a week and, 5 weeks later, am still suffering mildly from the affects of the crystals. I honestly can't say for sure that the antibiotic caused this but I won't be taking it again ... just in case.
I started taking Augmentin yesterday for a sinus and bronchial infection. I woke up today with both my knees in excruciating pain. It hurts to sit, walk, you name it.
My knees were fine before I started taking Augmentin.
Also, the diarrhea is non-stop.
YES! Absolutely!!! Augmentin had me in excruciating neck and shoulder pain. And so does Cipro and Levaquin. I can't take any of these drugs!
Talk to your Dr about it. There are severe hypersensitivity reactions to Augmentin that can cause skin rashes and arthritis type symptoms like joint pain and inflammation. Someone on Augmentin needs to be sure to drink plenty of water because this drug can crystallize leading to kidney failure and can also cause drug induced gout like symptoms. There are other possible causes of your symptoms that may be unrelated to taking the medicine too like infection, arthritis etc. It is best to consult your Dr and have him/her evaluate the situation.
What antibiotic did you change to? Augmentin doesn't cause joint pain. I'm wondering if you have some infection in your knees.
Related topics
augmentin es-600, osteoarthritis, pain, bacterial skin infection, knee, knee pain
Further information
- Augmentin ES-600 uses and safety info
- Augmentin ES-600 prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Augmentin ES-600 (detailed)
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