Can Hydroxycut Interfere With Other Medications Like Amoxicillin?

Hydroxycut, a weight-loss aid produced by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., is marketed as a highly effective supplement that helps you shed pounds rapidly when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. In 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed a recall on the 14 different versions of Hydroxycut, due to adverse side effects. In choosing to take this supplement, consult your physician first because it could interact with other medications, including antibiotics like amoxicillin 1.

Hydroxycut Ingredients

Hydroxycut is made up of inactive ingredients like pomegranate, wild olive and blueberry powder that are mostly harmless. However, the active ingredients, including caffeine and hydroxycitric acid, are purported culprits in causing adverse effects. At one time, Hydroxycut contained ephedra, but this ingredient was removed from the legally marketed product 4. Hydroxycut is subject to interference with your medications because of the stimulating effects on your nervous system caused by the active ingredients. Caffeine-free versions of this product exist, but you should consult your physician before taking supplements to ensure safety.

Interactions With Antibiotics

Antibiotic medications are prescribed to treat infections caused by bacteria. The primary antibiotic classifications include aminopenicillins, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines and macrolides. Little information exists regarding the exact interaction of the full Hydroxycut product on each class of antibiotic 4. However, when antibiotics are taken with Hydroxycut, the risk of caffeine-related side effects increases because some antibiotics enhance the stimulating effects of the caffeine. This is particularly the case for the fluoroquinolone class of antibiotics. Amoxicillin belongs to a different antibiotic class called aminopenicillins 1.

Amoxicillin, Liver Damage and Hydroxycut

Amoxicillin is generally prescribed short-term to treat bacterial infections of the genitals, urinary tract, skin or lungs 1. Side effects of taking amoxicillin include upset stomach, diarrhea, skin rash and excessive tiredness 1. Liver complications can also occur from taking amoxicillin, and when you combine it with Hydroxycut, your chances of hepatic damage increase 1. Cases reviews of toxicity to the liver have been reported in users of Hydroxycut, according to a 2008 report in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology." However, the exact ingredients responsible for this effect are not completely understood. This journal also reported, in a 2009 review, that the hydroxycitric acid ingredient is likely not the cause of liver damage, but research is ongoing.

Summary

Taking Hydroxycut along with an antibiotic like amoxicillin might result in adverse effects 1. Research is inconclusive, and no evidence confirms that the antibiotics stop working when taking Hydroxycut. Before combining the two products, consult your physician, and list all medications or supplements you are taking to prevent adverse interactions.