Taking Garcinia Cambogia With Amoxicillin

Val asked

Can I continue to take Garcinia Cambogia if taking amoxicillin for throat infection?

Answer

There is no known interaction between garcinia cambogia and amoxicillin, but this may simply be due to the lack of available data.

Although garcinia likely will not have any negative effects on amoxicillin or your body's ability to fight infection, it may be prudent to avoid supplementation with it until you have completed your course of amoxicillin and your infection has cleared.

Below is additional information regarding amoxicillin and garcinia cambogia.

Amoxicillin Information

Amoxicillin is a semisynthetic "aminopenicillin" similar to ampicillin and penicillin.

It is considered a 'broad-spectrum antibiotic' and is effective against more bacterial species than penicillin. It also is better absorbed than ampicillin. Amoxicillin is used to treat a variety of infections including:

• Otitis media
• Bronchitis
• Sinusitis
• Bacterial cystitis

In general, amoxicillin can be given with or without food, but food can help to reduce negative gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and vomiting.

Garcinia Cambogia Information

The fruit rind of garcinia cambogia is rich in hydroxycitric acid (HCA), thought to be the main active constituent responsible for its weight loss effects.

HCA is thought to work via several mechanisms, including:

• Competitively inhibiting the extramitochondrial enzyme adenosine triphosphate (ATP) citrate lyase, which is involved in the conversion of carbohydrate to fat.
• Limiting the biosynthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol.
• Increasing the release of serotonin in the brain, a neurotransmitter highly involved in appetite control.
• Increasing rates of hepatic glycogen synthesis.

There is contradictory evidence regarding the efficacy of garcinia cambogia supplements, with studies reporting conflicting results on improvement in weight loss and exercise performance.

While garcinia cambogia supplements appear to be fairly well tolerated, there is some concern with drug interactions involving medications that affect serotonin and those that affect liver function.

Final Words

As with many over the counter supplements and nutritional products, garcinia cambogia isn't well studied in regard to drug interactions.

There is no data to suggest an interaction between garcinia cambogia and amoxicillin. Nevertheless, to be safe, it would be prudent to discuss the use of garcinia cambogia with your doctor prior to taking or before mixing with your current medications.