Recommended Amoxicillin Dosing for Adults with Sinusitis
The recommended dose of amoxicillin for adults with sinusitis is 500 mg three times daily for 10-14 days. 1
Dosing Regimen
- Standard adult dosing for sinusitis is 500 mg three times daily (every 8 hours) for 10-14 days 1
- Alternative dosing option is 875 mg twice daily (every 12 hours) for 10-14 days 2
- For regions with high antibiotic resistance or suspected resistant pathogens, higher doses may be considered 3
Treatment Duration
- The standard treatment duration is 10-14 days 3
- Treatment should continue until the patient has been symptom-free for 7 days 3
- Stopping antibiotics prematurely when symptoms improve can lead to incomplete eradication and potential relapse 3
Treatment Response Assessment
- Evaluate patient response after 3-5 days of amoxicillin therapy 3
- If symptoms are improving, continue treatment to complete the 10-14 day course 3
- If no improvement is observed after 3-5 days, consider switching to high-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate or another antibiotic 3, 2
Alternative Treatment Options
- For patients who fail initial amoxicillin therapy, amoxicillin-clavulanate 875/125 mg twice daily is recommended 2
- In clinical trials, amoxicillin has shown comparable efficacy to other antibiotics like ciprofloxacin for sinusitis treatment 4
- Recent research suggests that nasal corticosteroids may be more effective than amoxicillin for symptom relief in some patients with post-viral sinusitis 1, 5
Important Considerations
- Amoxicillin is only indicated for bacterial sinusitis; viral upper respiratory infections should not be treated with antibiotics 1
- The FDA-approved indication for amoxicillin includes upper respiratory tract infections, but specific dosing for sinusitis should follow clinical guidelines 6
- Recent studies show no additional benefit of high-dose amoxicillin-clavulanate compared to standard-dose for acute sinusitis 7