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Amphotericin B

Information about Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B Uses

Amphotericin B is used in the treatment of severe fungal infections and kala-azar.

How Amphotericin B works

Amphotericin B is an antifungal medication. It kills fungi by destroying the fungal cell membrane.

Common side effects of Amphotericin B

Nausea1a, Vomiting, Fever, Chills, Headache, Loss of appetite, Stomach cramp, Anemia (low number of red blood cells), Heartburn, Hyperventilation (rapid breathing)

CONTENT DETAILS

Written By

Dr. Sakshi Sharma

BDS

Reviewed By

Dr. Lalit Kanodia

MD (Pharmacology), MBBS

Last updated

18 Feb 2020 | 11:51 AM (UTC)

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Available Medicine for Amphotericin B

Expert advice for Amphotericin B

It is usually given as an injection over 1-2 hours under the supervision of a medical professional.
Amphotericin B can cause rash, chills, headache, and tiredness during initial days of the treatment, but these may fade away with time.
Your doctor may ask you for regular blood tests to monitor your blood sugar, potassium, magnesium and kidney function.
Inform your doctor immediately if you notice pain or blood upon urination, swelling of the face and trouble breathing.
Inform your doctor if you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Frequently asked questions for Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B

Q. Is Amphotericin B fungistatic or fungicidal?

Amphotericin B is fungicidal in nature, it acts by killing the fungus

Q. Is Amphotericin B light sensitive?

Amphotericin B is not light sensitive

Q. What is Amphotericin B liposomal?

Liposomal Amphotericin B is a lipid-associated formulation. Liposomal encapsulation or incorporation into a lipid complex of Amphotericin B can substantially improves drug safety especially nephrotoxicity associated with the drug

Q. Is Amphotericin B an antibiotic?

Yes, Amphotericin B is an antifungal antibiotic for the treatment of serious infections caused by fungi like fungal infections of one or more deep organs of the body, suspected fungal infections in patients with a raised temperature and neutropenia (reduced number of white blood cells [neutrophils]) and Visceral leishmaniasis (disease caused by a parasite)

Q. Is Amphotericin B testing dose needed?

Yes, administration of Amphotericin B is associated with allergy (severe and serious allergic) reaction, therefore it is recommended to administer a test dose before starting the therapy to check for sensitivity

Q. How is Amphotericin B administered?

Amphotericin B is either administered as intravenous injection or infusion by a registered medical professional only

Q. How does Amphotericin B cause nephrotoxicity and hyperkalemia?

Amphotericin B can disrupt the lipid components of human kidney cells, thereby causing nephrotoxicity. The exact mechanism of hypokalemia is not known, but kidney damage may result in excessive loss of potassium in urine.