A look at 10 common examples of antibiotics and what they are used for.
Antibiotic Name | What it is used for |
Amoxicillin | Used to treat several types of bacterial infections including bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and skin, ear, nose, throat and urinary tract infections |
Doxycycline | Used to treat various bacterial infections including acne, periodontitis, chlamydia, and respiratory, eye, urinary tract and intestinal infections |
Cephalexin | Used in the treatment of upper respiratory tract, skin, ear, bone, and urinary tract infections caused by bacteria |
Tetracycline | Used to treat severe acne, certain sexually transmitted diseases and bacterial infections of the lymph nodes, skin, respiratory tract, and intestines |
Erythromycin | Used to prevent or treat respiratory tract and skin infections, pertussis, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, diphtheria, and Legionnaire’s disease |
Ampicillin | Used to prevent or treat meningitis, pneumonia, and bacterial infections of the stomach, intestine, and bladder |
Azithromycin | Used in the treatment of eye, ear, skin, and respiratory infections and some sexually transmitted diseases |
Metronidazole | Used to treat bacterial infections of the brain, heart, lungs, liver, spinal cord, blood stream, skin, vagina, and stomach |
Ciprofloxacin | Only used to treat infections that cannot be treated with other safer antibiotics |
Levofloxacin | Used to treat people who have been exposed to anthrax and certain types of plagues and as a last recourse for treating bacterial infections that cannot be treated with safer antibiotics |