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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

Nausea, Vomiting, Chills, Headache, Anemia (low number of red blood cells), Decreased potassium level in blood, Abnormal liver function tests, Decreased magnesium level in blood, Diarrhea, Decreased appetite, Hypotension (low blood pressure), Skin rash, Nephrocalcinosis, Increased creatinine level in blood, Abnormal renal function tests, Renal tubular acidosis

CONTENT DETAILS

Reviewed By

Dr. Lalit Kanodia

MBA, MD Pharmacology

Written By

Dr. Anuj Saini

MMST, MBBS

Last updated

28 Mar 2025 | 04:54 AM (UTC)

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Available Medicine for Amphotericin B

AmpholipBharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd

₹1652 to ₹107342 variant(s)

AmphotretBharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd

₹2381 variant(s)

Amfy V Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd

₹2981 variant(s)

FungizoneAbbott

₹2951 variant(s)

AmphotinUnited Biotech Pvt Ltd

₹2991 variant(s)

Ampho BVhb Life Sciences Inc

₹4521 variant(s)

AnolipSamarth Life Sciences Pvt Ltd

₹69801 variant(s)

NeotericinNeon Laboratories Ltd

₹1651 variant(s)

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.