Betaclav is co-amoxiclav — amoxicillin combined with clavulanic acid — used for chest, sinus, ear, urinary, dental, skin and bite infections. It comes in 375, 625 and 1000 mg tablets and as a paediatric suspension. The numbers on the box are the two ingredients added together, and they do not mean what most people assume.
What is Betaclav?
Betaclav is a South African brand of co-amoxiclav, a Schedule 4 antibiotic. It is available as tablets and as a suspension for children, and it is the same combination sold as Austell Co-Amoxiclav, Co-Amoxyclav, Augmentin, Auro-Amoxiclav and others.
The strength numbers are totals, and the second ingredient does not scale:
| Name | Amoxicillin | Clavulanic acid | Usual frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betaclav 375 | 250 mg | 125 mg | Three times daily |
| Betaclav 625 | 500 mg | 125 mg | Three times daily |
| Betaclav 1000 | 875 mg | 125 mg | Twice daily |
The clavulanic acid stays at 125 mg in every strength. Only the amoxicillin rises. This is why you must never make up a strength from smaller tablets — two 625 mg tablets are not a 1000 mg dose, they are a double dose of clavulanic acid, which is the component causing most of the diarrhoea.
The 1000 mg is not a “stronger” antibiotic in any meaningful sense. It delivers more amoxicillin per dose so it can be taken twice daily instead of three times — the same total, in fewer doses. For anyone who struggles to remember a lunchtime dose, that is a genuine practical advantage rather than an escalation.
What each ingredient does. Amoxicillin is a penicillin that stops bacteria building their cell walls, so they rupture as they divide. Clavulanic acid has almost no antibiotic activity of its own — it is a decoy that binds and disables beta-lactamase, the enzyme many bacteria use to destroy penicillins before they can work. That is the entire reason the combination exists: it restores amoxicillin’s effect against organisms that have become resistant to it.
What is Betaclav commonly used for?
- Chest infections — bacterial bronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia.
- Middle ear infection (otitis media), particularly in children who have not responded to amoxicillin alone. A very common reason for the suspension.
- Sinusitis, where symptoms are severe or have persisted well beyond a viral course.
- Urinary tract infections, including some kidney infections.
- Dental infections and abscesses — though an abscess usually needs drainage or dental treatment, and an antibiotic alone rarely settles it.
- Skin and soft tissue infections, including infected wounds and cellulitis.
- Animal and human bites, where it is a first-choice treatment because of the mixture of organisms involved.
- Some bone and joint infections, and as surgical prophylaxis.
It does nothing for viral infections. Colds, flu and most sore throats and coughs are viral. An antibiotic will not shorten them or prevent them becoming bacterial, and it carries real cost — side effects now, resistance later.
Finish the course as prescribed. Feeling better on day three means it is working, not that the infection has cleared.
Co-amoxiclav is a step up, not a default. Being broader than plain amoxicillin, it disturbs normal gut bacteria more, causes more diarrhoea, and drives resistance faster. Good prescribing keeps it for infections that need it.
How Betaclav fits into this medicine category
| Group | Examples | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Penicillins | Amoxicillin, phenoxymethylpenicillin | Common first-line infections |
| Penicillin + inhibitor | Co-amoxiclav (Betaclav) | Broader cover where resistance is likely |
| Macrolides | Azithromycin, erythromycin | Chest infections; penicillin allergy |
| Cephalosporins | Cefuroxime, ceftriaxone | Broad cover, often in hospital |
| Nitroimidazoles | Metronidazole | Anaerobic and dental infections |
| Tetracyclines | Doxycycline | Chest, skin, tick-bite fever |
| Quinolones | Ciprofloxacin | Reserved; significant side effects |
See the antibiotics and antimicrobials hub.
What to check before using Betaclav
Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any penicillin allergy. This matters more than anything else here. Betaclav is a penicillin, and anyone allergic to penicillin, amoxicillin or ampicillin must not take it. If a previous reaction involved facial swelling, breathing difficulty or collapse, say so clearly.
A rash after amoxicillin is not always allergy. In glandular fever, amoxicillin causes a widespread rash in most people without allergy being involved — but it needs a doctor’s assessment.
Also mention if you:
- Have had jaundice or liver problems after co-amoxiclav or any antibiotic. This is a specific contraindication — the clavulanic acid can cause liver injury, sometimes appearing weeks after the course ends.
- Have kidney disease or liver disease.
- Take warfarin, which co-amoxiclav can potentiate.
- Take allopurinol, which raises the chance of a rash, or methotrexate.
- Take the oral contraceptive pill — use additional contraception if vomiting or diarrhoea occurs.
- Have glandular fever.
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Practical points:
- Take it with food or at the start of a meal. This substantially reduces the stomach upset and diarrhoea that stop most people completing the course.
- Space doses evenly — three times daily means roughly every eight hours; the 1000 mg twice daily means every twelve.
- Complete the course, and never take leftovers from a previous illness.
- For the suspension: shake well, use the measure supplied rather than a kitchen spoon, check whether it needs refrigerating once made up, and note that it is usually discarded after 7 to 14 days.
Possible cautions and when to ask a pharmacist or doctor
The commonest effects are diarrhoea, nausea, stomach upset and thrush — oral, vaginal, or in the nappy area in babies. Diarrhoea is notably more common than with plain amoxicillin.
Seek medical advice promptly for:
- A rash, itching or hives — stop and get advice before the next dose.
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, or persistent upper abdominal pain. These suggest liver injury and can appear up to several weeks after the course finished. Mention the antibiotic even if it is long over.
- Severe, watery or bloody diarrhoea, especially with fever or cramps, during or after treatment. This may be Clostridioides difficile and needs treatment — do not simply take an anti-diarrhoeal.
- A widespread blistering rash, peeling skin, or a rash with fever and swollen glands — get emergency help.
- Reduced urine output or blood in the urine.
- Easy bruising or bleeding, particularly on warfarin.
Get emergency help for swelling of the face, lips or tongue, difficulty breathing, throat tightness, dizziness or collapse.
Contact your doctor if you are no better after two to three days, if you feel worse, or if side effects are stopping you completing the course — so an alternative can be arranged rather than the course simply being abandoned.
For a child, seek help promptly if they are difficult to wake, have difficulty breathing, have a rash that does not fade under pressure, have far fewer wet nappies, or are not improving after two to three days.
Related medicine guides
Frequently asked questions
What is Betaclav 625 used for? Bacterial infections — chest, sinus, ear, urinary, dental, skin and bite infections. It contains amoxicillin 500 mg with clavulanic acid 125 mg.
What is Betaclav 375 used for? The same infections at a lower strength — amoxicillin 250 mg with clavulanic acid 125 mg.
What is Betaclav 1000 used for? The same infections, with amoxicillin 875 mg and clavulanic acid 125 mg, taken twice daily rather than three times.
Is 1000 mg stronger? Not in the way people assume. It gives more amoxicillin per dose so it can be taken twice daily instead of three times — the same total, in fewer doses.
Can I take two 625 tablets instead of a 1000? No. That doubles the clavulanic acid, which causes most of the diarrhoea, and does not give the right amoxicillin dose.
What is the clavulanic acid for? It disables the enzyme bacteria use to destroy amoxicillin, restoring its effect against otherwise resistant organisms.
Will it help flu or a cold? No. Those are viral.
Why is it upsetting my stomach? Diarrhoea and nausea are common with this combination. Taking each dose with food helps considerably.
Does the children’s suspension need refrigerating? Often yes once made up, and it is usually discarded after 7 to 14 days. Check the label and the date the pharmacy made it up.