If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, many factors can raise or lower your blood sugar, especially when you’re ill. One member of DiabetesTeam recently asked, “I have been taking Augmentin for three days. During this time, my fasting blood sugar has gone up. Is this normal, and will it go back down once I am off the antibiotic?”

When you’re sick, your blood sugar can become harder to control. Keeping blood sugar steady is important for healing and faster recovery. Understanding how different medications might affect your body can help you feel more in control of your diabetes care. This article will cover what you need to know about antibiotics such as amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium (Augmentin) and their possible effects on blood sugar levels.

What Is Augmentin?

Augmentin is a brand-name antibiotic that combines amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium. These two ingredients work together to treat a wide range of bacterial infections, including some that don’t respond well to other antibiotics.

Amoxicillin is a commonly used antibiotic that kills bacteria by breaking down their cell walls, making it easier for your immune system to clear an infection. Clavulanate potassium acts like a shield, protecting amoxicillin from bacteria that try to block its effects.

Healthcare providers prescribe amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium to treat a wide variety of infections, including:

• Sinus infections
• Ear infections
• Lung infections, including bronchitis and pneumonia
• Urinary tract infections
• Skin infections
• Dental infections, such as abscesses
• Bone infections
• Hard-to-treat infections when other antibiotics aren’t effective

Amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium comes in several forms, including tablets, chewables, and liquids. Always follow your doctor’s directions when taking this or any other medication. Even if you start to feel better before finishing the full course, stopping early can allow the infection to come back stronger and harder to treat, leading to complications.

Do Antibiotics Like Augmentin Raise Blood Sugar?

There’s no evidence that amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium causes high blood sugar. However, your body’s natural response to the infection, combined with the stress of being sick, can cause blood sugar swings. Feeling unwell might also lead to changes in eating, sleep, or activity levels — all of which can affect your numbers.

In short, it’s often the illness and changes in your routine, not the antibiotic, that can affect blood sugar.

Why Might Your Blood Sugar Levels Go Up?

Even if you’re taking an antibiotic that isn’t known to directly raise blood sugar, there are a few reasons your levels might go up — especially if you’re managing type 2 diabetes.

Physical Stress From the Infection

When your body is fighting an infection, it releases stress hormones. These hormones help your body protect you, but they can also signal your liver to release more glucose (sugar) into your blood. This natural response can cause higher blood sugar readings, even if you’re eating normally and taking your usual diabetes medications.

Changes in Diet and Activity

Being sick can throw off your usual routine. You might skip meals because you feel nauseated, crave comfort foods that are high in carbohydrates, or simply move around less because you feel weak or tired. Reduced activity and changes in your diet can lead to higher blood sugar levels that are harder to control.

Medication Interactions

Along with your prescribed antibiotic, you may take other medications that can raise blood sugar. Steroids reduce swelling but can raise blood sugar significantly. Over-the-counter cold and flu medicines sometimes interfere with blood sugar control by triggering the release of glucose.

Rare Reactions

Antibiotics can potentially change your gut bacteria or affect how your body handles fluids, which might affect blood sugar regulation. These effects aren’t common, but it’s important to be aware of them and watch for new or unusual symptoms.

Could Your Blood Sugar Levels Go Down?

Although it’s rare, blood sugar can drop when you’re sick and taking certain types of antibiotics along with diabetes drugs such as insulin or sulfonylureas, which lower blood sugar. However, there’s no clear evidence of this happening for the class of antibiotics that includes amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium.

Your blood sugar could also fall if you’re eating less while ill or if your body starts using insulin more effectively as the infection clears. Low blood sugar may cause:

• Shakiness
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Confusion
• Irritability

These symptoms indicate a condition called hypoglycemia that requires quick action. Try eating or drinking something with fast-acting sugar, like juice, glucose tablets, or regular soda, and let someone know how you’re feeling.

How Do You Manage Diabetes While on Antibiotics?

If you’re living with type 2 diabetes and your doctor prescribes an antibiotic like amoxicillin/clavulanate potassium, you can take some simple steps to stay in control of your blood sugar and feel better faster.

Monitor Your Blood Sugar Closely

When you’re sick or starting a new medication, it’s a good idea to check your blood sugar more often — ideally, every few hours, especially if you feel “off.” Frequent checks can help you catch any changes early and prevent bigger problems.

Stay Hydrated and Nourished

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and help your kidneys filter extra sugar from your blood. Even if you’re not very hungry, try to eat small meals or snacks with a balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

Get Guidance From Your Doctor

If your blood sugar readings are much higher or lower than usual, contact your healthcare provider. They might recommend adjusting your diabetes medications temporarily while you’re sick. Don’t wait — getting help early can prevent serious complications.

Finish All of Your Antibiotics

Even if you feel better before you finish your course of medication, it’s important to take every dose as prescribed. Stopping too soon can allow bacteria to survive, and the infection could come back, possibly stronger and harder to treat.

Know Your Sick Day Rules

Many doctors provide a “sick day plan” for managing diabetes during illness. These plans often include when to check your blood sugar, how to adjust medications like insulin, and when to seek emergency care. If you don’t have a sick day plan yet, ask your healthcare team for one.

Stock a Sick Day Kit

Planning ahead makes it easier to manage diabetes when you’re not feeling your best. Keep a kit stocked with the following items:

• Extra test strips or continuous glucose monitor sensors
• Glucose tablets or juice boxes for low blood sugar
• Easy-to-digest foods like applesauce or broth
• Low-sugar electrolyte drinks
• A list of emergency contacts and instructions

Work With Your Diabetes Care Team

Even if an antibiotic doesn’t cause major blood sugar swings, illness-related factors such as stress, diet changes, and other medications can all affect your levels. By staying alert, eating and drinking wisely, finishing your antibiotics, and working with your healthcare team, you can keep your blood sugar steady while you recover.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On DiabetesTeam, the social network for people with diabetes and their loved ones, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with diabetes.

Have you noticed changes in your blood sugar levels when you’re sick or taking antibiotics? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.