I have a cold and it has gone into my eye. can i take an old prescription i have of amoxicillin to treat it?

Amoxicillin: Would definitely not do this. First, colds are due to viruses and they are not treatable with antibiotics. Secondly without knowing why your eye is symptomatic the best thing you could do is to see an ophthalmologist. Sight is precious and you do not want to risk it. Third, even if it were likely to be effective treatment there is no way of knowing if the amoxicillin you have is still active.

See Primary Doctor: I would not recommend self treating yourself with old antibiotics. Most of the time they are expired and not as effective. Suggest seeing your primary care doctor for full evaluation and appropriate treatment by physician.

Not recommended: More likely to be a viral infection, which amoxicillin would not treat. If you have any pain, vision loss, or if symptoms continue to worsen then you need an immediate evaluation by an eye doctor to diagnose (if serious viral infection, such as HSV, then alternative medicine would be needed). Using antibiotics without a prescription fosters development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.