To finish antibiotics on not to finish antibiotics

[zahc]

A while back I caught a nasty cold, complete with sore throat. I normally just wait them out, but as I'm prone to ear infections, when my inner ears started to hurt I went and visited my local drug dealer who for a small co-pay of $50 hooked me up with a 10 day, 20 pill run of Augmentin antibiotics.

2 days after, my ears felt substantially better and my sore throat was almost gone.
3 days, my ears and throat felt completely normal, but still had cold symptoms of cought and stuffy nose
4 days, cough symptoms began to subside, sore throat and ears still gone


Now, at 5 days, I feel fit as a fiddle. I just can't see taking antibiotics for 5 more days when I feel fine. Plus, the antibiotics give me the runs, which the doctor said was a possible side effect. This is rather unpleasant.

So, I know people always say "OMG you MUST finish your antibiotics even after you feel better or your brain will splode!!!!" but, why do they tell you to keep taking them for days after you feel better? Is it because they don't want you taking them later without coming in to the doctor and giving them more money for more antibiotics later? Or will my infection really come back if I stop taking them?

[wmenorr67]

It usually comes down to the fact that yes you may feel better but the infection is not completely gone.  Stop taking them and it comes back worse and then you will have to pay for an even stronger antibiotic.  Follow your DR's orders.  He is the smart one here.

Plus you don't want to wind up like NED telling us poop stories.

[Regolith]

It usually comes down to the fact that yes you may feel better but the infection is not completely gone.  Stop taking them and it comes back worse and then you will have to pay for an even stronger antibiotic.  Follow your DR's orders.  He is the smart one here.

This.

Lots of superbugs evolve because people don't finish their antibiotic meds.  The few bacteria that survive because they were already somewhat resistant eventually mutate into a strain that doesn't respond to that particular antibiotic any more.  Not good for anyone, particularly if you spread it.

[mtnbkr]

+1 to wmenorr67 and Regolith. 

Chris

[K Frame]

NEVER, EVER stop taking antibiotics in the middle of a run.

All you're doing is increasing the chance that your particular bacterial strain will become resistant to Augmentin and any other antibiotics in its class.

It's the over prescription of antibiotics, along with people feeling better and deciding to stop them on their own, that has resulted in the frightening rise of antibiotic resistant infections.

Some bacterial strains are now resistant to every antibiotic that we have, and they're becoming more and more common.

Many of the older "wonder drug" antibiotics are becoming next to useless in fighting infections.

The frightening thing is that there are few, if any, new anitbiotic drugs in the pipeline to combat these infections.

[Bob F.]

+5000 to above posts. MRSA which we've heard alot about in the news, NASTY BUG!. Stands for Methycillin resistant staph areus. It's resistant to methycillin, the original drug-of-choice to treat staph. (Short version of explanation!)

take your damned medicine!!!!!!!!!!

Best.
Bob

[MillCreek]

Speaking as someone who actually works in healthcare, I confirm the above: finish taking the entire course of antibiotics.  We see so many patients back in a couple of weeks or a month with a recurrent infection because they did not finish the prescribed amount of antibiotics.  We would really prefer to not have to see you again for the same problem.

And we have all had enough poop stories around here to last us a lifetime.

[mfree]

Finish them.

[Manedwolf]

Always finish a course of antibiotics.

When you knock down a fire, would you stop putting water on it when you don't see any more flames, and that's it?

[RocketMan]

If you don't finish your course of antibiotics, we'll have to kill you. It's the only way to be sure the bug does not develop resistance to the antibiotic.   

[seeker_two]

If you don't finish all the antibiotics on your plate, you can't have any dessert.....

[PTK]

No, no, stop taking them, you'll be fine....



....until the symptoms come back and the organisms are resistant to that antibiotic, and any others that people have stopped taking like that. See the problem? Evolution and adaptation on a short timescale. 

[K Frame]

EVOLUTION IS BULL CRAP!

IF HE STOPS TAKING HIS MEDS, GOD CREATES THE NEW MICROBES TO PUNISH HIS SINNER'S ass!

[Waitone]

Of course you get the squirts.  Antibiotics kills gut bugs also.  Eat yogurt featuring live bug and it will go a long way in suppressing the squirts.  Take the entire course.

[Manedwolf]

Of course you get the squirts.  Antibiotics kills gut bugs also.  Eat yogurt featuring live bug and it will go a long way in suppressing the squirts.  Take the entire course.

Not while taking the antibiotics, though. After you complete the course.

[Mabs2]

Every time I take antibiotics I get those really painful tongue zits.

[roo_ster]

Of course you get the squirts.  Antibiotics kills gut bugs also.  Eat yogurt featuring live bug and it will go a long way in suppressing the squirts.  Take the entire course.

+1

Finish the antibiotics for the reasons stated above.