What happens if you don't continue meds for an infection?

Question

I had an upper respiratory infection last year and took the antibiotics for about a week and forgot the remaining days. (should have been 10). But I felt better. Then it seems like months later I had breathing problem again, not sure if it was common cold or same infection. I got better again w/o meds. Now a year later I've been feeling heavy in the lungs for about a 4 weeks. I wake up,clear my throat and spit solid dark colored phlegm for a few minutes. Is it possible I have the same infection? Doesn't the body kill off the infection eventually or become immune? Or can infections calm down and become dormant in the body, to attack again at a later time?

Answer 1

If you didn't finish your antibiotics it's likely that you never actually got rid of all the infection at that time.
it's also possible that because you didn't kill it all that it's left you suseptable to becoming re-infected now.
If your phlem is dark colored, green/yellow, you have an infection.
Antibodies fight off some infections, but not all. The problem with bacterial infections is that it's never exactly the same as the one you had previously.
When you don't complete your round of antibiotics, you only succede in allowing the remaining bacteria to become immune to the drugs needed to fight the infection, thus aiding in the production of "Super bugs" and "Super viruses" which don't respond to medication.

First rule of taking Antibiotics. ALWAYS FINISH ALL THE MEDICATION, EVEN IF YOU "FEEL" BETTER!
Second rule: NEVER TAKE ANTIBIOTICS FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS, they aren't meant for viruses, only for bacterial infections.

Answer 2

Antibiotics combat bacteria causing the infection. If you got better after taking it it means it was successful in its action killing the bacteria, making it ineffective or inhibiting bacterial activities further. Once resolved, it means you win in this battle. Depending on what infection you had, the certain kind of bacteria are eliminated from your system or may remain in dormant/inactive stage in your body as in the case of TB.

Your body immune system also plays a role in conquest of this battle against infectious bacteria. If your immune system is strong enough, it will be able to cope up fighting with infection. If the infecting organism is strong enough then that is when the need for antibiotics arise. Bear in mind though antibiotics have no effect on some infections like those caused by virus, yeast or fungus which require another group of medicine.

Getting immune to a certain disease after having been infected is not a rule. Not all diseases enable development of immune forming capability. In fact your immune system may gain some sort of immunity to a certain disease or may also have some level of compromise which will result to a certain level of bacterial resistance should re-infection occur.

Re-infection is getting another the same infection after a certain time it has been resolved as it is possible indeed for some infecting organism to stay dormant and become reactivated sometime later. Remember also that some bacteria doesn't stay dormant and getting the same infection later could mean you contacted new infection though it may be the same to what you had in the past.

Seems like your problem needs seeing a doctor to check out what it really is, Would you care seeing one to resolve your worries?

Answer 3

Infections SEEM to be completely better about 5-7 days into an anti-biotic trial. Many people think that since they are feeling better that they can quit the meds. However, there is a REASON that it says on the bottle "Take entire amount"....an infection absolutely will go dormant and can surface soon or much later. And many times, since you didn't bother to treat it properly in the first place, it will come back with a vengeance. The pharmacist puts directions on the bottle for a reason. Please see a doctor and tell them how you feel and what you did. Without doing that, it will come back again and again.

Answer 4

You should always stick to the FULL COURSE prescribed by your physician or pharmacist.

you might improve before the full course ends,but you should NOT stop taking the med.

this might either cause : 1.collapse
or 2. Using Stronger antibiotics next time !

so you'll get the same infection some day,but with a STRONGER medication this time.as the old med will be useless.

Answer 5

Antibiotics and be bactericidal (kills the bacteria), or bacteriostatic (prevents it from growing, but doesn't kill it), and if you get a second infection by the same bacteria of the same strain, your immune system should be able to recognise it (its antigens) by then (though bacteria will still have their ways of evading host defence mechanisms).

However, not finishing a course of antibiotics might ultimately result in bacteria which are RESISTANT to that antibiotic, or worse, a mixture of them.

(E.g. they sequester the antibiotic out of their cell, or modify the structure such that it is no longer able to act on the bacteria cells)

Bacteria cells may be able to transfer those 'antibiotic-resistance genes' to bacteria of other species, e.g by their pili.

When this happens, especially to those strains which are already resistant to certain types of antibiotics, it makes it worse by adding the one you skipped, into the list.

[Sorry this seems rather messy.]

Answer 6

Whatever you have, it is not a remnant of the first infection which
you are concerned about only partially treating with antibiotics...
It is either a re-infection by the same bacteria or an entirely new
infection of a different kind.

Answer 7

i am not sure whether you have the same bacteria or not, you'll have to consult a doctor for that. but always have the complete course of medicine. the problem is that if you forget half-way, the bacteria might not have been completely eliminated, and it will grow resistant to the antibiotic.so when the doc. tries with the same medicine, it won't work. he will have to give a stronger one for you!! so always remember to complete a course of antibiotic as the doctor prescribed.

Answer 8

see your doc...
antibiotics just helps kill thebacteria... but bacteria can evolve. so if u stopped taking the medicine, and the infection comes back, it may take lonegr to get better simply because the bacteria is more complex.
see your doc... your body may fight it... but it can come at a price... just deal with the problem as quickly as possible

Answer 9

make sure you tell your doctor what medicine you were on and that you didn't take all of it so he can either up the dosage or give you somethign different since you could potentially be hosting a resistant population now

Answer 10

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