What happens if you take antibiotics but you don't have any infection?

Question

So, if you think you have an infection, and take antibiotics.. but in truth.. you "don't" have an infection, what can happen to you?

Answer 1

Antibiotics will lose their effectiveness so that when you DO get an infection, antibiotics are less likely to help.
Also, your body's natural bacteria and fungi are in a delicate balance while fighting each other and keeping the other from taking over the body. Taking unnecessary antibiotics can kill off too much of the body's natural bacteria and cause the natural fungi to accumulate, causing a yeast infection.

Answer 2

There's no need to take antibiotics if you don't have a bacterial infection. If you're sensitive to foreign protiens, you could just stress your body. Also, a small amount of antibiotic remaining after you stop could promote antibiotic-resistant bacteria if you get an infection *then*. Also, antibiotics don't do any good if you have a viral infection. They only work on bacteria. They can sometimes decimate the good bacteria in your stomach, giving you indigestion or diarreah.

Answer 3

If you leave a yeast infection untreated, it might go away. Especially if you're getting your period soon--menstruation tends to flush any bacteria out of your system. But sometimes the infection can just get worse. It may get itchier, start to sting, and can even develop into sores (it's rare, but it happens, and it can be scary if you don't know it's just a yeast infection--herpes scares are not fun). I say go the doctor, and get a pill to take. Creams like Monistat are messy and gross, and the pills you buy at a drugstore don't always work.

Answer 4

Overuse of antibiotics and antivirals is decreasing our immune response as a species, but individually, one such wrongly assumed infection and the use of some penicillin or the like ought not harm you at all.

Answer 5

first, you might develop some of the side- effects of the antibiotics (e.g. diarrhea, upset stomach...) second, your body most prolly will develop tolerance to the drug, which means, the regular dose wont be enough to go against the bacterial infection, thus leading us to the third possibility, the minute the bacteris will attack/ invade your body, they might be very strong (superinfection) that a little cough could lead to something very serious... have a nice day. :-)

Answer 6

If you take antibiotics when you are not ill you will become immune to the meds. You dont need to take the meds unless actually needed... As far as physical harm you should be ok there.

Answer 7

Antibiotics will destroy the normal flora of the stomach and mucous membrane. these normal flora are needed for the defence against pathogens. Moreover you will have have decreased immunity, due to resistance

Answer 8

You can set yourself up to be resistant to that antibiotic later on when you really need it.

It also can alter your intestinal population of healthy bacteria.

And you might even have an allegic reaction tyo the drug.

Answer 9

that depends on the antibiotics you take but generally antibiotics are not good for our liver or our kidneys so you may make them work more but if you're generally healthy it shouldn't affect you that much.

Answer 10

Nothing really. But, if you take them too often, you will become immune to them and they won't help you when you really do have an infection.