A course of antibiotics...Do u need to take the rest if u feel better after 2 days?

Answer 1

yep. just cause you feel a bit better, doesn't mean the infection's gone. take all of them or you may find yourself back at the doc's office.

Answer 2

Yes, absolutely! If you start to take antibiotics, it will make the infection weaker (which is why you feel better); but if you don't continue to take the rest of the antibiotic, it won't completely KILL the infection (which is what you want). Actually, you will be making the infection stronger and more resistant. It's kind of like giving the germs a vaccination, so that the next time you have to take the antibiotic, it won't hurt them like it did the first time.
After finishing your antibiotic, take a good PRO-biotic which will help your body put back the GOOD bacteria, so they can naturally help keep an infection away the next time.

Answer 3

Statistically it has been recognised since 1993 that 50 to 85% of the time you didn't need to take any of them.

It would be important to know why you were given them, for example antibiotics for urine infections are often given for 5-7 days. The recommendation is 3 days. Antibiotics for sore throat are seldom useful, however when streptococcus is definitely present and the patient is toxic again 5-7 days are usually prescribed here the correct duration is 10 days and this should always be peniciilin V or erythromycin, not amoxicillin.

I am afraid I can't be more helpful as you have given neither the condition, nor the name of the antibiotic.

Answer 4

If you're taking antibiotics for a simple bladder infection, you may be safe to stop. If for bronchitis, you didn't need the antibiotic in the first place.
If for strep throat, the antibiotics have nothing whatsoever to do with the symptoms: the antibiotic is purely for prevention of late complications, primarily rheumatic fever, so of course you want to complete the course.
For other infections, such as cellulitis or pneumonia, again it's best to complete the course, both to eradicate all the bacteria that caused the problem and to ensure you really are on the mend. Stopping antibiotics early is one of the causes of drug-resistant infections (it's a bit complicated, but take my word for it), and you don't want to get sick again, at any rate.

Answer 5

YES!!!! Most people don't for several reasons and one of the biggest is so they can get back to drinking alcohol, the second is they are feeling better and that is a false feeling and causes major problems. If you only take a few antibiotics to fight a infection and stop, you immunities will dissipate and will become tolerant to the medicine thus letting the infection over run your body. This is a world wide issue today. We are running out of antibiotics that are affective against infection because the human body is getting tougher and tougher rendering our immunities useless. STAY on the meds until all of them are gone and it will be easier for you to get over the next infection you get. Biggest mistake for all people is to stop before the prescription is gone. Hope you feel better.

Answer 6

Yes, absolutely. The drugs have killed some of the bugs, but not all. If you don't complete the course then they will multiply again and you'll get ill again.

More importantly though, this is how bugs develop immunity to the antibiotics, leading to "superbugs" that are resistent to antibiotics and are therefore a much scarier problem.

Answer 7

You are supposed to but I must admit to stopping mine after 2 or 3 days when a night out is on the table and I am feeling better.

We are supposed to keep taking them so that, although we feel better, any underlying symptoms/bacteria, etc are dealt with.

I do believe that it also plays a part in ensuring that our infections, etc, don't become immune to the atibiotics themselves - if we were to keep chugging on and the antibiotic only had half the time or welly to try and fight the infection then eventually the infection would beat the atibiotics and, in time, we would have to undergo further courses of stronger tablets or have to suffer!

Answer 8

Absolutely. What it means is that the antibiotic is doing it's job and is beginning to kill off the bacteria. However, if you don't finish off the course of the meds, eventually bacteria that were left behind and didn't get killed off will develop resistance to that type of antibiotic. This is how resistant strains of bacteria develop. It's nasty to take the full course, I know (I've had recurring infections this year and have had to take several rounds), however, it's better than having to take stronger and stronger antibiotics until one day...they don't work for you anymore.

Answer 9

Absolutely. Not taking the full course of antibiotics can cause the organism to mutate and become resistant to the antibiotic. Which means you would have to go back to the doctor and get on an even stronger medicine.

Answer 10

You have to complete the full course of antibiotics even if you start to feel well.
If you dont omplete the course it could affect them working for you the next time you need them.

Answer 11

Yes - always finish all your antibiotic unless your doctor tell you otherwise (due to a reaction of some sort). If you don't your system will build up an immunity toward the antibiotics and they will no longer work for you.