So now I started taking them again, but am I just going to get sick again once I run out? I thought I was better and my sister's stupid boyfriend said once you feel better you can stop taking them... he was very very wrong. I only have 4 days of them left! I don't want to get sick again! AND I have no refills!!!!
2007-12-03 13:50:13 · 22 answers · asked by sadlymistaken 2 in Health ➔ Other - Health
Yeah, you have to take antibiotics for as long as your doctor prescribes because although your symptoms may get better, that doesn't mean your body is 100% back to normal.
Sorry, that really sucks, but you you can call your doctor to explain and he might give you a prescription for a couple of extra days once he knows the situation... feel better soon!
2007-12-03 13:53:40 · answer #1 · answered by LLLphotogrphr 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You may have to go back to the doctor. Your sister's boyfriend is very, very VERY wrong. You can start feeling better before the bacteria are completely out of your system, which may or may not be able to fight off the remainder. BTW - the 4 days you have left may not be enough to help you OR kill off the rest.
The big problem is the bacteria that is left have a good chance of developing a resistance to the antibiotics..
Drug resistance is a HUGE problem, worldwide, and stopping treatments halfway through is the biggest contributing factor to that resistance. That is why ALL prescriptions for antibiotics should have a statement to the effect that you should finish the prescription out.
Tell your sister's boyfriend he doesn't know what he is talking about, and I would never listen to his advice again.
2007-12-03 21:57:47 · answer #2 · answered by Hate the liars and the Lies 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a common mistake that people make or think. But, the bigger problem is that because of this, germs are now becoming more resistant to antibiotics. Which, in turn, requires a stronger antibiotic. Some people, once they start to feel better,do not finish the complete course of the antibiotic treatment. Then, the symptoms return and a new course ( treatment) for antibiotics is required. It's not your fault but, you were misguided. The best advice is to contact your Doc's office and let he/she be aware of what happened. More than likely, you will be prescribed an antibiotic for the same reason as to why you were prescribed them in the first place.. But, be sure to finish the entire course of the antibiotic. This is very important. I hope that this helped and that you feel recovered soon.
Ruth
2007-12-03 22:13:19 · answer #3 · answered by Ruth 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should contact your physician to let them know what happened; he or she could probably phone in an additional script for you to the pharmacy. It's important that you complete ALL antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. This isn't just because you might get sick with the same thing again, it's because a number of diseases can lead to MAJOR problems if you "knock them down" with a partial regimen of antibiotics and then let them flourish again.
Think about it this way - your body is a military force, trained to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. In order to help them out, your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic (which will only work to treat a bacterial infection - sorry, antibiotics don't do a thing against viruses!) Antibiotics are like equipping your immune system with machine guns and hand grenades... it makes it a lot easier to fight off the enemy if you have better weapons. If you don't take all of your medicine, though, your "army" runs out of weapons - leaving the strongest, most evolved bacteria behind to reproduce and reinfect you. Think "evolution of the fittest" - those that survived the partial dose are the "super strong" bacteria! Now they're reproducing and colonizing your system, making an infection that will be harder for you to fight off, even with antibiotics.
Back in the day, this could lead to such dangerous conditions as Rheumatic Heart Fever (an infection of the valves of the heart!) This is rare in the present day, but has begun to show up again as people have stopped following doctor's orders - listening to the advice of well-meaning sister's boyfriends instead of the advice of a physician with 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, 3 to 5 years of residency training, and possibly decades of experience. Listen to your doctor... not people on here, and not your sister's boyfriend - unless she finds a new one who happens to be a doctor. :-)
2007-12-03 21:58:19 · answer #4 · answered by Kevin 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Once you start taking them, you should never stop until they are finished. Also take them just like the directions say. Yes, there is a great chance that you may get even sicker since the infection was not all the way out of your system and now you are having a set back. You may need to just call the doctor and see if he will call you in another round. Take them all even if you feel fine.
2007-12-03 21:54:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, once again listen to my cheesy theory.
An antibiotic works like an exterminator for a colony of ants.
The colony of ants (bacterium) are living in you...
so you go to a doctor and order an exterminator.. well
the exterminator kills most of the bugs but says he needs to come back again to kill the rest. You tell the exterminator that you've solved the problem so he doesn't come back.. these ants are going to repopulate...!
A.K.A. you have bacteria you take medicine because you think they are gone and they aren't, so they repopulate themselves enough to make you sick and you need more medicine to kill the entire colony of bacteria off...
Further A.K.A. finish your medicine no matter how you feel!
You may think you feel better before it's done, but you can never be too safe!
2007-12-03 22:12:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
To ensure all the bacteria are completely wiped out one must take the full dosage of antibiotics for the entire period prescribed, otherwise you will allow some bacteria to build a resistance against that antibiotic making it less effective the next time you get sick and take the same antibiotic. To prevent that from occurring, you need to take them for the full period prescribed.
2007-12-03 21:55:23 · answer #7 · answered by AM 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any time you are prescribed an antibiotic, you should always complete the full regimen as prescribed on the bottle instructions. The antibiotic started to do its work and was not able to complete the job. A few bacteria survived and started your illness all over again.
Please tell me your sister isn't going to marry that fool.
2007-12-03 21:54:13 · answer #8 · answered by acermill 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think the first thing that you need to do now is to go to the same doctor n tell him what happened.
You should always finish your anti biotics, even if you already feel ok.
If you are not into medicine-matters, ask from the doctor to prescribe you with anti-biotics that need, say 2 times daily n 5 days course.
That the only prolonged time I can deal with a medicine.
2007-12-03 21:56:42 · answer #9 · answered by silenth 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any doctor will tell you and probably told you that you needed to finish the course of antibiotics regardless if your starting to feel better. Basically by stopping and starting antibiotics over and over your building up an immunity to them which will cause the doctors to have to put you on something even stronger which may have side effects. In any regard you should consult your doctor and listen to his / her advice .
2007-12-03 21:54:45 · answer #10 · answered by cybella27 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋