Is this true, about stopping taking anti-biotics too soon?

[mlawson]

Of course everyone says that you must continue taking your antibiotics until the time prescribed is done, even after you feel better. Why is that? Is it because, if you leave any bacteria alive, they quickly multiply and re-invade your system with a vengeance?

I had a sinus infection earlier this week, and got some erythromycin, which have worked amazingly well in 36 hours. Now, I WILL finish the weeks supply, but I am just curious as to why I must. The antibiotics are making my stomach feel funky. (I am eating yogurt for that.)

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Yes, while you may feel better, the infection may well still be there.

Finish the course of antibiotics and a chance of recurrence is less likely. Glad you are feeling better. :hi:

[carpetbagger]

13. Especially a sinus infection.

True, most of what's called a sinus infection isn't really a bacterial infection of the sinuses, but if you've got one, it usually takes several days to knock it completely out.

[mlawson]

15. I will continue, believe me.

But so far the results have been amazing: Wednesday night I was walking the floor holding my head and yowling. Horrible pain all along my nose and into my teeth, and only getting worse. Couldn't sleep, even think about lying down, taking painkillers every three hours, which didn't help much.

Tonight I am free of any pain, without any painkillers, after only 6 doses of erythromycin. The swelling in my gums and face is gone. And I feel great.

But I will finish the 28 pills. Thanks, all!!

[mr_hat]

2. Just try stopping washing your sink too soon! >

My family has Annigers-Mumm Syndrome from super-bacteria forming in the disposal.

[mlawson]

5. OMG! What is that??

And you are talking to a hyperchrondriac here...

[mr_hat]

9. No need to worry -- I just made that up. Sorry!

[mlawson]

10. MISTER HA-YUT!!!!!

Too late, it's in my worry closet, now. :-)

[supernova]

3. Finish your antibiotics!

*shaking my finger at you*

Becuase yes, you have to be certain that most of the critters are dead, even if you feel better mid-course. Not finishing the the treatment leaves room for a superbug to develop.

And then people like me who need antiobiotics a lot, might not be able to use an antibiotic the next time we need one.

[qwertyMike]

24. FINISH them

ALWAYS
The antibiotics kills the weakest ones first. You stop taking them, and it allows the strongest to survive.

Not good

By doing that your increasing the virulence/resistance of the strain.

[Randomthought]

4. super bugs

If you quit taking the antibiotics before the germ is completely dead it mutates to be resistant to the antibiotic. Then you are the incubator for a super germ.

[mlawson]

6. Oh, Jeez... That's it!! No sleep for me tonight!!

I'll even set my alarm to wake up and take the pills!

[SarahB]

11. Ding ding!

You took my answer! :)

[Donkeyboy75]

17. I third that.

I also believe that anti-bacterial soaps and detergents do the same thing. It's a stupid concept...the detergent itself is deadly to the bacteria than antibiotics ever could be.

[SarahB]

18. True too

Most people who are infectious disease experts don't recommend anti-bacterial soap for that reason. It's also theorized that part of the increase in allergies and asthma in some cases is due to "too clean" of a home environment which leads to hypersensitive immune responses.

[NNadir]

7. Only the bacteria most resistant to an antibiotic survive the early

treatment, and so the last generations are the ones most likely to develop antibiotic resistance. Since bacteria have many generations in a single day, they evolve very quickly, and an antibiotic is "selection pressure."

Anyone who takes an antibiotic has a responsibility to humanity to complete his or her course of treatment. Without this commitment it is very possible that most, if not all, antibiotics will soon become useless.

It is also responsible to not demand an antibiotic for a non-bacterial syndrome such as the flu.

[put out]

8. That's part of it.

The remaining bugs will be the ones resistant to the action of the antibiotic. Those will be the ones, then, that that the antibiotic won't work against the next time. Useless medicine, and you still sick.

So you try another antibiotic, don't take the full course, and end up with more drug-resistant buggies.

Super bugs. It's a huge problem. Ever hear of MRSA, methicillin resistant staph aureus? Hospitals have a terrible time with it, not to mention the poor souls infected.

Some STDs, once treated easily with antibiotics, are acting the same way. Oh, dear.

[DrWeird]

12. Yup, evolution in action.

The other big problem is idiot doctors prescribing antibiotics for viral infections, such as head colds.

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. "big problem is idiot doctors prescribing antibiotics" !!

.
.
.

WHAT ??

Are you suggesting that our Dokteers overprescribe ??

Naah - can't be !

Seriously though,

I find the one thing that will irritate most doctors more than anything ??

ask them about stupid stuff like vitamins, minerals, or other "natural" healing things !!

boy, they get maaaaddd !

[DrWeird]

16. I should hope so.

Not about vitamins, and minerals of course.

But homeopathy, crystals, snake medicine, and other quackery.

[BuddhaGirl]

19. umm..homeopathy is not quackery

homeopathy has been around many, many years. It is a safe and effective treatment - arnica montana helped me greatly when I had a sore back.

[Interrobang]

23. Bullshit.

Just because something has been around a long time doesn't mean it's not quackery. Only things which have been tested by the Scientific Method (which homeopathy has NOT) *aren't* quackery. Remember, if it can't be falsified, hypothesized, and repeatably verified, it's bunk. Allopathic medicine here only, please!

Besides which, the concentration of "active ingredients" in homeopathic "dilutions" are similar to putting 1/4 of a cup of ink into a swimming pool. In other words, zippo.

The placebo effect, on the other hand, is great for dealing with things like sore backs, but not so great when dealing with infectious diseases like sinus infections.

Here in Canada where treatments that have been shown scientifically to have merit (which includes some forms of accupuncture, accupressure, massage, and chiropractic, btw) are covered under the Canada Health Act's provincial health insurance plans, homeopathy "treatments" come out of people's own pockets, because there's no *verifiable* evidence that they work. Fools and their money, I say.

Parent poster, please finish taking your antibios. "Colony" sinus infections (another potential side effect of insufficient treatment), long-lasting, low-grade bacterial infections that are resistant and almost impossible to get rid of, are *not* fun...she said, thinking about being in treatment for two years because of one. (sniffle)

[mopinko]

26. can we go out for a drink?

"Only things which have been tested by the Scientific Method (which homeopathy has NOT) *aren't* quackery."
man, there are not a lot of duers that believe that. and none of them are on the thread in gd about healthcare.

[DrWeird]

27. Snake oil cured my brain cancer.

And it's been around for 200 million years.

[nuxvomica]

33. Arnica has worked amazingly well on my back too

But arnica will never replace muscle relaxants because it doesn't get you high. ;-)

[freeforall]

20. Just a suggestion...

it is best to take the antibiotics for the 10-day course, but take the yoghurt AFTER you finish the course of antibiotics. It will replace all the "good" bacteria that the antibiotics kill along with the virus.

Maybe the yoghurt is causing the stomach upsets. Worth a try. (I have used natural and alternative medicine for years, and I know this works for me. Good luck!)

[Karenina]

30. Avoid dairy products until after

you've finished the full regimen.

http://sumweb.syr.edu/health/medications_infections.htm

[Az]

21. Its all about evolution

When you take the antibiotics it first kills off the bugs that are not resistant to it. The ones that survive initially are a bit more resistant to the drugs. So when they reproduce their offspring are more resistant. The trick is that if you stop taking the drugs too soon it will not have had enough time to kill all the bugs and the ones that survive will be the offspring most resistant to the drug. Thus leaving you still infected and infected with a now drug resistant strain of the bug. Further more if you infect someone else with this bug they will have the drug resistant strain as well. You have to take the entire schedule of antibiotic to make sure the bug is dead entirely. This is why we are seeing drug resistant strains of deadly bacteria popping up around the world. So take the meds to completion for others sake if not for yourself.

[BiggJawn]

22. You inoculate the infection if you don't finish.

Just like getting inoculated for smallpox, the bacteria get enough antibiotic to weaken, but not kill them. So they get resistant to the antibiotic, and the next generation decides that erythromycin makes a pretty tasty snack, and you have to try something else to try and knock it out.

[Lisa0825]

25. Excellent responses!

As one who studied biology and worked in medical research for 10 years, I clicked into this topic, ready to give the answer. I was quite pleased to see how many folks are so informed about antibiotics and resistance!

The medical community has been trying to get this info out for years, but commercial marketing of useless products has been an impediment to accurate info.

For example... the majority of illnesses are caused by viruses, not bacteria. So, moms who think their kids will miss fewer days of school are fooling themselves. All those sick days are uasually caused by viruses, which are NOT affected by antibacterial agents. Washing hands does help to an extent, but those additives don't have any effect.

If you are germ-phobic, the better answer would be to use one of those antiseptic gels with alcohol in it. Those kill germs, but the active ingredient is not an anti-biotic, so it doesn't have the "resistance effect."

Does your prescription recommend taking it with a meal or with/without dairy? that can have a major effect. You can try calling your pharmacist for info.

[midnight armadillo]

28. Yogurt is excellent for your stomach

Antibiotics clear out all the good fauna and flora out of your gut along with anything bad. Probiotics such as yogurt or kefir (if you can find it) are great for fighting this since they contain live friendly bacterial cultures.

[Ladyhawk]

29. I've often wonder if the Lactobacillus Acidophilus in yogurt can..

...survive the stomach acids and make it to the intestines where it is needed. Can it? Do some of the good little bacteria make it to the intestine or do they die a burning death?

[ConcernedCanuk]

36. my MY - I don't find too many people aware of Acidophilus !

.
.
.

I became aware of "acid" I call it for short, in '85 .

My girlfriend at the time had a reoccurring problem, strep throat, then antibiotics,then cold sores, then yeast infections, more antibiotics for that -was a 3-times a year cycle (for the previous TEN years!)

UNTIL

I, for personal reasons I won't divulge , sought out some information -

Lactobacillus Acidophilus to the rescue, in the powdered capsule format

within 3 months ALL the problems of her "cycles" disappeared, no more doctor, no more infections, no more antibiotics - I spoke with her a few years back, and after 15 years, still the same - no more of those "problems" that she had to live with and take anti-antibiotics for - -

Myself I "do" my "acid" now and then on a regular basis - more for indigestion and sore throats.

I actually pour the powder out of the capsule into my mouth and let it linger around th back of my throat when it's for a sore throat, I have done this with kids, sore throat disappears in minutes, and the kids nicknamed it "white-chocolate" - so it tastes ok too!

Acidophilus provides the "friendly" bacteria - and yes

it will survive to "way down there"

I don't use the Lacto base anymore, there are lots of Acidophilus products available now that are not in milk base products

OH

the book that "turned me on" to "Acid" was called "The Yeast Connection", that was almost 20 years ago, so don't ask me who wrote it !!

[radwriter0555]

31. also do copious amounts of green tea for the tummy upset...

there really is nothing better to sooth a tummy than green tea.

[MAlibdem]

32. it also produces antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria

because they most easily killed are immediately, while the resistant ones can survive for a few doses (or so says my knowledge)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

34. because the bacteria dont completely die out

and the ones that survive become immune to the prescribed meds. its bad for you and the rest of humanity

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

35. One more point to the other points on this thread

People have already commented on how bacterial strains survive and mutate...but the other point that I DO NOT believe has been made is that once you then take that anti-biotic, render it useless by not taking the full dose..develope a super bug...then you must treat with a class of anti-biotics known as BROAD SPECTRUM anti-biotics...the significance of that is that the broad spectrum category not only helps to create SUPER BUGS (i.e. drug resistant strains) ...but they ALSO render you susceptible to MORE viruses by ultimately weakening your immunity.

So..given that you are on erythromycin..a drug that has been around for DECADES and is proven effective...what you want to do is take the most proven drug with the best long term record for the full period of time so that in the future erythromycin will CONTINUE to BE an effective drug for combatting bacteria.