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If it was for a virus, then antibiotics wouldn't have done anything at all.
To be fair, plenty of docs prescribed antibiotics for viral illnesses because they were trying to prevent a bacterial infection on top of the virus. For instance, a bad cold (virus) can depress immunity enough that the cold leads to pneumonia (bacteria). A doc doing this would have understood full well that the antibiotic was not for the virus, but the patient might not have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom
It seems like doctors used to hand out antibiotics like candy and we never heard anything about antibiotic resistance back then. I'm glad it's changed. It's kind of funny though that the reason that antibiotics aren't sold OTC is because we might overuse them, when it used to be the doctors overprescribing them.
The doc prescribed the medicine to ward off infection saying diabetics are more prone to infection,he said make sure you take all the pills. The pharmacist said the same thing. I had no intention of not following through with the whole cycle i was just curious as to the reason for their insistence on taking all the pills.
I now have the answer.
Thanks
Had a few teeth removed last week and doc gave me a prescription for Antibiotics,pharmacist said take 4 pills a day for 7 days,he really emphasized taking all the pills,got me wondering what happens if i stop taking the pills halfway through the cycle?
I think all doctors and pharmacists stress the importance of finishing the antibiotics. apparently it is meant to assure no infection sets in or if there is an infection it is completely gone before stopping meds. I also think many do not take them the entire time: shame of us!!! my feeling, if the doctor prescribes you obey. You have nothing to lose and would rather be safe than sorry.
My answer would be "probably nothing" if you had routine dental extractions and basic good health. However, if you have a significant underlying health condition or the extractions were complicated, not only do you risk resistance, but you also may get the infection (ie. endocarditis? dry socket?) your dentist is trying to avoid. Dental extractions release a huge bacterial load into your boodstream, but regardless prophylactic antibiotics are often overprescribed (but may not be in your case).
Last edited by west seattle gal; 08-04-2016 at 08:08 PM..
When -- and if -- a secondary bacterial infection actually occurs following a virus is the time to prescribe antibiotics to treat the (non-existent) secondary bacterial infection. SMH!
The doc prescribed the medicine to ward off infection saying diabetics are more prone to infection,he said make sure you take all the pills. The pharmacist said the same thing. I had no intention of not following through with the whole cycle i was just curious as to the reason for their insistence on taking all the pills.
I now have the answer.
Thanks
They always want to prescribe more antibiotics when you're diabetic. Last time I had a UTI, I had to take cipro for 10 days instead of the usual 3, which was really hard on my stomach.
I'm glad you took the meds in case they were needed!
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my feeling, if the doctor prescribes you obey. You have nothing to lose and would rather be safe than sorry.
