Antibiotics are very important. Before their discovery and development, many lives were lost for reasons we scoff at today. Most people take antibiotics for granted and blindly trust that their physician will give them any details needed. Doctors are bust people, seeing scads of people a day; they get busy and sometimes an important reminder slips by unannounced. As antibiotics are incredibly widely prescribed, it's important that you take the time to educate yourself on something that could save your life, or at least make it more comfortable.
Here are some details about antibiotics. This is most definitely not everything. If you would like to know more (which is encouraged), google the topic and read up on it, visiting reliable web sites (government sites, the Mayo Clinic, etc).
1. Alcohol kills antibiotics.
Yes, that sucks. You want to enjoy an adult beverage, but you are on antibiotics. Don't do it, the alcohol (beer, liquor, wine...) deactivates the antibiotic, you may as well be taking sugar pills. It doesn't matter if it's the beginning, middle, or end of the round of antibiotics- you should never interrupt the antibiotic regimen.
2. Always take every pill (finish your round of antibiotics)
I don't know how many times I've overheard someone saying, "oh, I have a few pills left over from the last time I had to take antibiotics, so I'll just take those instead of visiting the doctor."
There are so many things wrong with that statement. You should never have leftover antibiotics. They are prescribed so that you take every pill, then you're done. It doesn't matter if you start feeling better, or feel better than ever- you're not done until there are no pills left. See, different antibiotics work in different ways. Whether they're actively killing bacterial cells or preventing them from multiplying, it doesn't happen over night. To get them all and ensure they don't turn around and come right back, you must take every pill prescribed. They are not like pain medicine, where you only take it while you're noticing the symptom (pain), they're still working to fight off that last pesky hanger-on, even if there are so few live-cells that you actually feel fine (they're still there, even if you can't see or feel them). If you don't get them all, they'll just come back (stronger than ever).
3. Different sicknesses warrant different drug treatments (don't self-diagnose)
Again, refer to "oh, I have a few pills left over... I'll just take those instead of visiting the doctor." You don't know why you're sick. If you have an infection, it could be caused by countless different types of microorganisms. These are living organisms with defenses. Antibiotics are designed to bring those defenses down. As each type of bacteria has different defenses, each antibiotic works in a different way. You don't know what type of bacteria is causing your sickness, so you are not qualified to decide which antibiotic you should take (that's where a physician comes in). Sure, there are broad-range antibiotics, but unless you know what range it encompasses and exactly what microorganism is playing house in your body, you can't make that call. Ask your doctor.
To the same tune, antibiotics only work on bacteria. If you have a virus, antibiotics will do you no good. There are antivirals, if your doctor decides they're necessary, but those don't work on bacteria. See the pattern here? Until it's certain what's causing your sickness, a prescription shouldn't be written. Antibiotics are not to be played with and tossed around. Again, that "infection" you think you have could just be nasty allergies- antibiotics won't help you there, either.
4. Oral contraceptive birth controls are deactivated by antibiotics
Yes, it does usually say this on the bottle of antibiotics and the pill pack. But how many people read each warning? Those warnings could also say you may get dizzy, sleepy, or nauseous; just because you never experience those side effects doesn't mean there's just a chance it could cancel out your birth control- it will cancel out your birth control. Use a back up method for the entire cycle during which you take antibiotics. Note: using antibiotics while on birth control doesn't automatically mean you will get pregnant, it means you'll have the same chance of getting pregnant as if you didn't take any pills.
5. Antibiotics can give you diarrhea
Nasty, I know. Antibiotics can also kill off the friendly bacteria in your digestive track, possibly upsetting your stomach and/or causing diarrhea, cramping, etc. See, there is a variety of microorganism living in your intestines. Typically, they balance each other out. If one gets killed off by the antibiotic (which can happen, even if it's not the specific target of the pill) another friendly bacterium can take over its spot, knocking the dynamic out of balance. This is where your digestive system gets upset and begins to purge itself. You should let your doctor know about this, but don't freak out, you're not a leaper, it happens.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I have had several classes which have focused on antibiotics, but I am not an expert. These are just general guidelines that are often overlooked or not considered. Consult your doctor and be sure to ask specific questions about the purpose of your antibiotics, any side effects (including interactions with other prescriptions you are on), and specifics regarding dosages. The most important thing here is that you do your research and ask questions. The better educated you are, the better off you are.
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