Antibiotics are a group of medicines used in the treatment of bacterial infections. Bacteria are living microorganisms that penetrate the human body and begin active life and reproduction. The effect of antibiotic therapy is to destroy the pathogen and slow down its reproduction. There are some rules for taking antibiotics, and we will tell you about them.
On PillPal, you can buy antibiotics without prescription but remember that your health is the most precious thing you have and you are responsible for it. So be 100% sure about the medications you purchase. Self-treatment without proper knowledge and experience can harm you.
Any antibiotics should only be taken as prescribed by your doctor
The basic rule is to take antibiotics only when they are necessary. The indications for the use of antibiotics are signs of an acute bacterial infection the body cannot cope with:
- persisted and prolonged fever;
- purulent discharge;
- changes in blood composition, such as the increase in leukocytes (leukocytosis), shift of leukocyte formula to the left (increase in stab and segmented leukocytes), and increased sedimentation rate;
- the patient’s condition worsens again after a period of improvement.
Antibiotics are powerless against viruses. Therefore, their use is meaningless and unsafe in cases of influenza, acute respiratory infections, and some acute intestinal infections.
Write down all the information about the antibiotics you took before
This rule is especially true when your children take antibiotics. During the use of antibiotics, it’s important to pay attention to the side effects or allergies and write them down. A doctor won’t prescribe you medications correctly if they don’t have enough information about the entire course of taking antibiotics before. It’s also worth telling a doctor about other medications you’re taking.
Never beg your doctor to prescribe antibiotics
Your doctor may prescribe you even antimicrobials without any special indications if you insist. The use of antibiotics speeds up the recovery but it’s not always justified. Don’t ask for something “stronger” in pharmacy because stronger doesn’t mean more effective. Sometimes a pharmacy may offer to replace one drug with a similar one. In this case, it’s better to tell your doctor about such a replacement or to clarify the composition and the active ingredient so as not to violate the dosage prescribed by your doctor.
Strictly observe the multiplicity of perception
Always keep equal time intervals between doses of the antibiotic. This is necessary to maintain a constant concentration of the drug in your blood. Many people misunderstand the information about the frequency of intake. If it is recommended to take a pill 3 times a day, this doesn’t mean the intake must be for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This means that the intake is in 8 hours.
The course of treatment must be continuous
If you start a course of antibiotics, you shouldn’t stop treatment as soon as you feel improvement. It’s worth continuing treatment 2-3 days after improvement or recovery. You should also monitor the effect of the antibiotic. If there is no improvement within 72 hours, then the pathogen is resistant to this antibiotic and it should be replaced.