But this advice is not only wrong, it could actually be harmful. Obviously, stopping antibiotics before a serious infection is cured will risk a relapse. Alexander had a terrible infection that started with a scratch on his face. He developed abscesses all over his head and had already had an eye removed, but he was dying. Within 24 hours of being given a small dose of penicillin, his fever fell, his appetite returned and the abscesses started to heal.
But when the penicillin supply ran out after five days, the infection flared up again. Alexander died four weeks later. We now know that severe staphylococcal infection with multiple abscesses, which is what Alexander had, is a type of infection that needs antibiotic treatment for weeks to prevent relapse.
It has recently become clear that some of the conventions around antibiotic prescribing are neither based on evidence nor harmless. Antibiotics are generally benign but they all cause allergies and other rare side effects in a small proportion of people.
The effect lasts for weeks, and the longer the antibiotic course, the greater the risk that antibiotic-resistant bacteria will take their place and cause harm.
Ask the pharmacist for a PIL if you have not been given one with your medicine. Contact a GP for advice if you've missed several doses of antibiotics or more than 1 day's worth of treatment. It's very important that you see the GP if you've missed doses because of side effects or illness. If you find it difficult to remember to take your antibiotics, you may find some of these ideas useful:. If you're still finding it difficult to remember to take your antibiotics, ask a pharmacist or GP about compliance aids.
These are boxes with labelled compartments that you can put your medicines in. They can help remind you to take your antibiotics at specific times of the day or on particular days of the week. You should always finish a course of antibiotics, even if you start to feel better. If you do not finish the course or miss several doses, the infection may return.
Both Boucher and Llewelyn said patients should not "self-medicate" with antibiotics, or simply stop when they are feeling better. Rather, they should follow their doctor's instructions about when to stop. The opinion piece stated that some health authorities have recently replaced the phrase "complete the course" with messages advocating taking antibiotics "exactly as prescribed. Follow Christopher Wanjek wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge.
Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine. Christopher Wanjek is a contributor to Live Science and a health and science writer based in Baltimore. For Live Science, Christopher covers public health, nutrition and biology, and he occasionally opines with a great deal of healthy skepticism.
His "Food at Work" book and project, commissioned by the U. Christopher has presented this book in more than 20 countries and has inspired the passage of laws to support worker meal programs in numerous countries.
His Twitter handle is wanjek. Live Science. Christopher Wanjek.
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