Do you always finish your prescription antibiotics, or stop taking them "when you feel better"?
by 
nurse7263
ANSWERS: 23
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Although I'm a nurse and I KNOW I should take them all...sometimes I don't. It's so bad to do that, but it's so easy to forget when you feel better!
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I always take ALL of my antibiotics! If you don't, there's a risk of a resurgence of the infection!
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I haven't taken antibiotics in over 10 years, but when I was a kid my parents forced every last drop into me! My kids have only had to have antibiotics once, and I make them finish them, too.
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I always finish them completely. I know that if I do not I take the chance of not getting rid of all of the infection. It is so easy to take a pill or two a day to get completely well. I don't understand why people would not do that and risk continuing to be sick, or getting sick again soon after they felt "well."
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I never finish mine. After I feel better I stop taking them so I can save them for the next time. Im cheap like that.
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I know it's wrong, but if I feel better, I quit taking them. It's a financial thing with me. If I have some left over, maybe next time, I won't have to go to the doctor. But, I do know that that's why viruses are building up resistances to antibiotics. I've seen it just recently with one my daughters. She had to have 3 different antibiotics to get well from being sick this last time. I hope to be in better financial shape soon, so I can take them all, like I'm supposed to. I now make my kids take all theirs. This last sickness with my daughter scared me.
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You're supposed to, because if you don't finish the treatment, the disease that's left become stronger, and you'll get sick again, and even worst than the first time... I always finish the treatment.
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Yes I always finish an anti-biotic course. They take time to work and it has to be in your system for a certain length of time. Luckily i do not have to have them very often, but unless you finish the course it is hardly worth starting it, the infection could still be in the body and return needing a stronger strength antibiotic the next time
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I hate taking medicine, I very rarely finish taking a prescription...I had much rather take a couple of shots.
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always finish them because most of the time you need to finish the perscription for them to work even if you feel better before the mrdication is finished
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No i found them to be too strong after i feel better, they actually make me dizzy and weak. The first time i got out of the hospital for the same problem, they didn't prescribe anything at all. This time they do and i found the anti biotics are killing all the cells (good and bad) in my system. Since the first time they didn't even prescribe at all, i figure i don't have to finish them all the 2nd time around. I guess it's a judgemnt call by whoever is on duty :(
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I always finish them. I've already had a bad experience with germs immune to one antibiotic. I do NOT want to go through that again!
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You should be really ashamed of yourself for not taking all your antibiotics. How do you think MRSA was formed? People not taking all there antibiotics means the all the bacteria isn’t killed off, and as the antibiotic kills the "easy" bacteria first it's the tougher ones that are left, these “tough bacteria” then build up a resistance to the antibiotic. They then go on to infect someone else (a child??) and that person has a worse illness which can not be treated by antibiotics... prime example MRSA. It is not a personal thing which will only affect you, not taking your full course of antibiotics can cause super-bugs which will go on to infect other people. Stop being so ignorant.
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ok so I had just recently had strep thoat and didn't finish my antibiotic becaue I seem to have miss placed them....now I have a sore thoat again and I am nervous that I have messed my body up by not taking them all...what should I do?
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I'm terrible about taking pills. I forget all the time. Vitamins, medicine, anything. So when I'm sick I usually take them until I get better. Luckily it's all worked out so far.
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I always do to prevent a resistant strain of the bacteria developing and reinfecting me. I'd rather take the full scrip at home than be on an antibio drip at the hospital. ;)
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yes I always finish them and make the cats finish theirs even tho they are better and giving a cat meds is no fun.
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If you are going to buy them and want to get better, it only makes sense to use them all up or it's not going to be effective.
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i struggle with cystic acne occasionaly (acne that doesnt come to the surface of the skin, and cannot be treated with creams or cleansers). and the only thing that will make them dissapear are antibiotics, so i keep my prescription generally filled.
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I have trouble with antibiotics and some other medications. They make me so ill it makes it impossible to finish them. Its a toss up as to which I would rather have, an infection or lying in bed so deathly sick from an antibiotic.
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does anyone have chemical sensitivities as badly as I do? Since November I have had stomach problems but can't take Nexium, Prilosec, Axid or anything that is healing...they all make me sick. Right now and for a long time I'm having difficulty getting rid of a bladder infection because this antibiotic is killing me. I took it for a 5 days twice a day and it still didn't kill it, so he doubled the mg and now I'm so sick. I'm sitting on the side of the bed writing this at this very moment.
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You must take them until they are gone. If you stop them, the infection can come back and come back stronger than before. FINISH THEM ALL!!
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I always finish. If you don't finish the infection WILL return soon.
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