Why you need to take all of your antibiotics
I’m sure that Christina has covered this, but since this is a very important topic I’m going to hit it again. Right now I’m taking 1000 mg a day of a powerful antibiotic for my sinus infection. My course is for ten days. Today, in fact last night, I’m feeling better but that doesn’t really matter it’s a 10 day course and 10 days will I consume my horse pill twice a day. But the question is why is this so important. It’s all Darwin’s fault.
It’s a natural selection thing, really. When you start taking an antibiotic, the “weakest” bacteria are killed first. This is good and why you start feeling better quickly. The thing is though that there are bacteria that have managed to survive this chemical onslaught. These are the tougher bacteria. By the end of your course (10 days is pretty standard for common infections), all of the bad bacteria should be gonzo, but what if you stop sooner?
See if I stop taking my horse pills tomorrow (let’s say I’m feeling all better), there are bacteria that have still survived the antibiotic treatment. These buggers haven’t been made “stronger” by the onslaught, they were just that way to begin with. Since they are still around, these “stronger” bacteria can spread. Maybe they won’t make you sick again, but if they travel to someone else, the descendants of those that survived will also be able to survive better.
If the pattern is repeated over and over by lots of people, you can see what will happen, bacteria will be harder to fight. It will take longer courses of treatment to wipe out and even stronger antibiotics to do the job. We’re already in this situation with some strains of TB, not to mention MSRA. These are the “super bugs” and these are a growing problem.
What can you do? Simple:
- When you get a prescription for an antibiotic, take all as directed. If you have a reaction to it, see your doctor to get something else.
- Don’t assume that you always need an antibiotic when you’re sick. I had this cold for a week. I held off going to the doctor not because I didn’t think I was sick but because I wanted to be pretty sure there really was a bacteria infection going on. Viruses aren’t effected by antibiotics.
- Don’t use or reduce the use of antibacterial products in your home that have Triclosan in them. That material wasn’t intended for its current mass use.
There you go.
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