Too much antibiotics?

[Aina24]

Hey members, I was prescribed clindamycin for a skin abscess from the doctor. After taking the 1st course ( 3x 300mg for 6 days) the abscess still continued to grow and actually got quite infected. The doctor cut it out and PRESCIBRED me another course of antibiotics this time penicillin. I'm required to take them for a further 10x days.... I'm on my 11th day of taking antibiotics straight and I'm scared because I think I've consumed too much and too many. I still have 5 more days before the course is finished but I want to stop them now since the abscess has cleared up and the infection seems to be gone.... i'm not confident with the doctors judgment as I know a course of antibiotics this long may be harmful. What should I do please help...

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Aina24 said:

i'm not confident with the doctors judgment as I know a course of antibiotics this long may be harmful. What should I do please help...

Keep taking the antibiotics.

While it's true some people react badly to them, for most people they do no harm at all. Having larger and larger chunks carved off you because of an infection is much more of a risk to your well being.

 

Bacterial skin infections can quickly lead to amputation out here in the tropics.

 

Would also point out

1. penicillin is usually given first, not second (unless you can't take penicillin).

2. You should notice an improvement in the first 1-2 days, or return to the doctor.

[Alldar]

I guess you never heard how Helicobacter Pylori is treated. Sometimes you get 3 different antibiotics which you have to take together. What you have is perfectly fine. Unless you see some adverse reaction continue taking them.

[chickenslegs]

Quote

Even if your symptoms go away, the bacteria may still be present in your body. If you stop treatment before the antibiotic cycle is over, the remaining bacteria can continue to multiply. If these bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics, they can potentially do even more harm.

https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/why-is-finishing-antibiotics-so-important

Always complete the course.

[Adumbration]

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Keep taking the antibiotics.

While it's true some people react badly to them, for most people they do no harm at all. Having larger and larger chunks carved off you because of an infection is much more of a risk to your well being.

 

Bacterial skin infections can quickly lead to amputation out here in the tropics.

 

Would also point out

1. penicillin is usually given first, not second (unless you can't take penicillin).

2. You should notice an improvement in the first 1-2 days, or return to the doctor.

What he said. Potential down side far outweighs any risk.

[Lacessit]

10 - 14 days is quite normal for some antibiotics.

Doxycycline is an antibiotic, prescribed as an anti-malarial prophylactic. Recommended use is to take 100 mg/day while traveling in a designated malarial area, then for 28 days after leaving the area.

Ending a course of antibiotics early may result in the infection coming back, with increased resistance to antibiotics.

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Always complete the course.

Except when you don't need to

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Keep taking the antibiotics.

While it's true some people react badly to them, for most people they do no harm at all. Having larger and larger chunks carved off you because of an infection is much more of a risk to your well being.

 

Bacterial skin infections can quickly lead to amputation out here in the tropics.

 

Would also point out

1. penicillin is usually given first, not second (unless you can't take penicillin).

2. You should notice an improvement in the first 1-2 days, or return to the doctor.

That was worthy of a Sheryl post

[internationalism]

with antibiotics do take probiotics.

The easiest and cheapest are from food - natural yogurt, sour milk, cheese.

Also prebiotics. Garlic, onion, ginger will also boost your immune system.

At some stage you can ask dr for antibiotics in cream form.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods

[FriendlyFarang]

14 hours ago, Aina24 said:

I still have 5 more days before the course is finished but I want to stop them now since the abscess has cleared up and the infection seems to be gone....

If you stop taking the antibiotics now, and it turns out that the infection isn't really gone, then the doctor will put you on another course of antibiotics. So better just finish your current course and be done with it.

[Sheryl]

It is not "too much" if it is needed.

 

Cellulitis/abcesses typically need long courses of antibiotic to completely eradicate the infection and stopping too soon may result in antibiotic resistance.

 

What is important is that the antibiotic be effective and it sounds like what you are taking now has been.

 

Continue the full course as advised.

 

As antibiotics go, penicillin and its derivatives are among the safest/have the least issues for long term use. The main problem would be disruption of normal gut (and. for women, vaginal) flora. If concerned about that, take a probiotic.

 

Women often need to treat for vaginal candidiasis when or after ion antibiotics - which is easily done with suppositories.

[eezergood]

On 5/6/2022 at 11:03 PM, internationalism said:

with antibiotics do take probiotics.

The easiest and cheapest are from food - natural yogurt, sour milk, cheese.

Also prebiotics. Garlic, onion, ginger will also boost your immune system.

At some stage you can ask dr for antibiotics in cream form.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods

Or you can also treat with raw garlic - simply rub over the infection in ADDITION to the meds prescribed. 

[The Hammer2021]

You have not taken too many antibiotics.  Do NOT stop your course  midway. You risk the abcesses returning and being more resistant to anti biotics when they return.

[The Hammer2021]

On 5/6/2022 at 10:08 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Except when you don't need to

Without medical qualifications and experience and lab tests how would one know? Bacteria  are invisible- just because an infection  appears to have cleared up does not mean it has cleared up completely.  By not completing antibiotic courses you jeopardise you own immunity and that of the  community.

[scubascuba3]

2 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Without medical qualifications and experience and lab tests how would one know? Bacteria  are invisible- just because an infection  appears to have cleared up does not mean it has cleared up completely.  By not completing antibiotic courses you jeopardise you own immunity and that of the  community.

It was all over the news a couple years ago about stopping the course before it's finished was preferred in some cases. If you search google you'll find it

[bkk6060]

I had a bad infection a few years ago and switched antibiotics a couple of times I think took them up to 6 weeks it finally got better.

No expert here but for skin infections, I have taken Doxycycline seems to clear things up in 7 days.

With any of this make sure you drink lots of water.

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It was all over the news a couple years ago about stopping the course before it's finished was preferred in some cases. If you search google you'll find it

why don't you do the right thing and post links?

[internationalism]

18 minutes ago, eezergood said:

Or you can also treat with raw garlic - simply rub over the infection in ADDITION to the meds prescribed. 

that's what probably was done by humanoids for milion years before antibiotics were discovered.

Good manuka honey from australia might do job for skin better, than internally taken antibiotics

[The Hammer2021]

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It was all over the news a couple years ago about stopping the course before it's finished was preferred in some cases. If you search google you'll find it

If you search Google you can find any nonsense but even if it were true  it's contrary  to all scientific and medical  advice regarding  the use of antibiotics since their invention/ discovery  in the 1940s. It's certainly no reason or justification to stop a course of antibiotics part way through the treatment unless specifically  advised by your doctor.

[scubascuba3]

11 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

why don't you do the right thing and post links?

If i had it to hand i would post a link, if you're interested do a search on google

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If i had it to hand i would post a link, if you're interested do a search on google

I have read countless links which advise contrary to your assertions and no credible links which agree with it. It is poor netiquette to post unsubstantiated controversial claims.

[Sheryl]

15 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

It was all over the news a couple years ago about stopping the course before it's finished was preferred in some cases. If you search google you'll find it

In the absence of a link, it is impossibel to know what thsi referred to but I think  "some cases" is the operative term and "beforei t's finished" referred to a specific time span i.e. that for some types of  infections  the usual period abx are prescribed for may be longer than necessary.

 

Nothing to do with OP's sitiuation.  As 10 days on a new antibiotic for a cellulitis that did nto respond to a previous abx is nto too long by any stretch of the imagination, and in cellulitis abx should  be continued until after all clinical signs have resolved.

[scubascuba3]

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

In the absence of a link, it is impossibel to know what thsi referred to but I think  "some cases" is the operative term and "beforei t's finished" referred to a specific time span i.e. that for some types of  infections  the usual period abx are prescribed for may be longer than necessary.

 

Nothing to do with OP's sitiuation.  As 10 days on a new antibiotic for a cellulitis that did nto respond to a previous abx is nto too long by any stretch of the imagination, and in cellulitis abx should  be continued until after all clinical signs have resolved.

ok here's one link i just found, I can't recall the exact detail when it hit the news a couple years ago

 

https://www.livescience.com/59951-should-you-finish-antibiotics.html

[KannikaP]

40 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If i had it to hand i would post a link, if you're interested do a search on google

There are links on Google for flat Earth!

[Aina24]

Update! I was 7 days out of 10 left and the doctor told me the infection had gone and I could stop taking the meds.... 3 days later, I noticed redness in the wound and went back for a check up just be sure..... He said the infection around the skin had not been completely died and asked me to take another 5 day course of antibiotics... im really scared now ????

[BritManToo]

11 minutes ago, Aina24 said:

Update! I was 7 days out of 10 left and the doctor told me the infection had gone and I could stop taking the meds.... 3 days later, I noticed redness in the wound and went back for a check up just be sure..... He said the infection around the skin had not been completely died and asked me to take another 5 day course of antibiotics... im really scared now ????

We all told you, but you knew best .............

[Aina24]

Update! I was 7 days out of 10 left and the doctor told me the infection had gone and I could stop taking the meds.... 3 days later, I noticed redness in the wound and went back for a check up just be sure..... He said the infection around the skin had not been completely died and asked me to take another 5 day course of antibiotics... im really scared now ???? ... The doctor told me I could stop early , so I listened......

[Sheryl]

As previously stated, these types of infection typically need 10-14 days of treatment  and it is essential that treatment be continued until the infection is completely resolved plus a few days beyond that just to be sure.

 

You stopped antibiotics too soon  and the infection was not fully eradicated. Now the question is whether the same antibiotic will still work. Keep a close eye on it. Draw around the area of redness with a marker pen so you can easily see if it is spreading, decreasing or staying the same.

 

 

[Aina24]

33 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

As previously stated, these types of infection typically need 10-14 days of treatment  and it is essential that treatment be continued until the infection is completely resolved plus a few days beyond that just to be sure.

 

You stopped antibiotics too soon  and the infection was not fully eradicated. Now the question is whether the same antibiotic will still work. Keep a close eye on it. Draw around the area of redness with a marker pen so you can easily see if it is spreading, decreasing or staying the same.

 

 

Thanks Sheryl for being helpful and supportive.