What are the strongest antibiotics available over the counter?

[2long]

Just now, thailand49 said:

God Dame!???? That is STD! 

If only my genitals were long enough to get anywhere near my feet! ????????

Did you hear about the thalidomide porn star?

He had an arm like a baby's c*ck! 

I'll get my coat. ????

[Dirk Z]

15 hours ago, 2long said:

Get Augmetin 1G and Ciprofloxacin 500mg and take both for 5 days.

BUT I'm not a doctor and this forum is not a medical one.

Last month I had a foot infection and I'm lucky enough to be good friends with several doctors.

You say you are not a doctor but yet give a specific medical advice. How does that work?

[Dirk Z]

There is no such thing as strong or weak antibiotic. Just appropriate as has already been commented. Don't take any advice from any of the "experts" here, however well meant. Infections can be very different, i.e. have a different cause. Only a culture and assessment can help to choose the right antibiotic. There are wide-spectrum antibiotics that are effective against many microorganisms, but there is the risk of creating resistance. Antibiotics are grossly misused in this part of the world anyway, so seek the advice of a prudent doctor who can explain why you should have antibiotics and which kind. And they don't work against for instance a fungus. Says this MD.

And by the way, this kind of topic should be removed, some advice is just dangerous.

[Pedrogaz]

I'm not a doctor but have had experience with foot lesions. I am a diabetic.

Best option is dicloxacillin 500mg four times a day and ciprofloxacin 500mg twice a day for 7 days. Add in metronidazole 400mg three times a day if there is no improvement in 3 days. Some people might think ciprofloxacin is overkill for such an infection but pseudomonas aeruginosa can be grown from samples taken from inside sneakers. This organism is opportunistic and is difficult to treat if it becomes established.

If no solid improvement in 5 days visit a doctor....he might wish to remove the toe nail.

Do you have diabetes? You can feel pain and still have hairs on your toes so the nerves are still intact and the blood supply looks adequate. 

[ben2talk]

Wow.

Antibiotics have different classes to target different kinds of bacteria.

 

Any bacteria affected will report 100% strength - but the wrong antibiotic, or a general antibiotic, will kill other bacteria which is not good for your health.

 

You should see a doctor who will either have an answer ready for you, or will do a blood test to see what you have and then prescribe the most effective and properly targeted antibiotic.

[The Hammer2021]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

Maybe the infection needs both antibiotics and a very strong disinfectant cream. 

e,g,

Antibiotic cream?

[partington]

7 hours ago, fvw53 said:

Be careful because you could become resistant to our last line of defence.

People don't become resistant to antibiotics.

 

This is a continual misunderstanding: it is not the PERSON that becomes resistant, it is the actual bacteria or pathogenic organisms causing the problems that become resistant.

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

Hi, i have an infection on my foot, nothing serious but want to clear it up as it painful when walking. What are the strongest antibiotics available over the counter at the pharmacy? Any idea of price?

It's not a question of the strongest, but the right antibiotics for the kind of infection you have. You might need a blood test to find the right cure.

 

I had a bad infection in my foot - very bad - that didn't go away with the normally by pharmacist suggested over-the-counter antibiotics, and I there ended with a hospital test. I got Zeplex, 500 mg Cefalexin (as Monohydrate) - 1 tab twice a day for 10 days - and it worked. Its There is two equivalents named "Chepalex" and "Rosil" - 500 mg Clindamycin (as HCI) - both are very cheap, a few hundred baht for a cure sold over the counter in some pharmacies. However, I'm not saying that it's the right medicine for your infection.

[2009]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:47 PM, 3NUMBAS said:

i needed doxycyclin to get rid of a chest infection cos amoxy didnt work

Doxy is magic .

 

One a day keeps the STDs away. 

 

And malaria.

[AsianAtHeart]

There's quite a bit of misguided information in this topic, along with some fairly good advice.  The challenge left to the reader is to discern which is which.  As far as I know, no doctors have posted.  Nor am I a doctor, but many of my closest/immediate family members are doctors: I grew up with them, and have a degree in biology.

 

Knowledge increases continually, and what is called "fact" today may be classed as "myth" tomorrow.  That said, it is my understanding that there are some credible reasons to discredit the popular notion that bacteria will evolve resistance due to misuse of antibiotics.  Nor are there many types of antibiotics because there are many types of bacteria, with each antibiotic targeting a different bacterium.  Before the discovery of special categories, such as nanobacteria, there were predominately two types of bacteria, and virtually all antibiotics would be best used against one or the other of these: the grams-positive and grams-negative bacteria, so named on account of their staining properties.  In general, the penicillin variety of antibiotics will best attack a grams-positive bacterium, with the exception of a few grams-negative bacterial varieties that also are susceptible to it.  A "broad-spectrum" antibiotic, such as amoxicillin, is so named due to its ability to prevail against a wider range of grams-negative species.

 

The "strength" of an antibiotic has much to do with the dosage in which it is taken.  Doctors have been trending toward higher and higher dosages, perhaps as more resistant bacteria become more common, or perhaps this compensates for weakened immune systems.

 

Augmentin (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid) is preferred by many doctors nowadays for more stubborn infections.  The clavulanic acid apparently increases the effectiveness of the amoxicillin, prepping the ground, so to speak, for the antibiotic to penetrate and do its work.  While a typical course of antibiotics might be five-seven days, an infection of, say, the inner ear, might require treatment for 10-14 days.

 

My first thought, in answer to the thread question, was "Augmentin."  I see that I am not alone in this, as multiple others have also suggested this.  In Thailand, this will probably come in the form of 900 mg. amoxicillin + 100 mg. of clavulanic acid.  In America, the ratio might be 875/125 mg.  It is possible, by purchasing lower-dose pills of a couple of ratios and then taking more of them, to compensate and approximate the higher clavulanic acid ratio (I have done this).  But it may not be a significant difference, and the over-the-counter formula will probably work just fine.

 

Be aware that antibiotics, particularly a broad-spectrum antibiotic, will work against all the bacteria in one's system, including the good ones in the gut.  The doctors in my family growing up recommended having some yogurt to help replace some of these once the antibiotics course had finished.  Even then, this is likely to alter the natural balance, and, where possible, antibiotics should be avoided.  Take them when necessary, but they should not be one's first option.

[dddave]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:18 PM, 2long said:

Get Augmetin 1G and Ciprofloxacin 500mg and take both for 5 days.

BUT I'm not a doctor and this forum is not a medical one.

Last month I had a foot infection and I'm lucky enough to be good friends with several doctors.

I had a foot infection in April that became cellulitis.  22 days in hospital.  I came very close to loosing my foot.

Take foot infections very seriously.  They are at the end of the circulatory system and do not heal as quickly as other areas of your body. Antibiotics take longer to get traction in your feet.  

Antibiotics have to be specific to the bacteria causing the infection.  In my case, it took more than a full week for Doctors to find an antibiotic that was effective.

 

OP, If your infection gets out of hand as mine did, it will cost you a whole lot more than it will to get a professional medical diagnosis and treatment now.

[The Hammer2021]

On 8/25/2022 at 11:13 PM, BillStrangeOgre said:

That's good idea. Thanks

No! Go to a real  doctor at a real  hospital  with  a real lab. Do not rely on pharmacists, although some  are good most are just 'dispensing chemists'. Always,  Always go  to a hospital  especially  for  foot infections in a tropical  climate.

[Dan O]

On 8/25/2022 at 10:39 AM, Adumbration said:

Amoxicillin is mostly given for respiratory infections.  

 

I will assume that the OP is not 7 years old, so he would already know if he is allergic to penicillin.

 

My initial advice holds true, does he have a skin infection and/or bone infection of the foot?

 

 

The correct question to answer is what is causing the infection so it can be treated properly. He should go to the doctor and have it checked first before taking random medicine that may not be appropriate and causing other issues.

[Dan O]

On 8/26/2022 at 2:27 AM, Pedrogaz said:

I'm not a doctor but have had experience with foot lesions. I am a diabetic.

Best option is dicloxacillin 500mg four times a day and ciprofloxacin 500mg twice a day for 7 days. Add in metronidazole 400mg three times a day if there is no improvement in 3 days. Some people might think ciprofloxacin is overkill for such an infection but pseudomonas aeruginosa can be grown from samples taken from inside sneakers. This organism is opportunistic and is difficult to treat if it becomes established.

If no solid improvement in 5 days visit a doctor....he might wish to remove the toe nail.

Do you have diabetes? You can feel pain and still have hairs on your toes so the nerves are still intact and the blood supply looks adequate. 

Bad advice to just start taking various antibiotics without knowing what the cause is.  It can create other issues without helping the issue at hand 

[Walker88]

Scrolling through this I can see why the world of bacteria is becoming antibiotic resistant. Medical researchers are having trouble keeping up, as misuse of existing antibiotics necessitates developing ever new varieties.

 

Then there's the issue of what almost any antibiotic does to one's gut biome. Taking a single round of some antibiotics can upset the gut for years, which will affect digestion and absorption of nutrients. That will create its own set of issues. With any antibiotic, you have to address its aftereffects.

 

Besides over prescription, the availability of OTC drugs in SEAsia is one of the major things that has led to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Superbugs now exist. Don't add to the problem by misusing drugs.

 

Humanity is in a race against time now, needing to develop yet more drugs to address the growing problem of bacterial resistance.  Viruses like Covid might one day seem like a sniffle compared to what a drug resistant superbug could do to humanity.

 

Go to a proper doctor. Let him or her assess your issue and prescribe both the right drug and the proper dose/time so that you address the specific bacteria causing your infection (if it isn't actually a fungus or something else) and make sure you kill it all. If you under dose, your bacteria could mutate into something the prescribed antibiotic can no longer address, and then you are in for a world of hurt.

 

For something so important as addressing bacteria, don't get your advice on a forum of non-physicians, except for this advice:

 

GO TO A PROPER DOCTOR

 

 

[AsianAtHeart]

51 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Then there's the issue of what almost any antibiotic does to one's gut biome. Taking a single round of some antibiotics can upset the gut for years, which will affect digestion and absorption of nutrients. That will create its own set of issues. With any antibiotic, you have to address its aftereffects.

Very true, and people need to understand this.  People should also be told about the potential harms of killing all the naturally existing bacteria in the skin via antibiotic soaps, detergents, and/or alcohol gels/sprays.  When the bacteria are gone, a worse thing can take its place--fungus.  Let's not forget that molds, fungi, and bacteria compete against each other.  Penicillin, the first-discovered antibiotic, comes from a Penicillium mold.  Kill one, make room for another.  And fungal infections are some of the most difficult to deal with.

 

Sobering fact: Leprosy (Hansen's disease) and tuberculosis are both caused by mycobacteria.  The "myco" stems from "fungi," because this is a symbiosis between a fungal and a bacterial component.  Antibiotics for tuberculosis must be taken, non-stop, for a minimum of six months to a year--not the average course of a week.  Fungi are more to be feared than bacteria.

 

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

For something so important as addressing bacteria, don't get your advice on a forum of non-physicians, except for this advice:

 

GO TO A PROPER DOCTOR

"Don't take other's advice...just mine!"

 

Where is a "proper doctor"?  I've known of doctors in Laos that prescribe smoking for lung conditions.  Never trust a doctor implicitly with your health.  You must be the final judge of what should or should not happen to your body.  The doctor knows more about medications, so get his or her advice.  But consider the doctor merely as an "expert witness," and retain your own autonomy.  I respect those who seek to educate themselves regarding their own health more than those who just blindly submit to the say-so of someone who happens to have an M.D. after the name.  Remember, too, that cheating through school is a common occurrence in this part of the world.  Those in the habit of getting their grades in this manner in high-school or university, will surely be prepared to continue in the same vein in medical school.  How can you know if the doctor is credible?

 

[tomazbodner]

Not all antibiotics are the same. They have different effectiveness against different bacteria. What could kill one kind of bacteria very effectively, might have no effect on another.

 

You should really see a doctor and get the bacteria culture made, then 2-3 days later when they know what it is, get antibiotics to kill it.

 

I've had a bacterial infection recently and they've done just that. The doctor showed me a table, where each type of antibiotics had a 0-5 ranking on, based on how effective it was against what I was infected with.

 

You should not just take a random antibiotic off the shelf, as it could make things considerably worse.

[Lorry]

10 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Not all antibiotics are the same. They have different effectiveness against different bacteria. What could kill one kind of bacteria very effectively, might have no effect on another.

 

You should really see a doctor and get the bacteria culture made, then 2-3 days later when they know what it is, get antibiotics to kill it.

 

I've had a bacterial infection recently and they've done just that. The doctor showed me a table, where each type of antibiotics had a 0-5 ranking on, based on how effective it was against what I was infected with.

 

You should not just take a random antibiotic off the shelf, as it could make things considerably worse.

Talking about cultures and sensitivity testing is all very well.

In practice,  hardly anywhere in the world do doctors do this for simple infections. 

They are too lazy.

Its too expensive. 

Sensitivity tests are often not very good.

Good sensitivity tests take about 5 days,  you want treatment now.

So you treat blindly, it's called "empirically".

 

We don't know what kind of infection OP was talking about, in his case cultures may be appropiate.

[QPRFC]

Go to the hospital. 

I had an insect bite that became infected at end of July. 

I took two lots of different antibiotics for 12 days.

It just got worse everyday. 

On day 12 I had emergency surgery costing 60,000 THB and now I'm left with a crator wound 4mm deep and 200mm diameter! 

The wound needs cleaning and redressing every 3 days for at least 3 months. 

 

Go to the hospital today!! 

[Dart12]

depending on severity

Simply  ask pharmacist if mild. .

Next level up go to clinic doctor. (no dr cost, usually just treatment cost). In and out.

terrible condition? :  go to hospital.  Get in line for dr cost, test costs, and medical treatment.  Costs worth not being in pain or hurting yourself.

[BillStrangeOgre]

Thanks for all the replies….some very entertaining! ???? 

 

I spoke with the pharmacist in Watsons he advised 1 tablet Dicloxa 4x a day for 5 days. Almost completely healed now but will finish the tablets

cheers

 

[Dart12]

6 hours ago, BillStrangeOgre said:

Thanks for all the replies….some very entertaining! ???? 

 

I spoke with the pharmacist in Watsons he advised 1 tablet Dicloxa 4x a day for 5 days. Almost completely healed now but will finish the tablets

cheers

 

always finishe the prescribed dosage.  Feeling better is not healed.  There is a reason for their length of prescription.

[crouchpeter]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:18 PM, 2long said:

Get Augmetin 1G and Ciprofloxacin 500mg and take both for 5 days.

BUT I'm not a doctor and this forum is not a medical one.

Last month I had a foot infection and I'm lucky enough to be good friends with several doctors.

Lucky you didn't go to a vet. They'd euthanase you for that. Augmentin is usually the Ab. of choice.

[Letseng]

Not every antibiotic is suitable for every infection. Speak to a doc. 

[Boomer6969]

On 8/25/2022 at 9:17 PM, The Hammer2021 said:

Go to a hospital- its not the strongest  its THE MOST APPROPRIATE

Or the one with the widest spectrum when you don't know what the infection is. Amoxil in this case. 

[Boomer6969]

On 8/26/2022 at 12:47 PM, Dirk Z said:

You say you are not a doctor but yet give a specific medical advice. How does that work?

What part of your body is that? If it is what I think maybe you should go to and STD clinic.

[Lacessit]

On 8/26/2022 at 10:01 PM, 2009 said:

Doxy is magic .

 

One a day keeps the STDs away. 

 

And malaria.

Antibiotics weaken the immune system, especially with prolonged use.

They are also ineffective against viruses, so relying on any to prevent HIV is not a good idea.

[Lacessit]

On 8/28/2022 at 9:18 PM, Lorry said:

Talking about cultures and sensitivity testing is all very well.

In practice,  hardly anywhere in the world do doctors do this for simple infections. 

They are too lazy.

Its too expensive. 

Sensitivity tests are often not very good.

Good sensitivity tests take about 5 days,  you want treatment now.

So you treat blindly, it's called "empirically".

 

We don't know what kind of infection OP was talking about, in his case cultures may be appropiate.

Pathology labs will do the testing, the OP can go to a doctor armed with the data.

[Dirk Z]

18 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

What part of your body is that? If it is what I think maybe you should go to and STD clinic.

I have no idea what you are talking about and also don't know what an STD clinic is. 

[Lacessit]

42 minutes ago, Dirk Z said:

I have no idea what you are talking about and also don't know what an STD clinic is. 

STD is an acronym for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, such as herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea and HIV. I should imagine there is more than one STD clinic in Pattaya.