6 Frequently Asked Questions About Antibiotics

Posted by Jules Powell on January 12th, 2021

Do antibiotics reduce immunity? What happens when you don't complete antibiotic course? Answers to these and other questions about antibiotics can be found below.

How do I choose the right antibiotic?

Short answer: There are many factors to consider.

The selection of an antibiotic depends not only on the diagnosis (which still needs to be correctly made) - it also affects what medicine the person used before, whether he or she has contraindications, where he or she lives and, in some cases, what are the laboratory results of bacteria sensitivity to antibiotics. Sometimes, even if you have a confirmed bacterial infection, the doctor may not prescribe any drugs: observation will be potentially more beneficial than drugs with possible adverse reactions. Such moments are mentioned in the guidelines of national and international medical communities. Because of all these factors, antibiotics sometimes cannot be taken as indicated in the instructions for use (although this decision is quite controversial from a legal point of view).

In addition, there are antibiotics on sale that have not demonstrated their effectiveness and safety in accordance with the standards of evidence-based medicine, at least in the area in which they are recommended for use according to the instructions. Also, until 2016, it was possible to buy Bioparox (fusafungine), then its sale was banned due to unwanted reactions.

Therefore, you should buy only antibiotics with proven efficiency, such as Amoxicillin, Zithromax, Cipro, Flagyl, Bactrim, Cephalexin, Vibramycin, Tetracycline, Stromectol, Erythromycin, Ampicillin, Quinine, Augmentin, Levaquin, Vermox, Macrobid, Tindamax, Keflex, Biaxin, Albenza, Griseofulvin, Ofloxacin, Avelox, Minocycline, Suprax, Noroxin. All these medicines can be purchased online through the website of Trust Pharmacy mlst.net.

Are antibiotics and antivirals the same thing?

Short answer: No.

Antibiotics are drugs that fight bacteria, that is, microorganisms that sometimes cause various infections, such as streptococcal sore throat, cystitis, syphilis, and many others. Antibiotics cannot in any way affect viruses. Viruses cause acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI), HIV infection, measles and others. There are antiviral drugs to fight some viruses but there are very few of those that have proven their effectiveness. These are, for example, agents for combating hepatitis C, herpes simplex virus and HIV.

However, a bacterial infection may develop against the background of a viral one. Then antibiotics may really be needed, but they are rarely prescribed as prophylaxis. For example, this approach has not proven its effectiveness with ARVI. However, doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics without indications (even for viral infections) for several reasons. One of the main ones is that patients or their relatives expect some kind of treatment to be prescribed, although in reality no drugs may be required.

Do antibiotics reduce immunity?

Short answer: Usual antibiotics do not.

But there are special drugs that suppress the development of cells. “There are antibiotics that are cytostatics. Cytostatic drugs are a group of anticancer drugs that disrupt the growth, development and division mechanisms of all cells in the body, including malignant ones, thereby initiating apoptosis. One of the most famous is dactinomycin. There is no data on the immunosuppressive effect of “standard” antibiotics, and this is nothing more than a myth. Moreover, there are a number of primary immunodeficiencies that require daily antibacterial drugs for many years.

What happens when you don't complete antibiotic course?

Short answer: This is unknown.

This is a difficult question. Until recently, major medical organizations were unanimous in favoring that an incomplete course of antibiotics leads to the emergence and spread of drug-resistant bacteria. If the course is interrupted ahead of time, only the most persistent bacteria will remain in the body. But in recent years, there has been an active discussion that, perhaps, the prescribed courses are too long. With the advent of new data, the recommendations change, but the question "Is it possible not to complete the course of antibiotics?" still controversial. While there is no consensus, it is better to follow the prescription of a competent doctor.

But the problem with the growing antimicrobial resistance remains. There are already microorganisms that are resistant to all drugs. And this is attributed to the overuse of antibiotics in humans and in agriculture. One way to prevent the use of these drugs is through vaccinations.

Are antibiotic shots better than pills??

Short answer: No difference.

If a person can swallow a pill and does not vomit, then it is better to do without intravenous or intramuscular administration. This is true for many other drugs, not just antibiotics. The fact is that often the effect of the drug is the same, and oral administration is not associated with various unpleasant consequences such as abscesses, hematomas and nerve damage. Besides, intramuscular injections and IVs are usually painful.

Do antibiotics hurt the liver?

Short answer: Sometimes.

Some antibiotics can indeed cause liver damage - acute or chronic. According to various estimates, drugs (all together, not only antibiotics) lead to this result in 10-15 cases per 10-100 thousand people taking prescription drugs. But usually, everything ends well, especially if you pay attention to the symptoms in time, which can be non-specific (nausea, rash, headache) or more characteristic (dark urine, jaundice). However, they often do not happen, so the doctor may prescribe some tests at regular intervals in order to identify changes in time.

The combination of amoxicillin and clavulanic acid used for otitis media, pneumonia and rhinosinusitis often leads to this effect.