5 Things You Need to Know About Antibiotics

Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, antibiotics have saved countless lives all over the world. They are also considered the most commonly prescribed drugs. Because of that, many have taken them for granted and overused them.

Antibiotics are intended to treat bacterial infections, but inappropriately using them can lead to drug-resistant bacteria, called superbugs, which are now considered a critical problem that calls for a more powerful antibiotic. Patients who have this stay ill longer, are exposed to unnecessary side effects and leads to an increase in healthcare costs.

In order to prevent these, it helps to know when antibiotics are appropriate or when they are not. Here are five things to know about antibiotics:

1.       When to take them and when not to take them

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for strep throat, ear infections, conjunctivitis, sexually transmitted disease (STDs), urinary tract infection (UTI), traveller’s diarrhea, and upper respiratory tract infections. For common colds and viral infections, taking antibiotics will not help. This is also true with acute bronchitis with severe congestion and coughing.

For a sinus infection, the longer you have it, the more likely it that it is due to a bacterial infection, and taking antibiotics can help.

The bottom line of this is that, before taking an antibiotic for whatever symptom you have, make sure to check on your doctor first and ask for a proper prescription before taking an antibiotic.

2.       Different classes of antibiotics

There are over a hundred antibiotic drugs, but most of them are classified within the seven main categories:

• Penicillin drug such as amoxicillin is the most commonly prescribed antibiotics for several ranges of infections.
• Penicillin such as Zithromax and Biaxin is also very common that is used for pneumonia, whooping cough, and simple skin infections.
• Sulfonamides such as Proloprim are used to treat ear infections and UTIs.
•  Cephalosporins such as Teflaro are prescribed for MRSA, a tough bacteria that occurs in patients who have been hospitalized.
• Tetracyclines such as Vibramycin are broad-spectrum antibiotics that are used to treat different infections such as STDs. UTIs, and intestinal tract infections.
• Aminoglycosides like Tobi and Gentak are for conditions such as sepsis.
• Fluoroquinolones such as Levaquin and Cipro are synthetic, bactericidal broad-spectrum antibiotics used for UTIs and hospital-borne pneumonia.

The most common side effects of antibiotics are diarrhea, soft stools, and mild stomach upsets.

3.       Fluoroquinolone antibiotics

This category of antibiotics has been historically overprescribed for UTIs and pneumonia. When they are given to the elderly and others with risk factors, there can be side effects. Adverse side effects include hypoglycemia in diabetics, Achilles tendon tears, confusion and delirium, and an increased risk of Clostridioides difficile infection.

There have been antibiotic stewardship programs in hospitals that aim to reduce the number of prescriptions, but according to recent studies, they are still being prescribed at discharge.

4.       How can antibiotics interact with other drugs that you take?

Since antibiotics are strong medicines, they can interact with other drugs that you take. Some interfere with birth control pills and make them ineffective. Penicillin, when taken with methotrexate – a drug used for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and certain cancers – can lead to unpleasant and serious side effects. Many other drugs don’t go along well with antibiotic drugs when taken at the same time. Inform your doctor or pharmacist before taking fluoroquinolones if you are on painkillers or any type of drugs for different health conditions such as diabetics, depression, cough, asthma, gout, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, and cold and muscle spasms.

5.       Overprescribing and critical problems of antibiotics

Antibiotics tend to kill a lot of healthy bacteria, leaving bacteria that can resist the drugs and then become dominant in our bodies. There are a lot of cases where doctors are faced with more and more patients with infections they cannot treat. When antibiotics are used, it does change the bacteria inside the body for a couple of months. But when they are used often, it will bring change to your body.

To avoid this, let your doctor know to prescribe antibiotics only if it is needed to prevent the side effects especially when you will be taking them for a long time. Antibiotics have helped in keeping out various infections for several years now since their discovery. But with its positive effects, it is also found to have a negative side to it. For you to prevent these side effects from happening to you, make sure to always check on your doctor before taking an antibiotic drug. Never self-medicate and self-prescribe with antibiotics. Make sure to always get a prescription first from a certified physician and be vocal when you are taking other prescription drugs for other medical conditions. If you don’t have a doctor yet, you can also go to online doctor BC for an online consultation to get a prescription for any drugs that you need to take for whatever symptoms you may be having.