taking antibiotics orally....

I only take antibiotics if prescribed by a Doctor. When prescribed I follow the directions. The misuse of antibiotics is causes antibiotic resistance. Which means one day you may get a germ and the antibiotics will not be able to fight it.

I don't think you can get antibiotics over the counter here in the US. You have to get a prescription for that. If it's prescribed it's good to finish it all, because even though you feel better the bacteria are still in your body and the symptoms can come back or it can affect other areas of the body. I would not self- medicate with antibiotics even if they would be freely available OTC. It's been overused and so many disease causing bacteria are already immune to the effects. Here the doctors have become more cautious in what they prescribe. I do by OTC painkillers for headaches or something to deal with cold symptoms if needed, but nothing else. It's just too dangerous.

Hello vanities, I won't buy antibiotics over the counter but whenever I have one prescribed by the doctor, I seldom finish it all. I suppose to finish the antibiotics over the stipulated time as prescribed but when I feel alright, I just forget about it!

you HAVE To take it as long as its prescribed. The reason for all these supper bugs out there is due to people doing like you, buying antibiotics online when it probably isnt even needed AND due to people who stop taking it when they feel better. The bacterias that are left in you when you stop taking the antibiotics get IMMUNE to it and so when you pass that infection to someone else and they take antibiotics they may DIE because ANTIBIOTICS wont work on it because YOU caused it to mutate by NOT taking all your antibiotics.. its due to actions such as this that we may get another plague in this decade. Do you have any idea how many bacterial infections are now resistent due to antibiotics being used when its not needed or antibiotics not being finished causing the bacterias to adapt/evolve into being resistent to it. your actions can kill someone else. I do hope you realize this.. or do you just not care??

Hey vanities! I take the antibiotics until I have finished them if they are prescribed by the doctor. If I am feeling better I still will finish them! If that's what the doctor tells me to do then I do it! There is a reason they tell you to do that. They want to make sure that the infection you are taking them for is completely out of your system so you need to do what they tell you to. Over the counter medications are not prescribed by the doctor so that is a different story!

guys antibiotics are serious matter. if you need to take one please take it as long as prescribe by the doctor or your pharmacist, if you are not going to follow then dont start it at all cause first it will not help you ,but the next time you need it ,even taking it right, it will not help you, and the bad thing is that it will not help other people around you too , cause you make these bacteria resistant to the antibiotic and they spread more rapidly and more dangerously. and what is worst is that one they in the near future there will be no antibiotics left active to the new selected by your irresponsibility bacterias. for many years there are no new molecules of a new antibiotic and bacterias are become more super resistant and more. so think globally before you trow the pills in the garbage.

Hi vanities. Yes I do take antibiotics either with or without doctor's prescription. As a matter of fact I am taking an antibiotic these days because of the flu I had two weeks ago. I still have slight cough and colds so Im taking such medication until I am fully well then.