5 ms·

I Heard something controversial on the radio the other day. Don't finish your antibiotic course. Stop when you feel better. The rational was: Bacteria becoming

I Heard something controversial on the radio the other day. Don't finish your antibiotic course. Stop when you feel better. The rational was: Bacteria becoming resistant due to a treatment has only ever been proven for a handful of conditions( TB , HIV syphilis, and so on). The other bacteria are ether resistant or they aren't prolonging the treatment does not encourage a resistant mutation. By prolonging your treatment with antibiotics you create an environment in which antibiotic resistant bacteria, both the good and bad kind, can replicate easier. Due to Horizontal gene transfer good bacteria can transfer their antibiotic resistance to bad bacteria. This advice is in stark contradiction to the Fleming quote. I heard it on the radio and can't remember the sources, but it makes sense to my non medical mind. *edit added sources. Found the journal entry if anyone cares : https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 Article about journal entry : https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course-advice-study/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course...

derivagral 8y ago
Different personal anecdote: you're supposed to finish your course so you don't risk re-infection and yet another round of drugs.
Brockenstein 8y ago
It only "makes sense" if you don't understand why you should finish your anti-biotics. And don't know or understand the alternative outcomes outside the reasoning you've proposed. IE you feel better, aren't better, and risk re-infection. It's probably much more effective overall to take the guesswork out and follow a consistent routine for each patient. If you give the patient the option to wing it, and they do and that doesn't work, they're not going to take responsibility for it. They'll blame everyone but themselves for a bad outcome.
- Zeppelin15 8y ago
  OF coarse doctors are always going to err on the side of caution, part of the reason for the super bugs in the first place have been given as the over prescription of antibiotics. Not just over prescription in that antibiotics are not needed also the over prescription of duration. I think the whole feel better approach will help antibiotics resistance not necessarily the patient. Will be interesting to see the risk of "reinfection vs risk of over prescription" graph. Horizontal gene transfer thing is what I found really interesting Found the journal entry if anyone cares : https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 Article about journal entry : https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course-advice-study/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course...
JTbane 8y ago
Very bad advice- you should either finish the entire course or not take antibiotics at all, otherwise you're gonna help the superbugs along.
- darpa_escapee 8y ago
  Meat production is orders of magnitude more effective at producing antibiotic resistant strains.
subleq 8y ago
Why are there so many downvotes? There is a journal article linked that questions the common wisdom that failing to complete a prescribed antibiotic course contributes to antibiotic resistance that everyone replying is parroting.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  People on this site aren't especially "readers".

derivagral 8y ago

Different personal anecdote: you're supposed to finish your course so you don't risk re-infection and yet another round of drugs.

Brockenstein 8y ago

It only "makes sense" if you don't understand why you should finish your anti-biotics. And don't know or understand the alternative outcomes outside the reasoning you've proposed. IE you feel better, aren't better, and risk re-infection. It's probably much more effective overall to take the guesswork out and follow a consistent routine for each patient. If you give the patient the option to wing it, and they do and that doesn't work, they're not going to take responsibility for it. They'll blame everyone but themselves for a bad outcome.

Zeppelin15 8y ago
OF coarse doctors are always going to err on the side of caution, part of the reason for the super bugs in the first place have been given as the over prescription of antibiotics. Not just over prescription in that antibiotics are not needed also the over prescription of duration. I think the whole feel better approach will help antibiotics resistance not necessarily the patient. Will be interesting to see the risk of "reinfection vs risk of over prescription" graph. Horizontal gene transfer thing is what I found really interesting Found the journal entry if anyone cares : https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418 Article about journal entry : https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course-advice-study/index.html https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/27/health/antibiotics-course...

JTbane 8y ago

Very bad advice- you should either finish the entire course or not take antibiotics at all, otherwise you're gonna help the superbugs along.

darpa_escapee 8y ago
Meat production is orders of magnitude more effective at producing antibiotic resistant strains.

subleq 8y ago

Why are there so many downvotes? There is a journal article linked that questions the common wisdom that failing to complete a prescribed antibiotic course contributes to antibiotic resistance that everyone replying is parroting.

maxerickson 8y ago
People on this site aren't especially "readers".