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Antibiotics: Doctors
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Allergy - antibiotics can cause a variety of rashes in those susceptible. These can be mild or life-threateningly severe. Allergy to tetracycline or erythromycin is very uncommon but arises in more than 2% of those on trimethoprim or cotrimoxasole. Tell your doctor if you have ever reacted badly to an antibiotic.
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Use antibiotics only when your doctor has determined that they are likely to be effective. Antibiotics will not cure most colds, coughs, sore throats, or runny noses. Children fight off colds on their own.
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Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Follow your doctor's instructions when taking prescribed medication, including how many times a day and for how long. Avoid stopping treatment a few days early if you start feeling better — a complete course of antibiotics is needed to kill all of the harmful bacteria. A shortened course of antibiotics, on the other hand, often wipes out only the most vulnerable bacteria, while allowing relatively resistant bacteria to survive.
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Tens of millions of antibiotics prescribed in doctors' offices each year are for viral infections, which cannot effectively be treated with antibiotics. Doctors cite diagnostic uncertainty, time pressure on physicians, and patient demand as the primary reasons why antibiotics are over-prescribed.
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If you take oral antibiotics, steroids, or birth control pills and believe you may have a yeast infection, it's important that you talk to your doctor. She or he can than help you determine the best course of treatment. Tell your doctor about any drugs you're taking now and don't stop taking them unless advised to do so by him or her.
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Ask your child's doctor about ways to treat the symptoms that are making your child uncomfortable, such as a stuffy nose or scratchy throat, without the use of antibiotics. The key to building a good relationship with your child's doctor is open communication, so work together toward that goal.
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