Antibiotics – yes or no?

[Jack]

You go to your doctor with a cough, cold, flu or sore throat. Would you expect to be prescribed an antibiotic – remember they're now free, so why not?


Twenty per cent of adults visited their doctor with a recent respiratory tract infection such as a cough, cold, flu or sore throat and half expected to be prescribed antibiotics for their illness, according to research, commissioned by the Health Protection Agency (HPA)and launched on European Antibiotic Awareness Day today.

HPA’s ‘top ten tips’ for understanding antibiotics:


Most coughs and colds will get better on their own without antibiotics, and antibiotics will not hasten your recovery.
Discuss the pros and cons of antibiotics with your doctor – they will be able to assess whether you need them.
Coughing up phlegm on its own is not a reason to need an antibiotic – even if it is yellow.
When you have a sore throat with a runny nose with phlegm it suggests that the infection is less likely to respond to antibiotics.
If you have a high temperature, with a really red or purulent (the presence of pus) throat and feel really ill this may be an indication for antibiotics.
HPA research shows that some people stop their course of antibiotics early which might indicate that they didn’t need them in the first place.
Always take all the doses each day and finish the course – this is typically only five days. Otherwise you encourage the emergence of resistant strains.
Never keep any leftover antibiotics in the cupboard for later use, an antibiotic prescribed for one infection may not be appropriate for the next.
If you had an antibiotic last time you had a respiratory tract infection, this time ask your doctor about a delayed antibiotic prescription which you take only if your symptoms get worse or do not get better within the expected time for that illness - that way you will not be taking antibiotics unnecessarily but if you do need them you can get them later.
Remember, antibiotics in certain situations can be life-savers – so if you or your child are very ill – do visit your doctor for advice.

[Jay]

Dont take them unless the doc thinks they will be effective, waste of money and your body gets used to them. Having said that I was given 3 courses last year and none of them worked on whatever lurgy I suffered from.

[lapsedhibee]

You go to your doctor with a cough, cold, flu or sore throat. Would you expect to be prescribed an antibiotic – remember they're now free, so why not?


Where's the "You shouldn't be going to the doctor at all with a cough, cold, flu or sore throat, ya sissy!" option?

[s.a.m]

Not unless there was a clinical need for it. I know quite a few people who do though, and when I was doing the 'mums and babies' circuit, I was amazed at the number of people who were desperate to treat their children's minor ailments with antibiotics, with no apparent thought to what the future implications might be for them. I have friends and relatives who feel genuinely cheated if they come away from their GPs empty-handed. Perhaps there needs to be a high-profile awareness campaign?

[Peevemor]

The French are generally far more medication-oriented than the British. There's a huge advertising campaign running just now (there was a similar one a few years ago) discouraging people from taking any buckshee anti-Bs they have lying around the house for any wee ailment.

[IndieHibby]

What I can get my head around is that the GP's are or were (allegedly) prescribing AB's even though they knew they would be ineffective! :confused:

If anyone is encouraging the rise of resistant strains it is GP's - they hand out the prescriptions after all :rolleyes:

[s.a.m]

What I can get my head around is that the GP's are or were (allegedly) prescribing AB's even though they knew they would be ineffective! :confused:

If anyone is encouraging the rise of resistant strains it is GP's - they hand out the prescriptions after all :rolleyes:

I heard two GPs on the radio the other day talikng about this. I think the general thrust of the discussion was that maintaining a working relationship with a patient sometimes requires them to give in. I'm with you, though. I think they have to take some responsibility for the problem.

[Jay]

What I can get my head around is that the GP's are or were (allegedly) prescribing AB's even though they knew they would be ineffective! :confused:

If anyone is encouraging the rise of resistant strains it is GP's - they hand out the prescriptions after all :rolleyes:

It runs much deeper than the GPs though. Protocol and 'the system' have an awful lot to blame. GPs hands are tied a lot and I think sometimes they have no other choice.

I was very ill last year, I had bad breathing problems and was in a lot of pain. After my first course of antibiotics I was no better. I had temps between 39 and 40 for weeks and was suffering terribly. A chest xray may have solved some of the problem but I didnt fit the criteria for a chest xray because I dont smoke. My docs hands were tied as to what she could do. off the record she told me to go to St Johns A&E in the hope of getting more help, I ended up too ill to go! I wanted tested for swine flu but again protocol etc it wasnt being done. After a third course of antibiotics I gave up looking for help and it took me until the end of April (from mid dec) before I was on the road to recovery.

I am currently going through similar with oncology as I am now 8 years clear of cancer so 'the system' is trying to kick me out but my consultant wants me to stay under their care - the system is currently winning!

[heretoday]

I heard two GPs on the radio the other day talikng about this. I think the general thrust of the discussion was that maintaining a working relationship with a patient sometimes requires them to give in. I'm with you, though. I think they have to take some responsibility for the problem.

Doctors are under pressure to keep the waiting list down. They'll give someone some pills to get rid of them, never mind if the problem is a virus which won't respond to anti-biotics. I don't think GPs have time to establish "a working relationship" with their patients - not at my local surgery anyway!

[lapsedhibee]

Doctors are under pressure to keep the waiting list down. They'll give someone some pills to get rid of them, never mind if the problem is a virus which won't respond to anti-biotics. I don't think GPs have time to establish "a working relationship" with their patients - not at my local surgery anyway!

Because their surgeries are full up with people who shouldn't be there in the first place, consulting about coughs, colds, flu, sore throat, etc! If such trivial ailments are a matter for any qualified professional at all, they're a matter for a pharmacist, not a doctor. :grr:

[IndieHibby]

It runs much deeper than the GPs though. Protocol and 'the system' have an awful lot to blame. GPs hands are tied a lot and I think sometimes they have no other choice.

I was very ill last year, I had bad breathing problems and was in a lot of pain. After my first course of antibiotics I was no better. I had temps between 39 and 40 for weeks and was suffering terribly. A chest xray may have solved some of the problem but I didnt fit the criteria for a chest xray because I dont smoke. My docs hands were tied as to what she could do. off the record she told me to go to St Johns A&E in the hope of getting more help, I ended up too ill to go! I wanted tested for swine flu but again protocol etc it wasnt being done. After a third course of antibiotics I gave up looking for help and it took me until the end of April (from mid dec) before I was on the road to recovery.

I am currently going through similar with oncology as I am now 8 years clear of cancer so 'the system' is trying to kick me out but my consultant wants me to stay under their care - the system is currently winning!

Yet another public service undermined by (health) authorities imposing generic rules in place of the judgement of the professional!

You can see why some are in favour of GP's having more control over budgets... (not that that is necessarily a good idea)

Glad to hear you are on the road to recovery though! Health is the greatest asset one can own....

[SRHibs]

No, I wouldn't take them unless it was certain that I had an infection and they'd be effective against it. Over-prescription of antibiotics is one of the main contributors to their lessening effectiveness as a result of resistance.

[Hibrandenburg]

I will only take antibiotics if I have a PERSISTANT bacterial infection. Antibiotics have no effect on viral infections like the common cold or flu.

It's a strange thought that antibiotics have been responsible for saving more lives than any other medication but because of the widespread abuse of them and the subsequent bacterial resistance to them, then one day the invention of antibiotics could be the largest cause of death ever. Scary.

[gringojoe]

A large port with a large brandy four times a day works just as well as any antibiotics. :thumbsup:

[heretoday]

Because their surgeries are full up with people who shouldn't be there in the first place, consulting about coughs, colds, flu, sore throat, etc! If such trivial ailments are a matter for any qualified professional at all, they're a matter for a pharmacist, not a doctor. :grr:

I agree. People are pathetic aren't they?

[Twa Cairpets]

Because their surgeries are full up with people who shouldn't be there in the first place, consulting about coughs, colds, flu, sore throat, etc! If such trivial ailments are a matter for any qualified professional at all, they're a matter for a pharmacist, not a doctor. :grr:

Agree with everything other than "proper" flu. That can be well worth getting advice on, especially if there are other conditions.

[Don Giovanni]

It's a strange thought that antibiotics have been responsible for saving more lives than any other medication but because of the widespread abuse of them and the subsequent bacterial resistance to them, then one day the invention of antibiotics could be the largest cause of death ever. Scary. "then one day the invention of antibiotics could be the largest cause of death ever. Scary." Sorry Hiberlin but I don't think that is the case. Perhaps I've misunderstood you? If you mean in the sense that should antibiotics become obsolete due to resistance, then morbidity and mortality rates would rise significantly - I would definitely agree. However, antibiotics themselves would not have "caused death". Rather the "artificially low" rate of mortality that we currently enjoy due to antibiotics curing infection would be increased to a "natural mortality rate" i.e. the rate of death without antibiotic intervention - which would undoubtably be higher. Still scary enough though :greengrin

[ManBearPig]

"then one day the invention of antibiotics could be the largest cause of death ever. Scary." Sorry Hiberlin but I don't think that is the case. Perhaps I've misunderstood you? If you mean in the sense that should antibiotics become obsolete due to resistance, then morbidity and mortality rates would rise significantly - I would definitely agree. However, antibiotics themselves would not have "caused death". Rather the "artificially low" rate of mortality that we currently enjoy due to antibiotics curing infection would be increased to a "natural mortality rate" i.e. the rate of death without antibiotic intervention - which would undoubtably be higher. Still scary enough though :greengrin

Its just plain not going to happen. Although antibiotics are currently primary medication for infections I think in time, we will discover alternative forms of medication to treat these infections. If there is one good thing about the human race it is its own need and ability to adapt.

[Phil D. Rolls]

I agree. People are pathetic aren't they?

I'm not saying this is typical, but when I was a taxi driver I had to take someone to A&E with a blister on their thumb. Personally I feel that their are a lot of people who are too quick to run to hospital or a doctor, which is maybe a by product of our free at the point of delivery (for the time being) NHS.

[Peevemor]

I'm not saying this is typical, but when I was a taxi driver I had to take someone to A&E with a blister on their thumb. Personally I feel that their are a lot of people who are too quick to run to hospital or a doctor, which is maybe a by product of our free at the point of delivery (for the time being) NHS.

I bet you told him there would be a £25 charge to clean the taxi if it burst. :greengrin

[GhostofBolivar]

For the most part, I listen to the doctor, apart from the occasional bout of hypochondria. For coughs and colds, I wouldn't expect antibiotics unless I was coughing up lots of gunk. Besides, the codeine-based syrup I've been given the last couple of times is nice enough.

[NYHibby]

You go to your doctor with a cough, cold, flu or sore throat. Would you expect to be prescribed an antibiotic – remember they're now free, so why not?

No.

If no one else has pointed it out yet, the flu and the common cold, and potentially the other ailments listed, are viruses. You do not treat viruses with antibiotics, hence the name. You should question your doctor's compentency if he is giving you antibiotics to treat viruses.

[poolman]

I'm not saying this is typical, but when I was a taxi driver I had to take someone to A&E with a blister on their thumb. Personally I feel that their are a lot of people who are too quick to run to hospital or a doctor, which is maybe a by product of our free at the point of delivery (for the time being) NHS.

Defo some time wasters going about :rolleyes:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14924766