What Can And Cannot Be Done While Taking Antibiotics? 10 Rules For Their Application

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

What can and cannot be done while taking antibiotics?

Is it necessary to drink antibiotics?

The drugs of this pharmaceutical group require a balanced approach to prescribing, but there are times when you cannot do without them. These are bacterial infections that caused an inflammatory process with purulent discharge, tissue damage, and a rise in temperature.

Diseases for which antibiotics are used:

• Pneumonia,
• Otitis media of the middle ear
• Purulent sinusitis
• Streptococcal acute tonsillitis,
• Paratonsillitis,
• Epiglottitis,
• Exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis,
• Bacterial sore throat.

Viral diseases are not treated with antibiotics due to the futility of such measures. It should be remembered that antibacterial drugs are prescribed only by a doctor, taking into account side effects and contraindications.

Content:

• Can antibiotics and antivirals be taken at the same time?
• Can you drink antibiotics at a temperature?
• Can angina be cured without antibiotics?
• How often can antibiotics be taken?
• After what period of time can you drink antibiotics again?
• How many times a year can you take antibiotics?
• How long does it take to get tested after antibiotics?
• What to drink with antibiotics for microflora?
• 10 rules - how to take antibiotics correctly

Can antibiotics and antivirals be taken at the same time?

It is permissible to take these drugs at the same time if there is superinfection. This situation occurs during primary viral infection. The invasion of viruses weakens the immune system, against the background of this, pathogenic microflora is activated.

Superinfection occurs during the development of secondary bacterial pneumonia against the background of acute respiratory viral infections, or with HIV infection. When a person is infected with HIV, bacterial diseases are also activated.

Can you drink antibiotics at a temperature?

The human body reacts with an increase in temperature to infection with viruses and microbes, to the development of tumor processes and autoimmune diseases. The immune system triggers a similar response. Before starting antibiotic treatment, you should find out the cause of hyperthermia. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis.

Sore throat and sore throat, cough, chills are characteristic signs of influenza and ARVI, in 90% of cases caused by viruses, not bacteria. Taking antibiotics with these symptoms is not only useless, but also dangerous - immunity will decrease and beneficial microflora will be destroyed.

If a combination of viral and bacterial infections is diagnosed, the doctor prescribes antibacterial drugs. Determining this fine line is not easy even for a medical professional. One of the signs of bacterial infection is hyperthermia, which does not decrease performance within a week, or temperature jumps.

When prescribing an antibiotic, the doctor focuses on the clinical symptoms and the results of laboratory tests. If the drug is prescribed correctly, after 1.5-2 days the temperature begins to decrease. The lack of positive dynamics suggests that the antibiotic was prescribed incorrectly and replacement is required. If the course of treatment is completed too early, the disease can become chronic or relapse.

Can angina be cured without antibiotics?

Treatment of bacterial sore throat, which is diagnosed in 90% of cases of this disease, is necessarily carried out with the use of antibacterial drugs. It is caused by the pathogenic bacterium beta-hemolytic streptococcus group A. Symptoms of bacterial sore throat: severe pain when swallowing saliva and food, purulent deposits on the tonsils.

Complications of angina with refusal of antibiotics:

• Paratonsillar abscess - a pus-filled mass that causes high fever, sharp pain in the throat.
• Acute rheumatic fever - affects the brain, heart, bone and articular apparatus.
• Acute glomerulonephritis is a violation of urinary function due to an inflammatory process in the glomeruli of the kidneys.

How often can antibiotics be taken?

The frequency of taking these drugs is not regulated. If the symptoms of the disease do not disappear during the course of the disease while taking antibacterial agents, it is possible that there is an incorrect diagnosis. Here it is already required for the re-use of antibiotics, and the specification of the diagnosis through laboratory tests.

The variety of bacteria that led to re-infection, and their sensitivity to antibiotics is determined by bacterial culture of physiological body fluids (urine, feces, sputum, mucosal scraping). If the disease is of a viral nature, even frequent use of antibacterial agents will not give any result.

3 consequences of frequent antibiotic use:

• It is important to know that frequent use of drugs in this group will lead to addiction, and in a serious situation they will not act on the causative agent of the disease.
• With frequent use, the body's allergization increases.
• Antibacterial agents cannot differentiate "bad" bacteria from "good" ones, and act with equal intensity on pathogenic and beneficial microflora. Therefore, dysbiosis becomes a frequent companion of patients who abuse antibiotics. Diarrhea, bloating, and unstable stools often result from frequent use of these drugs.

After what period of time can you drink antibiotics again?

It is possible not to make gaps between courses at all, if necessary. The only condition is the mandatory change of the drug. If an antibiogram was done at the beginning of the disease, then by the end of the first course of treatment it will be ready, and the appointment will be justified.

How many times a year can you take antibiotics?

In case of emergency, antibacterial drugs are taken repeatedly, repeating courses of treatment one after another. Naturally, repeated courses of treatment are carried out with various drugs to prevent bacterial resistance. With frequent courses of treatment, the body needs to be supported by taking vitamin preparations, hepatoprotectors, probiotics.

How long does it take to get tested after antibiotics?

Control over the effectiveness of treatment is carried out 2-5 days after the end of the course of drug therapy. Bacteriological culture of urine on the flora will give objective indicators if it is taken no earlier than 10-14 days after the end of taking antibacterial agents. These drugs have a minimal effect on blood tests - a shift in the leukocyte formula and ROE indicators are possible.

What to drink with antibiotics for microflora?

The normalization of beneficial microflora is carried out by lacto- and bifidobacteria contained in probiotics and prebiotics. These biological products are not taken simultaneously with antibacterial agents, since the active substance of the drug will destroy beneficial bacteria along with the pathogenic flora. They are consumed no earlier than 2 hours later, or the flora is restored at the end of the course of antibiotic therapy. It is advisable to take biologics for at least 14 days, ideally up to 30 days. In most cases, the patient's immunity itself restores the balance of microflora.

10 rules - how to take antibiotics correctly

1. Drugs should be taken only as directed by a doctor. It is important to remember that antibacterial agents are used only in exceptional cases. The main indication for their intake is a severe form of bacterial infection, which the immune system cannot cope with on its own.

   Signs of acute bacterial contamination:

   • Purulent process;
   • Persistent and prolonged hyperthermia;
   • Changes in the blood count - pronounced leukocytosis, left shift of the leukocyte count, increased roe;
   • Deterioration of the patient's condition after a temporary improvement in health.

   Viral infection with ARVI, influenza, intestinal disorders is not treated with antibiotics.

2. It is necessary to record information about previously taken antibiotics. Information about previous courses of treatment with antibacterial drugs, time of admission, diseases, side effects, presence or absence of allergic manifestations, dosage is very important. Such data are especially valuable for a pediatrician. Using these data, the doctor will be able to more accurately select drugs if necessary.
3. There is no need to insist on antibiotic prescription when visiting a doctor. It is possible that the doctor, being reinsured, will prescribe the drug at the request of the patient. It is possible that such a measure will speed up recovery, but will bring negative consequences. It is also not worth replacing drugs with more "effective and powerful" means on your own. They may have a different composition and dosage.
4. Before choosing an antibiotic, you need to be tested for bacterial culture. Determination of the causative agent of the disease by the bacterial culture method to determine sensitivity to antibiotics will allow you to accurately select the drug. The only negative is that the study takes 2 to 7 days.
5. Strict adherence to the frequency and time of taking the medicine is required. To maintain a constant concentration of the active substance in the patient's blood, it is necessary to observe the frequency and time intervals between antibiotic doses. Taking the drug three times does not mean that it is taken with breakfast, lunch and dinner. This condition means an 8-hour time interval between taking the medication. Two-time reception - 12-hour period.
6. The timing of antibiotics is determined by the doctor. On average, this period is 5-7 days, in some cases it reaches 10-14 days. Long-acting antibacterial drugs (Sumamed, Hemomycin, Azithromycin, Ecomed, Azitrox, Azicid, Zi-factor) are taken once a day for 3-5 days. In some cases, the following scheme is used: 3-day intake of the drug with 3 days of break, 3 times.
7. The course of treatment cannot be interrupted. Even if the patient feels a steady improvement in his condition, the drug intake should not be interrupted. The course of treatment is extended for 2-3 days after recovery. And, conversely, if the effect of taking the drug for 3 days is not felt, then the causative agent of the disease is not sensitive to this antibiotic and should be replaced.
8. Do not change the dosage prescribed by your doctor yourself. Too little dose causes bacteria resistance, too much leads to overdose and side effects.

9. Antibiotic intake depends on the timing of the meal. Instructions for the use of antibacterial drugs clearly define their dependence on meal time:

   

   • While eating;
   • 1-1.5 hours after a meal or an hour before a meal;
   • The medicine is washed down only with clean non-carbonated water;
   • Most antibiotics should not be taken with tea, coffee, fruit or vegetable juices, milk or fermented milk products, although there are exceptions to this rule.
10. During treatment with antibacterial drugs, probiotics must be taken. To restore the normal balance of intestinal microflora, probiotics are taken: Linex, Acipol, Narine, Rela Life, Rioflora-Immuno, Gastrofarm. The need for such measures arises, since antibiotics destroy beneficial microflora. An additional measure is the use of fermented milk products. For the best effect, probiotics should be taken in between taking antibacterial drugs or after a course of treatment.

Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist

Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.