Unnecessary antibiotics

[AB Asks]

There are concerns after looking at GP records that antibiotics are being prescribed too freely for ailments such as sore throats and colds. There is worry that prescribing them for common infections will cause resistance to them. What do you think? Is your GP generous with antibiotics or do you find them hard to get if you are suffering with any infections?

[4GS]

Dunno
Cant remember the last time I saw my GP

[Psychick]

Nope, my GP will not give them out unless there is an infection that requires them. If you just have a cold etc, he will just advice you on how to look after yourself and get better without any prescriptions.

[mycats]

I very rarely use antibiotics, I definately think they are overused. I wouldnt get them for my son either, unless he really needed them of course, he is a very healthy child with a great immune system and I really think thats partly why. Put it this way - he was 10 before we discovered he was allergic to peniccillin, thats because he wasnt stuffed full of antibiotics at every cough, he didnt need them till he was that old

I also dont have my house like an oven lol, people I know whose house always has the central heating on and no windows open - their kids always seem to have colds and stuff

[Sasha13]

It's amazing how many people out there think that antibiotics will help a cold. I have only ever been to a GP once with flu like symptoms after I'd been suffering for 10 days - and I only went then as my boyfriend of the time had glandular fever so figured there was a pretty good risk that I had it.

Doctors I find will give out antibiotics if needed, but the public perception may be that they are hard to get as the public think they should get them for any little sniffle that they have.

[jake-the-peg]

Amoxycillin and tetracyclin have been given out like smarties for years and are available over the counter in some countries so that's a real case of "stable doors" and "bolting horses".

I don't see though how a growing resistance to these would increase the resistance to more powerful and better controlled antibiotics used in hospitals.

[Sasha13]

It isn't the body that becomes more resitant to the antibiotics - it's the disease.

Imagine you have a bacterial disease that requires antibiotics. Some of the bacteria will be weak and will die off quickly from the antibiotics, some will be strong and will take much longer.

The problem occurs when people don't finish their course of antibiotics because they're feeling better. This means all the 'strong' bacteria are still alive and it's this strong bacteria that is then passed from person to person. This means the antibiotic is less effective, i.e. the bacteria are resistant.

Added into this that not all antibiotics work on all diseases, means that stronger, hospital antibiotics maybe useless against resistant diseases.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Supernick]

People go to a GP for sore throats and colds?

[Sasha13]

Yup - I know a few people who do. It's pathetic really. And they wonder why it's so hard to get a drs. appointment. I think the last time I went was about 5 years ago!

[daffy654]

I rarely go to the doctors but I do know that they will not give out antibiotics at our surgery unless you have a genuine bacterial infection. They will take urine,sputum or whatever sample to test and then if you need antibiotics they call you back and give you a prescription.

[cazzz1975]

mine isnt, she is threatening to put me on a course of them if my blood test is positive.

[Taran]

My daughter was prescribed antibotics for an abcess for 5 months , even though the doctor hadnt seen her. When we asked for a referal to a specialist Consultant , we were told that there wasnt a need

[bensmum]

I can't remember the last time I had antibiotics from my GP - I haven't been to see him for ages now.
I have, however, just finished a course of antibiotics from the dentist as I have had an abscess under a tooth and he wants the infection to clear before treating the tooth.