I don't mind taking them. I understand why doctors are reluctant to prescribe them now, but last year I had an awful sinus infection that the doctors at student health wouldn't give me anything for. They kept telling me to wait and it took three trips, with me practically begging, until they would finally give me something for it. Went away in a few days after that. Grrr.

I only take them as absolutely necessary, and only allow my children to have them as such as well. Too many superbugs going around Toronto (Canada), I don't want to add to it. And most studies show they really don't clear the illness up any more than 24 hours before it would clear up anyway.

before i had my tonsils out i used to get terrible tonsillitis with a really high fever and vomiting - not to mention a very swollen sore throat. i would be in agony until i got some anti-biotics and they would have an almost immediate effect. those experiences made me realise what a powerful drug they are (for good reasons in my case).

however i had only one really weird minor reaction when i took penicillin which no doctor has ever been able to explain to me - it gave me a nervous tic, especially when i yawned or opened my mouth wide. weird, huh?

Only if prescribed, but I try to avoid them. Every time I've taken antibiotics I've gotten horribly sick. What's the point if it makes me feel worse than my original symptoms?

It is a very rare occasion that I'll take antibiotics. There is way too much antibiotic abuse IMO when people aren't sick, they take the wrong medication, or they have very mild bacterial infections. I try to fight infections with my body's immune system and extra vitamins first. The last time I took something was for a lingering sinus infection four years ago.

mem - I have a penicillin allergy, too, I haven't had it or Ceclor since I was a toddler. I love me some Zithromax!

I don't mind at all, I rarely have any side effects.

in general i HATE taking anti-biotics. i feel like they are prescribed WAY too quickly these days, and that leads you to have a weaker immune system to fight things off. i feel like in the past, people got the same illnesses and they didn't die, they got better, and they didn't have the medications that we have now. if i'm really sick, or if i'm not getting better after a few days, then i'll suck it up and take them, but otherwise i really do try to stay away from meds.

I try not to take anything, especially antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary. But there are times, like when I had Lyme Disease (bacterial) that antibiotics were definitely necessary. I only take them with bacterial infections, viral ones like a cold or the flu work themselves out eventually and if you have to you can treat the symptoms with over-the-counter stuff.

"and that leads you to have a weaker immune system to fight things off."

I don't think antibiotics affect your immune system. What happens is,and correct me if I'm wrong here, that if you take antibiotics often enough, certain bacteria builds up a resistance to the them, and they stop being effective.

Antibotics tear up my stomach, not to mention weaken your immune system. I find that people who turn to antibotics all the time are always sick. My boyfriend's doctor prescribes them for everything.

If I go to the doctor, she ALWAYS prescrips antibiotics because of my asthma - so I really try hard to fight it myself and only go see her if I feel it is absoutly neccessary.

I take them if prescribed. I'm allergic to penicillin so it really cuts down on what I can take. When I do take an antibiotic, I make sure and eat active-culture yogurt. The cultures replaces the bacteria the antibiotic kills in your stomach and really reduces the chances of getting an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Also, don't forget that antibiotics lessen the effect of birth control pills, so if you do take them, keep that in mind. There are a lot of "antibiotic babies" running around.

In high school I had a bad case of strep throat that kept mutating. Everytime I finished a round of antibiotics it would come back ten times worse, they'd prescribe stronger antibiotics and the process would repeat. By the end of it I could hardly breathe because my tonsils were stuck together, and I didn't get over it until I refused medication and fought it off myself.

These days I won't take antibiotics for anything that I'm capable of overcoming without them--partly because I want my immune system to do the work, and partly because I hate how they screw with my birth control. Obviously if I had a severe infection (such as from surgery) I wouldn't take any chances, but for sinus, chest or throat issues I just tough it out.

I only take them if it is a bacterial infection, otherwise it is like taking advil to cure cancer.

katyharper- what my gyno told me is that antibiotics only effect birth control when you are taking the pill by mouth and if you take them both at the same time (like the same moment) bc the antibiotic gets preferentially absorbed and your pill might not get absorbed as it should, but he also didnt seem too concerned, said just to take them a few hours apart . . . im sure on the nuva ring or anything else not by mouth it's fine

cmd - That's interesting - I hadn't heard it explained like that. But I bet that's why people do get pregnant when they're taking them - because if you're like me, you just pop everything into your mouth all at once!

(For the record, this hasn't happened to me, but I've always tried to be super careful!)

No.. They can make my colitis worse. Or actually cause it to happen in some people.

I take them if I'm sure it's bacterial. I think it's irresponsible for drs to prescribe them for non-bacterial infections.

I think they're necessary when you have something like strep throat or a UTI... you could die if antibiotics aren't prescribed. I think doctors are foolish and highly irresponsible when they prescribe antibiotics for a cold. That is just ridiculous. Even I, someone who is princessy, will suck it up. Geez.

I only take them if absolutely necessary. In the past ten years I've taken them 2 times, 1 for a post-surgical infection and 2nd for a UTI. I dont use antibacterial hand gels either as these also lead to a resistance build up in bugs. Soap and water is fine! I work for a medical journal and see an increasing amount of resistance studies come through...that is when the bugs get scary. If you have a cold or flu, just rest and let your immune system do its job!

I hate them!
I had an allergic reaction to an offshoot of penicillin that the doctor told me would be fine! It was for a UTI and it was just hell.
Then I was prescribed some for a virus about a month later and it just gave me a yeast infection and made me feel even worse.

I won't take them now unless I HAVE to.

I am allergic to certian antibiotic families, and dont want to find out the hard way I am allergic to others. I can take amoxicillin (though I was allergiv to it when I was young) and cipro and thats all I know I can take and not have a rxn.

I usually eat really well, and if I feel something coming on I super high dose with Vit D and sleep alot and its gone before it can even take hold!

Sometimes I hate my immune system (allergies to LOTS of things) and sometime I love it (I never get sick, and if I do its QUICK)!

Oh and PS Ive only taken then after dental surgeries. I refuse them in all other cases.

I've taken them only when prescribed for a bacterial infection. Aside from making some people feel sick, they also mess with your immune system. It has to learn how to fight infections and it doesnt get that practice with the antibiotics doing all the work.

Generally, I avoid them. They don't agree with me.

This is my viewpoint - If I want to not be sick anymore then I take the prescribed anitbiotics. If I wish to remain sick and get sicker then I don't take them.

As a teen and 20-something I took loads of prescribed antibiotics because my condition warranted them. I had chronic sinus infections, tonsillitis and intestinal infections it for those it was either take the horrid pill or liquid and start to feel better or get so sick that I'd end up with permanent damage (like I have to my sinus cavity) and be in the hospital.

I have always been instructed by my doctors to eat yogurt and other probiotics while on antibiotics to ward off the unpleasant side effects.

The last time I took antibiotics was when I had a severe e.coli infection in my blood stream (the infection was already trying to attack and damage my heart which is the only reason I went to the doctors - my heart was racing wildly) and was given Cipro (the antibiotic you get for Anthrax). I took that for 3 days - mega watt dosage of Cipro and geez two years later I have had to take a single antibiotic since.

I'm on them right now after having my wisdom teeth pulled, and I immediately got a yeast infection. I have to say that's a really crappy side effect that I feel like doctors don't address when they prescribe the meds. It should at least be explained or how to prevent that from happening. It's gross.

Prevent the yeast infection by eating yogurt with live cultures while on the course of antibiotics.

Wackdoodle THANK you! I was just about to think this thread is incredibly irresponsible! I don't even know why the questions are phrased the way they are, no one should take an antibiotic for a virus, and everybody knows that, so I don't think that should have been factored into this. I am VERY pro antibiotic, and it would never occur to me that someone would think that meant I think they should be taken for colds.

However, they are necessary for certain infections, like UTI's and kidney infections, and people can die from septicemia if they don't take them! Also, I haven't had a strep throat in about ten years, and I've never had bronchitis, but if you have strep you should take one! Yes, there can be unpleasant side effects, but antibiotics save lives. So I get scared when I see the whole health nut "I'm too holistic for antibiotics" mantra! And this is from a girl who is allergic to penicillin and gets an upset tummy when taking most antibiotics. And I really only take them once a year (for UTI ack).

I did try them once for a sinus infection though, and it was pointless, so I don't think they're a total cure for some infections, but still!

"Prevent the yeast infection by eating yogurt with live cultures while on the course of antibiotics."

I did that as well as take probiotics...minus wisdom teeth all i could manage was yogurt. Unfortunately I still was struck down with the curse. Oh well, now I'm just on yogurt, probiotics, and diflucan. Fun times!

There is always the weirdest "natural" option to rid yourself of a yeast infection. I swear I thought it was fake and to far fetched to be true but - umm... using the yogurt in a different manner. A plain yogurt douche.

Apparently it works and is safe but my viewpoint - food does not go there.

As a microbiologist, I see the results of overprescribed antibiotics all the time...we constantly see certain strains of strep or staph that are resistant to so many antibiotics that it's crazy. Doctors are at least starting to get on the ball and aren't tossing amoxicillin at every sinus infection they see. Here's my view on antibiotics: They are critical for treating certain infections (ones caused by certain strains of bacteria that can overpower your immune system very quickly) but for other mild infections, it's actually better to just let your body handle it. Your immune system is pretty capable of handling most bacteria and viruses, but if an infection is bad enough to wipe you out for more than a couple of days, you need to get to a doctor who will do a culture. The microbiologists will grow the bacteria up and do an antibiotic sensitivity to see which antibiotics are going to be the best to treat the infection.

BTW--Cipro isn't only used to treat Anthrax...it's also pretty useful for most gram-negative bacteria, like E. coli and Salmonella. If you plan on leaving the country and going somewhere in the developing world, get a prescription for Cipro before you go. If you do come down with some nasty bacterial intestinal thing, you can take the Cipro to wipe it out quickly.

As for myself, I don't get sick. I haven't been really sick in 8 or 9 years and I haven't been on antibiotics since I was 16 and had my wisdom teeth out. They had to operate to get them out, so they prescribed some antibiotics so the incisions wouldn't get infected. If I get a sinus infection, I usually just let them run their course. But if I had a legitimate, raging, bacterial infection (like the time I had pneumonia when I was 9), I would for sure get an antibiotic to clear it up.

I'm on my third round of antibiotics for an evil sinus infection of death. I really hope this kind works!!

I was always wary of antibiotics because of all the side effects, the development of resistant bacteria, and the killing off of all the good bacteria.
Then, last year, I had to take them twice for a monster sinus infection and, later, pneumonia.
I got clostridium difficile colitis. Now, I'm super susceptible to food poisoning (which I've had since) and stomach viruses (which I've had since). Y'all, it's super horrible.
Don't take antibiotics for a cold! Your doctor may give them to you, but, we are creating monster bacteria by taking antibiotics left and right for stuff that is NOT bacterial!

Oh, and I took probiotics both times. But the antibiotics were just too powerful.

If you rest and eat healthily your body can respond to most infections, even bacterial ones, without antibiotics.

never for the flue. just for skin infections and STD and more acute stuff.

i do whatever my doctor (both my doctor and my mother) told me to

I take probiotics (good bacteria like the cultures in yogurt) everyday and since starting this three years ago I have never been sick.