[LeatherTrumpet]

I reckon I last had some about 20 years ago, maybe more but some people pop them like smarties and now its a BIG problemo

when was your last time?


and are YOU part of the problem?



Drug-resistant superbugs are as big a threat as climate change, the health secretary will say as he unveils a new five-year plan to tackle the problem.

Overuse of antibiotics is making infections harder to treat and leading to thousands of deaths a year through drug-resistant superbugs.

The government plans to change the way it funds drug companies to encourage them to develop new medicines.

It is also increasing efforts to cut unnecessary use of the drugs.

Drug-resistant superbugs are as big a threat as climate change, the health secretary will say as he unveils a new five-year plan to tackle the problem.

Overuse of antibiotics is making infections harder to treat and leading to thousands of deaths a year through drug-resistant superbugs.

The government plans to change the way it funds drug companies to encourage them to develop new medicines.

It is also increasing efforts to cut unnecessary use of the drugs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46973641

[Niamh.]

Years ago aswell for a gum infection.

[Marsh.]

Erm. I actually can't even remember.

I think mine was for an abscess when the left side of my face swelled up like a balloon. About 12 years ago or so.

[bitontheslide]

the other important thing is to always finish the course of antibiotics once you have started, and not stop when you feel a bit better. That's why the superbugs build up resistance

[Jessica.]

3+ times last year for tonsillitis

[montblanc]

never had 'em

[LaLaLand]

September, had a tooth abscess.

[Scarlett.]

I only take them when the doctor tells me, which is probably twice in my life lol


I don't get why some people take them for headaches... like... wat

[Shaun]

I'm lucky in that I've only ever needed to take them once (when I had tonsilitis, nine years ago)... but this is something we should be far more worried about than we currently are. All it takes is one superbug to wipe us all out, or get really close to it.

[Alf]

I used to be a regular sufferer of tonsillitis, so have taken them many times. But the last few times I've taken them, they've give me nose bleeds. So I'm quite cautious of taking them now.

[Cherie]

Only a few times for tonsillitis, last time was about 10 years ago

[AnnieK]

I actually can't remember. Think it was back when I was a teenager when I had a rubbish doctor who had virtually finished writing the prescription for them before you'd even got into the surgery. My son was prescribed them once but I couldn't get him to take the medicine so he has never had them....(and his ear infection cleared up on its own).

[Northern Monkey]

Er let me think.There was Chlamydia,Gonorrhoea,Syphilis,Genital warts,Tonsillitis,Chest infection.

Apart from that no.Never.

[armand.kay]

I had a gum infection a few years ago so had to take them for about a week. Before that though I don't think I had ever taken any

[arista]

Yes Profits are needed for the makers
they do not like these headlines this week.

[Toy Soldier]

The -only- times you should take antibiotics are when you have an infection that your body can't clear by itself. NOT to speed up recovery! The only exception to that would be where the infection persisting for longer could cause damage to your body (e.g. bacterial conjunctivitis can permanently affect your eyesight, bad UTI's can lead to kidney infections and permanently damage kidney function, etc.)

We avoid them whenever possible, my last course was a couple of years ago for bacterial conjunctivitis (and I did leave it slightly too long, and it has affected my eyesight slightly ). I was told a couple of years ago by a doctor, when I had strep tonsillitis, that it "definitely" wouldn't clear without antibiotics and had them thrust upon me... I didn't take them and it cleared in 3 days. In truth, a healthy immune system is perfectly capable of clearing most bacterial infections and you really want to take as few as possible so that they're as EFFECTIVE as possible if you really need them (e.g. horrible eye infection, pneumonia, or sepsis which is a huge killer).

My eldest had them recently for Scarlet Fever - the first case the local GP has seen for decades . Can't remember the last time my wife had them (potentially a decade) and my youngest has never had any.

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

the other important thing is to always finish the course of antibiotics once you have started, and not stop when you feel a bit better. That's why the superbugs build up resistance

The research on this has been updated and the medical adive is slowly catching up to the new research. Antibiotics should be stopped as soon as it's confirmed that the infection is cleared and continuing a long course needlessly (say, a 10 day course when the infection has cleared in 5) is actually increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance, not lowering it.

NHS advice is still to finish the course "pending further study" but based on current indications, the advice is likely to change at some point in the next decade-or-so.

The only risk of resistant strains developing is if the infection manages to take hold again, or if the immune system can't clear the last of it without assistance. If it's confirmed to be clear (through a test) it's safe to stop.

[Mystic Mock]

I think the Doctor prescribed them to me about 6 or 7 years ago when I had a really bad chest infection that wouldn't clear up by itself, I remember my poor Niece catching it off me during one of the times my Sister came over to see us.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Erm. I actually can't even remember.

I think mine was for an abscess when the left side of my face swelled up like a balloon. About 12 years ago or so.

that is when i got mine too, same thing with the swelling

[Toy Soldier]

I do know a few people who pop to the doctors for antibiotics for every little thing, though. It's also a huge problem in the US because they have this twisted "medical culture" where they frankly just do not trust the human body to do its job and there's a prevailing idea that "if you get sick, you need medicine!". Leads to people constantly popping antibiotics for viral infections .

But then this is a society that is utterly convinced that you will "probably definitely likely DIE" if you get measles, and is well on the way to becoming terrified by ****ing chicken pox and the bog standard flu.

[smudgie]

I haven’t had any this year.
Not sure how many times I had them last year. Not many though.
I have next to no immune system so the slightest sign of any infection and I am given antibiotics, that is if I see the doctor of course.

[thesheriff443]

Micro organisms will adapt/mutat to survive, just like rats will start to become imune to the poison in the corn they are fed.

Doctors don’t like giving out antibiotics in most cases, and most cases they don’t work.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by thesheriff443

Micro organisms will adapt/mutat to survive, just like rats will start to become imune to the poison in the corn they are fed.

Doctors don’t like giving out antibiotics in most cases, and most cases they don’t work.

Depends on the doctor, some still throw them around like tic-tacs unfortunately.

It's not just the resistance of the bacterial strain itself that is a problem; a person as an individual can end up "antibiotic-resistant" if they repeatedly have the same variety, and like I said above, that is a MAJOR problem if you find yourself in hospital with something like bacterial meningitis, pneumonia or sepsis. You'll be put on AV antibiotics but if they don't work quickly you can go downhill fast.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Erm. I actually can't even remember.

I think mine was for an abscess when the left side of my face swelled up like a balloon. About 12 years ago or so.

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

that is when i got mine too, same thing with the swelling

has it gone down you two?

[Livia]

Do people really bully their doctor into giving them antibiotics? Shouldn't the doctor be the one to say no?

[Cal.]

My mam is a nurse and knows the strain on the NHS as it is so won’t let us go to the doctors for little things. I’m a bit ashamed to say I have the flu and begged her to let me go the doctors this morning for antibiotics but she refused! My auntie is terrible for it though. One of her kids only has to sneeze and she’s down the GP surgery battering the receptionists for drugs.