I Have A Question About A Lost Pill
Redyk said:I lost one of my antibiotic pills. It was in my pocket and it fell out somewhere. If I call the pharmacy, will they give me one to replace the one I lost?
Rain1Dog said:
Redyk said:I lost one of my antibiotic pills. It was in my pocket and it fell out somewhere. If I call the pharmacy, will they give me one to replace the one I lost?
Since its a pill thats not abusable I would probably say yes they will. If its anything like Oxy, Hydro, Fent, Codiene, Xanax, Valium, Soma they will probably say nope. I had that happen to me for some type of medication and they gace me a few extra until my next script.
Rain1Dog said:
Redyk said:I lost one of my antibiotic pills. It was in my pocket and it fell out somewhere. If I call the pharmacy, will they give me one to replace the one I lost?
Since its a pill thats not abusable I would probably say yes they will. If its anything like Oxy, Hydro, Fent, Codiene, Xanax, Valium, Soma they will probably say nope. I had that happen to me for some type of medication and they gace me a few extra until my next script.
< b> Iron Chef< /b> < br> Momma Frog
-Prismatic- said:I would never touch the stuff unless my arm got ripped off or something, becides, all it ever did when I WAS taking it was make me sleepy. No “high” or anything.
Immediate Action Required: Check With A Gp Or Pharmacist Before Starting To Take Antibiotics If You:
- are taking other medicines – some antibiotics do not mix well with other medicines
- already have a medical condition – some antibiotics may not be suitable for you
- have had an allergic reaction to medicine in the past
- are trying to get pregnant, already pregnant or breastfeeding
- are taking the contraceptive pill
/14what Is Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance occurs when the bacteria, which is supposed to be killed by the antibiotic can no longer be controlled by it. According to the recent data, 2 million people are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, resulting in 23,000 deaths.
When we take an antibiotic, the sensitive bacteria are eliminated. The bacteria that survive during the treatment are often resistant to that antibiotic. These bacteria have unique characteristics that do not let antibiotics work on them.
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How Does Your Healthcare Provider Determine Duration Of Antibiotics
Sometimes you take an antibiotic for five days, but sometimes its 14. What gives?
Long says that treatments vary based on a number of factors, and the duration of antibiotic treatment is something thats continually revisited by physicians and researchers.
Some infections are clear cut, like ear infections, and the duration is pretty standardized, she explains. Others, like UTIs, have a range of anywhere from three to 14 days based on how sick you are, whether you need to be admitted to the hospital, and how quickly you respond to the drug. Another important determining factor is what other chronic conditions you may have chronically, such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease.
Generic Or Brand Name: Whats The Difference
A generic drug is a medication created to work the same way and have the same effects as an already marketed brand-name drug. Generic drugs and their brand-name equivalents contain the same active ingredients, which are the parts of the medicine that make it work. A generic drug is just as safe, and is of equal strength and quality, as a brand-name drug. You take a generic drug the same way as a brand-name drug. Generic drugs are usually less expensive than their brand-name counterparts, and they are more likely to be covered by health insurance.
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The Risks Of Too Many Antibiotics
The idea that people need to take all their antibiotics, even after theyre feeling better, is based in part on outdated notions about what causes antibiotic resistance, says Lauri Hicks, D.O., a medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and head of the agencys Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work program.
If we dont complete the course of therapy, there is concern that the bacteria that are left over may be more likely to develop resistance to the antibiotic, Hicks says. That turns out to be much less of a problem than was originally believed.
According to Hicks, scientists have come to realize that the larger problem is that antibiotics affect not only the bacteria causing the infection but also the trillions of other bacteria that live in and on your body.
We have more bacteria in our body than human cells, she says. And the longer people take antibiotics, the more likely some of those bacteria are to become immune, or resistant, to the drugs.
Overuse of these powerful drugs has led to the widespread development of superbugs,” which cause infections that are extremely difficult to treat. We are now starting to encounter scary bacteria, such as carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, that are resistant to all known antibiotics, Hicks says.
How Do Antibiotics Work
According to Gwen Egloff-Du, Pharm.D., at Summit Medical Group in New Jersey, there are two types of antibiotics: bacteriostatic and bactericidal. Bacteriostatic antibiotics, like azithromycin and doxycycline, stop bacterial growth. Bactericidal antibiotics, like amoxicillin and cephalexin, kill the bacteria itself.
When you show up sick at your healthcare providers office, your healthcare provider assesses your symptom history to determine if your illness is viral or bacterial. If you have a bacterial infection requiring antibiotic therapy, says Long, he or she will consider the organ system affected. Different parts of the body harbor different types of bacteria common to that location, so healthcare providers prescribe antibiotics that have a good chance of being effective there .
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The Importance Of Finishing Your Course Of Antibiotics
Its always important to finish your entire course of antibiotics, even if you begin to feel better. If you stop taking your antibiotics early, the bacteria causing your infection may not have been completely cleared, and your infection could return.
Its also possible that these remaining bacteria could develop resistance to the antibiotic. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern. It happens when bacteria adapt to withstand one or more antibiotics.
Infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are harder to treat and can last longer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year,
How The Practice Got Started
The complete the course message may have had some merit in the early days of antibiotic development, but largely has not changed since then.
Researchers cited an example from 1941 in which scientists treated a mans infection with penicillin, only for the infection to eventually reemerge and kill him when doctors ran out of medicine.
Overuse was not a real concern, but undertreatment was. It was considered short courses came with life-threatening risks.
However, doctors are now publicly refuting that notion.
There was no evidence that this was because of resistance, but the experience may have planted the idea that prolonged therapy was needed to avoid treatment failure, the study authors wrote.
Its great that people are starting to ask that question: Is it OK to stop sooner than weve all been led to believe? said Dr. Carl Olden, a family physician speaking on behalf of the America Academy of Family Physicians .
Even for the folks who actually need antibiotics because of the bacterial infection, we know there is a downside to antibiotic exposure, Olden told Healthline.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is considered a major global health threat, but at the same time antibiotics are being prescribed more than ever.
, roughly 1 in 3 antibiotic prescriptions outside of a hospital setting are unnecessary.
Total inappropriate antibiotic use, which includes incorrect dosing and duration, is nearly 50 percent.
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Follow All The Advice Your Health Professional Gives You About Antibiotics
To make sure that antibiotics do their job and kill the infection, its very important to follow all the advice a health professional has given you. For example, if youre taking an antibiotic pill, you may need to take it with food or on an empty stomach.
A doctor, dentist or pharmacist will also tell you how many times a day you need to use an antibiotic and for how long usually youll need to take pills between 1 to 4 times a day.
The Pharmacist Wouldnt Fill My Prescription Because Of Interactions With Other Medications
You may run into this issue if youre taking warfarin or certain heart medications. Checking for interactions is one of the most important tasks a pharmacist does while filling a prescription. Some interactions can be very dangerous and cause serious complications, especially with blood thinners, like warfarin. So if your pharmacist isnt filling a medication due to an interaction, its likely serious. And it could cause problems if you took it as originally prescribed.
If you find yourself in this situation, the best first step is to ask your pharmacist for details on the interaction. What medications are interacting? What could happen if I took them together? Sometimes, the interaction may be with a medication youre no longer taking. Pharmacists cant see whats in your chart at your healthcare providers office. So theyre often unaware if youve been told by your provider to stop taking a medication.
If youre still taking both interacting medications, you can try to reach out to your healthcare provider. Ask if they can return the pharmacists phone call as soon as possible. Sometimes, that extra nudge can help speed things up but not always. Patience is essential here. Remember, interactions can be very serious. And you want to make sure both your provider and your pharmacist are comfortable proceeding with the medication combination.
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What To Do If You Miss An Antibiotic Dose
Learning everything you can about the antibiotics you are putting into your body will help you know what to expect if you miss a dose. When you receive your prescription from the pharmacy, you can speak with your pharmacist and ask questions. Take this opportunity.
Ask questions about potential side effects, interactions, and what happens if a dose is missed.
If you cant speak with your pharmacist, you can read the extensive written literature that accompanies your prescription. The printed papers also give you further online resources to check out for more information.
Preventing A Missed Antibiotic Dose: Reminder Strategies
One of the best ways to avoid missed antibiotic doses is to implement strategies that help you stay on track.
Any medicine you take should be done at the same time each day. Creating a strict routine becomes part of your daily habits, making them easier to remember. Include taking antibiotics with other actions you do regularly each day. For example, if you eat breakfast at 9 am each morning, take your antibiotic with breakfast. You can even leave yourself a reminder note next to your breakfast items.
Other reminder activities include setting the alarm on your phone, watch, or computer. Leave your antibiotic out where it is visible. If you put it in a drawer, you may forget about it. If it must be refrigerated, put a note on the front of the fridge to remind you it is in there.
Finally, ask for help. Have a friend or family member send a text or call you.
Missing an antibiotic dose is common it happens all the time. Knowing what to do if youve missed an antibiotic dose will lead to continued healing so you can get back to living a healthy, happy lifestyle.
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When Antibiotics Are Needed
Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial infections that:
- are unlikely to clear up without antibiotics
- could infect others
- could take too long to clear without treatment
- carry a risk of more serious complications
People at a high risk of infection may also be given antibiotics as a precaution, known as antibiotic prophylaxis.
Read more about when antibiotics are used and why they are not routinely used to treat infections.
An Expert Answers What Exactly Happens When You Miss Taking A Dose Of Antibiotics
Written by Sandhya Raghavan | Published : April 25, 2017 12:41 PM IST
I hate taking antibiotics Amoxicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline you name it. I hate them all! Sometimes, I find it more exhausting than the health issue I m facing. General dislike for these meds apart, I hate the fact that my stomach goes for a toss after each round of antibiotics. Someone once likened the workings of antibiotics to formatting the computer. Good, bad it gets rid of everything! This is precisely the reason why I hate taking them. And like many others I m sure, I am guilty of skipping a couple of doses until my doctor pulls me up for it.
While I loathe taking these meds, deep down inside, I know that skipping them isn t right either. So I got in touch with Dr Pradip Shah, HOD and General Medicine specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mumbai and asked him what exactly happens while we skip a dose of antibiotics.
Why do we take antibiotics?
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I Went To Get My Flu Shot And They Asked Me About All My Other Vaccines
If youre unsure which vaccines you actually need, talk to a healthcare provider. An annual flu shot is appropriate for most everyone, but check whether you are due for a pneumococcal vaccine , Shingrix , or Tdap before you get one. Some vaccines are only recommended once or twice during your lifetime, while others require boosters every so many years.
Many insurance plans, including Medicare, cover certain vaccines. If you dont have insurance, you can check whether youre eligible for free or low-cost vaccines. You can also use GoodRx coupons for vaccines.
How Should You Use Antibiotics
Antibiotics can be used in different forms:
- as creams, ointments, lotions, drops and sprays that you put on your skin often used to treat skin, eye or ear infections
- as tablets, pills, capsules and liquids that you swallow usually used for most mild to moderate infections
- as an injection or given by vein usually used when its a more serious infection that needs to be treated in hospital
There are many countries, including the UK, where you can usually only get antibiotics by seeing a doctor first. But, while you have to see a doctor first to get oral antibiotics in the US, there are some topical antibiotics that you can buy from US pharmacies. In some countries, including India, you can buy antibiotics in a pharmacy without seeing a doctor first.
Each antibiotic is effective only against certain bacteria. When choosing the best antibiotic for your infection, a doctor will consider:
- the kind of infection and how serious it is
- how strong your immune system is
- the antibiotics possible side effects
- whether you may have an allergic reaction to the antibiotic
- any other medicine youre taking
- the cost of the antibiotic
- if youll be able to complete the entire course of antibiotic treatment as you may need to take it often or only at specific times, such as before, during or after meals
- if youre pregnant or breastfeeding
To make sure you take antibiotics safely and so that they work as they should, follow the advice below.
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People Vulnerable To Infection
Antibiotics may be recommended for people who are more vulnerable to infection. This includes:
- people aged over 75 years
- babies less than 72 hours old with a confirmed bacterial infection
- babies with a high risk of developing a bacterial infection
- people who have to take insulin to control their diabetes
- people with a weakened immune system
My Insurance Said Its Too Soon To Fill My Prescription
While your insurance company may not pay for a refill sooner than expected, there may be some options to get your medication anyway. Its important to keep in mind that this information doesnt apply to controlled substances . Those prescriptions have much stricter rules around when youre allowed to fill them.
You may face this situation if you recently changed the dose of your medication. For instance, lets say youve been told to take two pills a day of your existing medication when you previously only took one pill a day. You may be told to wait because your insurance plan is only aware of the old directions.
In this case, its important to make sure your healthcare provider has sent a prescription with the updated directions to your pharmacy. The pharmacist or pharmacy technician can then request an override from the insurance. But this doesn’t always work and varies between insurance plans.
If an insurance override isnt available or doesnt work for your plan, check to see what the GoodRxdiscount would be. If its within your budget, you can tell the pharmacist youll pay out of pocket.
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/14what To Do If You Miss A Dose Of Antibiotics
Antibiotics are usually taken between one to four times a day. The dose should be equally spread throughout the day and taken at the same time each day. This helps in maintaining a constant level of medication in your bloodstream. But if you miss a dose by mistake, do not double the next dosage. Taking the double dosage can increase your risk of getting side effects.
