Taking antibiotics when not ill

[Alfred001]

What would happen to a person who takes antibiotics if they are not actually ill? I presume nothing would happen, if something would it would happen when the person is ill, too, but I wanna be sure.

 

I got cut last week, it was off that thing for opening the water on a shower, like a lever. The thing broke off, leaving jagged edges and I cut my finger on it.

 

I wore a band aid for around 3 days (changed them daily) and then when I took it off the third day I noticed swelling, redness and bumps. The bumps eventually developed into water blisters which I noticed over night very slowly expanded.

 

Based on looking online I thought it was allergic contact dermatitis the dr thought it was cellulitis, gave me some vaccine and told me to take Klavax, an antibiotic. I still think he's wrong, cellulitis has pus filled blisters, mine were filled with clear fluid and the affected area is limited to the outline of the band aid, which, from the pictures I saw online, isn't the case with cellulitis so I'm concerned.

[Moontanman]

What would happen to a person who takes antibiotics if they are not actually ill? I presume nothing would happen, if something would it would happen when the person is ill, too, but I wanna be sure.

 

I got cut last week, it was off that thing for opening the water on a shower, like a lever. The thing broke off, leaving jagged edges and I cut my finger on it.

 

I wore a band aid for around 3 days (changed them daily) and then when I took it off the third day I noticed swelling, redness and bumps. The bumps eventually developed into water blisters which I noticed over night very slowly expanded.

 

Based on looking online I thought it was allergic contact dermatitis the dr thought it was cellulitis, gave me some vaccine and told me to take Klavax, an antibiotic. I still think he's wrong, cellulitis has pus filled blisters, mine were filled with clear fluid and the affected area is limited to the outline of the band aid, which, from the pictures I saw online, isn't the case with cellulitis so I'm concerned.

 

 

The thing to do is go see another doctor...

[Arete]

*Disclaimer* I am not a medical doctor, and giving medical advice over the internet is like giving a haircut over the phone...

 

Based on looking online I thought it was allergic contact dermatitis the dr thought it was cellulitis, gave me some vaccine and told me to take Klavax, an antibiotic.

 

At a wild guess, it sounds like the Dr is gave you a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccine and some preventative antibiotics. These will not treat what sounds like mild contact dermatitis from your bandaid, and are to stop the cut getting infected or you contracting tetanus if the object you cut yourself on was rusty.

 

I still think he's wrong, cellulitis has pus filled blisters, mine were filled with clear fluid and the affected area is limited to the outline of the band aid, which, from the pictures I saw online, isn't the case with cellulitis so I'm concerned.

 

I had some pretty severe contact dermatitis from adhesive bandages that were used to cover up a wound resulting from an exposed compound fracture (motorcycle accident). Once you stop using the adhesive you are allergic to, it should subside. If it doesn't, see a doctor.

 

Again, internet forums cannot substitute for actual medical advice and my suggestions could be completely wrong - if the mods feel the above is inappropriate, please feel free to delete.

[CaptainPanic]

Alfred001, if you think your doctor made a mistake, go see another one. You can call them on the phone and explain why you do not want to go to your normal doctor.

 

If you can explain all your problems in a few lines of text on a forum, then you can also summarize it to a doctor. It's your own health... don't go online on some forum asking strangers how to fix it.

 

[edit] Arete, I think you put in enough disclaimers to get away with it. None of us is qualified to make any diagnosis, or to prescribe a cure... but if our OP wants a guess, that's what (s)he gets. A guess.

[Hooman]

I'm telling you this based only on personal experience.

I used to search internet for the most simple medical situations and always ended up thinking that my doctor was wrong. But it always proved to be the other way around.

 

And about taking antibiotics. I can't imagine what kind of positive effect could taking antibiotics regularly have on human body. But there could be several (sometimes serious) negative (side-)effects.

This link I imagine would be of use: Antibiotic misuse

[Greg H.]

Alfred001, if you think your doctor made a mistake, go see another one. You can call them on the phone and explain why you do not want to go to your normal doctor.

 

If you can explain all your problems in a few lines of text on a forum, then you can also summarize it to a doctor. It's your own health... don't go online on some forum asking strangers how to fix it.

 

[edit] Arete, I think you put in enough disclaimers to get away with it. None of us is qualified to make any diagnosis, or to prescribe a cure... but if our OP wants a guess, that's what (s)he gets. A guess.

 

As an aside, some hospitals (or at least the ones in my area of the US) have a dial a nurse service that will connect you with a Registered Nurse. You can explain your situation and they can (usually) tell you if you need to head to your nearest doctor's office for another visit immediately or not.

 

As the previous two posters have said though, if you have concerns about your medical treatments, get a second medical opinion. You are your own best advocate for your medical care - you know best what feels normal with your body and what doesn't. If you have doubts, act on them sooner rather than later.

[Alfred001]

I'm not really asking about the diagnosis, I'm more interested in the effects of the antibiotics. Of course I know about antibiotic resistance and normal possible side effects of antibiotics, but I'm curious whether there is anything that is specifically possible DUE to there possibly being nothing wrong with me (for the possibility that the dr was wrong and that this is indeed contact dermatitis).

 

*Disclaimer* I am not a medical doctor, and giving medical advice over the internet is like giving a haircut over the phone...

 

 

 

At a wild guess, it sounds like the Dr is gave you a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccine and some preventative antibiotics. These will not treat what sounds like mild contact dermatitis from your bandaid, and are to stop the cut getting infected or you contracting tetanus if the object you cut yourself on was rusty.

 

 

 

I had some pretty severe contact dermatitis from adhesive bandages that were used to cover up a wound resulting from an exposed compound fracture (motorcycle accident). Once you stop using the adhesive you are allergic to, it should subside. If it doesn't, see a doctor.

 

Again, internet forums cannot substitute for actual medical advice and my suggestions could be completely wrong - if the mods feel the above is inappropriate, please feel free to delete.

 

Actually, when we told me he was gonna give me the vaccine I asked him whether he thought what happened on the affected area of the skin was due to the cut and he said he did.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Alfred001

[CaptainPanic]

Actually, when we told me he was gonna give me the vaccine I asked him whether he thought what happened on the affected area of the skin was due to the cut and he said he did.

 

Why are you still here, when you should be on the phone to get a 2nd opinion??

[Arete]

I'm not really asking about the diagnosis, I'm more interested in the effects of the antibiotics. Of course I know about antibiotic resistance and normal possible side effects of antibiotics, but I'm curious whether there is anything that is specifically possible DUE to there possibly being nothing wrong with me (for the possibility that the dr was wrong and that this is indeed contact dermatitis).

 

There's more than one kind of antibiotic, and each may have different side effects. Look up the side effects of the one you are taking.

 

Actually, when we told me he was gonna give me the vaccine I asked him whether he thought what happened on the affected area of the skin was due to the cut and he said he did.

 

Given I've never seen your hand and am not an MD, I would be happy to have my wildly pulled out of thin air internet diagnosis contradicted by the medical professional who actually saw the injury in question.

 

As has been said repeatedly, get a second opinion if you're unsure about the first.

Edited August 13, 2012 by Arete

[Iota]

I've been treating my ear infection for a week at home. Got rid of all the symptoms for a few days, but it came back when I stopped treating it.

 

I now have the antibiotics 'amoxicillin', and they are having some side effects on me... (feeling a bit sick, a bit tired; and let's put it this way... there's no chance of me getting constipated until the antibiotic course finishes.)

 

There are side effects for some ahaha.

[ecoli]

I've been treating my ear infection for a week at home. Got rid of all the symptoms for a few days, but it came back when I stopped treating it.

 

I now have the antibiotics 'amoxicillin', and they are having some side effects on me... (feeling a bit sick, a bit tired; and let's put it this way... there's no chance of me getting constipated until the antibiotic course finishes.)

 

There are side effects for some ahaha.

 

accompanying antibiotic with probiotic (ex - yogurt, sauerkraut, etc) isn't a bad idea and could help your symptoms.

[John Cuthber]

It's easy to recognise websites that give competent medical advice.

They tell you to go and see a doctor.

So: go and see a doctor.

 

However, in the meantime, it wouldn't do any harm to change the brand of band-aids you use and see if that helps.

 

 

In answer to the original question:

Taking any drug while healthy (for most definitions of healthy) is a bad idea to at least some extent.

All drugs have side effects. (essentially all antibiotics are likely to upset your stomach)

Also, widespread use of antibiotics is likely to lead to widespread resistance among bacteria which doesn't help anyone.

[nec209]

What is happing is doctors are giving out antibiotics like candy and what is happing is the antibiotics are killing the good germs that fight off the bad germs and now we got bad germs that are hard to kill .So now they have to find new antibiotics to kill these new germs that would not be problem with good germs has they would kill it.