Why you shouldn't beg your doctor for an antibiotic

I know someone who wants an antibiotic every time she gets a cold. I don't know how many times she has been told that colds are caused by VIRUSES (which do not respond to antibiotics), yet she continues to think otherwise. She also thinks if you get chilled, you will get pneumonia. Again, nobody can get through to her that it takes a virus or bacteria to make you ill. It's this kind of thinking that is causing all of the resistance to antibiotics. The doctors just need to grow a pair, and tell their patients emphatically "NO" when they ask for an antibiotic when it is not warranted, and certainly won't help them.

Perhaps people would not be so anxious to get unnecessary meds if employers did not have such draconian sick leave policies. As it is, most of us are under a lot of pressure to get over any illness ASAP and get back to work.

Love the diplomacy, but most physicians, stupidly convinced that they knew everything the moment they finished residency, still prescribe amoxicillin for a cold. Nothing like a broad spectrum antibiotic to gut your immune system while accomplishing little or nothing positive.

When I worked in healthcare, an unruly woman with a cold demanded the er doc give her a script for an antibiotic. When he explained it wouldn't help because anti-biotics fight baterial infections, not viral infections, she became impatient. So the doc handed her a script that said 'tincture of time.' You guessed it, she called the hospital and complained and he was chewed out by administration.

Hmm...glaring absence of the fact that most respiratory illnesses are caused by various viruses, which are not affected by antibiotics.

Doctors in Colorado have gotten to the point of NOT prescribing antibiotics, regardless of the disease. They react as if you're asking for cocaine! I think they're all running scared of the state medical association accusing them of over prescribing - antibiotics, pain medications, whatever. Either that or they want you coming back over and over so they can charge you more and more when one simple antibiotic would have cured you!

so what.....beg if you want BUT THEY SHOULDN'T GIVE IT TO YOU regardless of your wishes......tha'ts what you go to them for - their expertice.
any doc who gives into a begger should lose their license!

NOOooooo don't go to your Doctor and Beg for drugs. Come on man everyone pops pills. Drugs are the American way whether legal or not. People look for ways to get free drugs from there doctor.

These Super bugs tend to come from 3rd world countries(and China) so maybe we should limit THEIR use and not our use of antibiotics. Doctors also do not give out shots anymore which is a mistake. I remember 20 years ago getting a shot for infection and one for decongestant. In 12-24 hours I was feeling better. Now I get a Rx and am lucky if in 48 hours I feel better.

If I go to a doctor- I'm already well overdue for them. Never go 4 trivial issues, decent odds that you'll contract worse AT the doctors- common sense.

We have antibiotic resistance because of farm animals that AREN'T sick being dosed with them, and the resourceful bugs evolving resistance to the all-too-plentiful antibiotics in their environment. It's not because individuals overmedicate when they ARE sick -- but agribusiness would sure like you to think it is!

Unless he does lab tests, your doctor is unlikely to actually know whether you have a viral infection or a bacterial infection. As health-care plans refuse to pay for these lab tests unless someone is much sicker than usual, the doctor makes their best (highly) educated guess as to which you have and prescribes or doesn't prescribe accordingly. The health-care plans, of course, would prefer he not prescribe anything so they don't have to pay for it, hence all this propaganda about how individuals cause resistant bacteria through their drug greed. Meanwhile, you suffer needlessly if you actually had a bacterial infection that could have been cleared up quickly with antibiotics, you get better without them if it really was viral (viruses aren't killed by antibiotics), or you develop a bacterial infection on top of the viral infection, which weakened your system. In that latter case, people are still wondering weeks later why they still have their "virus" -- but are usually too embarrassed to go back to the doctor for proper care which could clear it up quickly. Health plan profits rise, and people feel guilty for taking antibiotics when they actually need them.

I tend to be the type of person who holds off going to the doctor unless it's clear that OTC treatments aren't working. By then, I usually need an antibiotic. I do know that if a certain one is prescribed too many times, one can develop an allergy to it. That's how I developed my penicillin allergy as an infant.

Antibiotics are being held captive by doctors to ensure that they have enough customers coming in to waste money when getting the antibiotics over the counter would be more useful.
Silly thoughts, antibiotics do not help with viral infections, yes they do. By reducing the number of bacteria that the body has to fight, more resources are freed up for use fighting the bacteria.
95% of all of the times that I have felt bad with a cold, flu, sinus infection, etc... if I have some antibiotics sitting around, I can go through one day's worth and be fine (no doctor's visit required). It just takes the edge off so i can recover easily. Every time I do this, I save $300, with the cost for the visit, my time and gas, insurance company time, etc... That means that we waste how much per year on frivolous doctor visits because it is illegal to get amoxicillan over the counter????

I get really sick about twice a year with flu like symptons always always get a z pak. My doctor says it won't help the virus but it will stop any infection from setting in, I always feel better in a couple of days after I start taking it. I don't agree with this article and will continue to get my z pak twice a year.

Doctors only know what you tell them and they often assume you don't know what antibiotics are for. Maybe that comes from too many people asking for it when they have a simple cold. One time I had a case of sinusitis and I told the doctor I want an antibiotic. He refused until the third trip to the office finally realizing I didn't just have 'allergies'.

Help!!! Need good advise.. I went in to the hospital last year with a really bad colon infection and now I have been fighting to get rid of a very bad rash on my head, neck and under my breast... They are telling me that my immune system is to weak from all the anitibiotics I was given.. Well they put my on V- bet and vitimin D.. and it goes away for awaile and then comes right back..

Please if anyone out there knows anything about this.. I need some good advise..

Three minute visit? If I'm going to be kept waiting for 20 to 30 minutes, half naked no less, while my double or triple booking doctor is seeing someone else, I better get more than three minutes and an explanation about why she is/isn't giving me an antiobotic. It's not like this is a socialist country - These American doctors get paid out the wahooka and the patients get shortchanged. Greedy.

Just because 50% of people get antibiotics for a sore throat and don't have strep does not mean that they dont have a legitamate reason for the antibiotic. There are many other things that could cause a sore throat. A very common thing that could be a cause for a sore throat and can be treated by an antibiotic would be a sinus infection. This may make up for a decent chunk of that 50%. Just saying the person who wrote this article clearly wants to make antibiotics look bad while in reality they have many uses. I doubt this writer even knows they can be used for acne treatment. Go figure

Why is it everytime there is an article about a doctor or some "higher-up" they have to show a black person? Enough with political correctness. I would NEVER go see a black doctor because they are GIVEN grades by the school and are not the most qualified. So...... good try.

A black candidate is give 40 additional points (out of 100) on their entry exam so they can compete with everyone else. How is that fair? If I make a 99 and a black person makes a 60, they are chosen. When are we gonna start standing our ground?

Midwest White Guy: no they were referring to the common antibiotic-induced yeast infections...they meant genital tract.