It is quite common that when you are down with fever, you might take a paracetamol tablet that was once prescribed to someone in your family. So when you have leftover antibiotics at home, you might take it for seasonal infections. Moreover, there have been cases when people go to a doctor but take antibiotics that were once prescribed to a family member or relative. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), this is not a right thing to do because it not only increases your risk of antibiotic resistance but also worsen the condition. Here are more reasons why you should never consider sharing antibiotics with someone if you care for them. Also, read ways Indians are overusing antibiotics and why they should stop right away!
Firstly, you may not require antibiotics at all for your condition. The common cold and cough could be due to viral infections as well. Moreover, the antibiotic recommended for you might not work for your friend. Hence, it is important to consult a doctor rather than blindly take antibiotics to deal with it.
Secondly, even if a doctor has prescribed the same medication to your friend as yours, the dosage of the medication might not be the same. There are numerous factors on which a doctor prescribed the dose, which varies from person to person. Here are few things you should keep in mind when you are on antibiotics.
Thirdly, if you are taking the antibiotic for the first time and that too without a doctor’s prescription you may have an allergy to the antibiotic. In such a scenario, it might further aggravate your condition. Also, if you have chronic health problems, there is a risk of contraindication. So be very careful.
Fourthly, if you are prescribed antibiotics, you must ensure to complete your course of medications, even if the symptoms are subsided. This is because stopping antibiotics midway might not only cause the reversal of infection but also ups the risk of antibiotic resistance, says Dr Aarti Ullal, General Physician, Mumbai. Here are few interesting facts about antibiotic resistance that will blow your mind!
Lastly, there are high chances that the prescription might have been expired. So taking an expired antibiotic that was long prescribed for bacterial infection might do more harm than good. Also, the chances of side-effects due to it is also high. So do not share antibiotics with anyone.
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