Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. Tips and Tools. Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. How Do Antibiotics Work? Page Content. The Activity of Antibacterials Antibacterials fight infectious bacteria in the body.
Scientists often categorize antibacterials in the following way: Some antibacterials eg, penicillin, cephalosporin kill bacteria outright and are called bactericidal. Side Effects of Antibiotics As powerful and useful as antibiotics can be, they may produce side effects in some people.
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Follow Us. Back to Top. Chronic Conditions. Common Surgical Procedures.
Developmental Disabilities. Emotional Problems. From Insects or Animals. Genitals and Urinary Tract. Learning Disabilities. Sexually Transmitted. You should always read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine. You should completely avoid alcohol while taking the antibiotics metronidazole or tinidazole, and for 48 hours afterwards, as this combination can cause very unpleasant side effects, such as:.
It's recommended that you don't drink alcohol while taking antibiotics. However, as long as you drink in moderation, alcohol is unlikely to interact significantly with your medication. Some antibiotics, such as rifampicin and rifabutin, can reduce the effectiveness of the combined oral contraceptive pill.
If you're prescribed rifampicin or rifabutin, you may need to use additional contraception, such as condoms , while taking antibiotics. Speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist for advice. Some of the medications you may need to avoid, or seek advice on, while taking a specific class of antibiotic are outlined below.
It's usually recommended that you avoid taking penicillin at the same time as methotrexate, which is used to treat psoriasis , rheumatoid arthritis and some forms of cancer. This is because combining the two medications can cause a range of unpleasant and sometimes serious side effects.
However, some forms of penicillin, such as amoxicillin, can be used in combination with methotrexate. You may experience a skin rash if you take penicillin and allopurinol, which is used to treat gout.
Cephalosporins may increase the chance of bleeding if you're taking blood-thinning medications anticoagulants such as heparin and warfarin. If you need treatment with cephalosporins, you may need to have your dose of anticoagulants changed or additional blood monitoring.
The risk of damage to your kidneys and hearing is increased if you're taking one or more of the following medications:. The risk of kidney and hearing damage has to be balanced against the benefits of using aminoglycosides to treat life-threatening conditions such as septicaemia.
In hospital, blood levels are carefully monitored to ensure the antibiotic is only present in the blood in safe amounts. If aminoglycosides are used properly in topical preparations, such as ear drops, these side effects don't occur.
You should check with your GP or pharmacist before taking a tetracycline if you're currently taking any of the following:. It's highly recommended that you don't combine a macrolide with any of the following medications unless directly instructed to by your GP, as the combination could cause heart problems:.
You should check with your GP or pharmacist before taking a fluoroquinolone if you're currently taking any of the following:. Some fluoroquinolones can intensify the effects of caffeine a stimulant found in coffee, tea and cola , which could make you feel irritable, restless and cause problems falling asleep insomnia.
You may need to avoid taking medication that contains high levels of minerals or iron, as this can block the beneficial effects of fluoroquinolones. This includes:. Home Tests and treatments Medicines and medical aids Types of medicine Antibiotics.
Antibiotics See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. Introduction 2. Uses 3. Special considerations 4. Side effects 5. Interactions with other medicines. Introduction Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infection.
When antibiotics are used Antibiotics may be used to treat bacterial infections that: are unlikely to clear up without antibiotics could infect others unless treated 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. How do I take antibiotics? Doses of antibiotics can be provided in several ways: oral antibiotics — tablets, capsules or a liquid that you drink, which can be used to treat most types of mild to moderate infections in the body topical antibiotics — creams, lotions, sprays or drops, which are often used to treat skin infections injections of antibiotics — these can be given as an injection or infusion through a drip directly into the blood or muscle, and are usually reserved for more serious infections It's essential to finish taking a prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you feel better, unless a healthcare professional tells you otherwise.
Missing a dose of antibiotics If you forget to take a dose of your antibiotics, take that dose as soon as you remember and then continue to take your course of antibiotics as normal. There's an increased risk of side effects if you take 2 doses closer together than recommended. Accidentally taking an extra dose Accidentally taking one extra dose of your antibiotic is unlikely to cause you any serious harm.
Side effects of antibiotics As with any medication, antibiotics can cause side effects. The most common side effects include: being sick feeling sick bloating and indigestion diarrhoea Some people may have an allergic reaction to antibiotics, especially penicillin and a type called cephalosporins.
Considerations and interactions Some antibiotics aren't suitable for people with certain medical conditions, or women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Read more about how antibiotics interact with other medicines Types of antibiotics There are hundreds of different types of antibiotics, but most of them can be broadly classified into six groups.
These are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to many different types of antibiotics, including: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA Clostridium difficile C. Accessing medicines self-help guide Visit our self-help guide on accessing medicines if you have difficulty getting the medicines you need. Uses Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infections. People at risk of bacterial infections Antibiotics may also be recommended for people who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of infection.
This may include: people aged over 75 years babies less than 72 hours old with a confirmed bacterial infection, or a higher than average risk of developing one people with heart failure people who have to take insulin to control their diabetes people with a weakened immune system — either because of an underlying health condition such as HIV infection or as a side effect of certain treatments, such as chemotherapy Antibiotics to prevent infection Antibiotics are sometimes given as a precaution to prevent, rather than treat, an infection.
For example, it may be used if you're going to have: some types of eye surgery — such as cataract surgery or glaucoma surgery joint replacement surgery breast implant surgery pacemaker surgery surgery to remove the gall bladder surgery to remove the appendix Your surgical team will be able to tell you if you require antibiotic prophylaxis.
Bites or wounds Antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended for a wound that has a high chance of becoming infected — this could be an animal or human bite , for example, or a wound that has come into contact with soil or faeces. Medical conditions There are several medical conditions that make people particularly vulnerable to infection, making antibiotic prophylaxis necessary. In some cases, antibiotic prophylaxis is prescribed for people who experience a recurring infection that's causing distress or an increased risk of complications, such as: cellulitis a urinary tract infection genital herpes rheumatic fever.
Special considerations There are some important things to consider before taking antibiotics. Before antibiotics, 30 percent of all deaths were caused by bacterial infections. Thanks to antibiotics, previously fatal infections are curable. Today, antibiotics are still powerful, life-saving medications for people with certain serious infections. They can also prevent less-serious infections from becoming serious. There are many classes of antibiotics.
Certain types of antibiotics work best for specific types of bacterial infections. Most antibiotics are only available with a prescription from your doctor.
Some antibiotic creams and ointments are available over the counter. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections either by killing bacteria or slowing and suspending its growth. They do this by:. Antibiotics begin to work right after you start taking them. However, you might not feel better for two to three days. How quickly you get better after antibiotic treatment varies. Most antibiotics should be taken for 7 to 14 days. In some cases, shorter treatments work just as well.
Your doctor will decide the best length of treatment and correct antibiotic type for you. This can also help prevent antibiotic resistance. The first beta-lactam antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by accident. It was growing from a blob of mold on a petri dish. Scientists found that a certain type of fungus naturally produced penicillin. Eventually, penicillin was produced in large quantities in a laboratory through fermentation using the fungus.
Today, all antibiotic medications are produced in a lab. Some are made through a series of chemical reactions that produce the substance used in the medication.
Other antibiotics are at least partially made through a natural but controlled process. This process is often enhanced with certain chemical reactions that can alter the original substance to create a different medication. Antibiotics are powerful medications that work very well for certain types of illnesses. However, some antibiotics are now less useful than they once were due to an increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria can no longer be controlled or killed by certain antibiotics.
In some cases, this can mean there are no effective treatments for certain conditions. Each year, 2 million people are infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, resulting in at least 23, deaths. When you take an antibiotic, the sensitive bacteria are eliminated.
The bacteria that survive during antibiotic treatment are often resistant to that antibiotic.
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