When do antibiotics start working?

Hi, antibiotics are medicines used for bacterial infections. When you take antibiotic, your digestive system transports it throughout the body. At some point, it reaches the infection and attacks the bacteria. Antibiotic usually start working after couple of days, and you might feel cured. However, it doesn’t mean that all the bacteria is destroyed, and you mustn’t stop taking the drugs. If you repeat this unfinished treatment more times, bacteria in your body could develop resistance to antibiotics, and you’ll have a hard time curing it. The best thing to do is to cure the infection the first time when you’re treating it, and if your doctor told you to use meds for 10 days, then you shouldn’t use them less than that. Antibiotics usually need only couple of days to start working, so be patient.

Antibiotics actually start doing their job almost as soon as they have reached the infected area (10-24 hours). However, Antibiotics are like an Army and cannot defeat the bacteria/infection, until they have had time to rally and start the the non-stop attack (24-48 Hours).

Antibiotics must build themselves up slowly in the body for them to be effective. This is why you take the dosages that you take and wait. Rushing the doses will not help. They actually side with your natural antibodies to help fight and overdosing with the antibiotics only cause your natural antibodies to step back and wait. This is not a good thing because the synthetic antibiotics that you are taking are not as smart as your natural ones. The synthetic ones will not know where to attack, because your natural ones have stood back and got out of the way. The synthetic ones are lost. You must let them build up slowly in your body and take orders from your own antibodies.

Also, NEVER stop taking an antibiotic when you start feeling better. Just because you feel better doesn't mean that the infection is gone and you want it completely gone! Take the prescribed dose for the entire period of time it was prescribed.
The reason for this is that Bacteria/Infection is very intelligent. It has the ability to restructure itself if it isn't completely destroyed. The ability to see how it was being attacked by the antibiotic and it learns counter-measures if it's not destroyed. So, what happens is; you feel better, stop taking the medication before the infection is destroyed and the infection begins to rebuild itself and developes a shield to the antibiotic that you used. Now you try taking antibiotics again, because you realize you still have an infection, but the antibiotics are useless. The infection knows they are coming and has built up a defense that the antibiotics can't penetrate.

Hope this helps.

Hi there,please i want to have an answer to my question.and its about cocaine and antibiotics. For example, if i took a dose of cocaine today,when can i start to have my antibiotics medicine so that cocaine wont affect the antibiotics?:-) please reply as soon as possible thankyou

Ask your doctor about cocaine interactions. They must provide you with this information.

Hello,

I was given azithromycin for bronchitis and a sinus infection. This may be nasty but i have been spitting up green mucus and a tiny bit of blood as well as blowing my nose and getting the same reults. I cant stop coughing and at night it seems to be worse. I am now on my 4th day of this medicine leaving one more day left and i feel no relief at all. It seems to be i feel even more drained then i was before and at night i get scared i wont be able to breath at all. Should i call to see if the medicine is not working or should i wait it out one more day?

I HAVE BITTEN MY TONGUE AND IT IS SWOLLEN AND INFECTED WHEN WILL IT AND HOW LONG IT TAKES TO HEAL

I have the same problem and I am on night number three since I started taking them, I am still painful and I hope this pain will go away soon. They prescribed me Clindamycin and I am thinking maybe this is not working. I am going to give it another day and if it is still painful I am going back to the Dr. to get something else.

Hey did the antibiotics ever work for your bronchitis and sinus infection??? how long did it take?

Most bronchitis is viral so antibiotics will not work. usually only 10 percent of bronchitis is bacterial so there for antibiotics that treat bacteria will not work on a viral infection.

I had similar abcessed tooth and started amox 500-125 but am having reaction.  bad headache, pulsating feeling in sore area and nausea.  doctor says I have to tough it out because infection will get worse if I don't.  I have similar reactions to almost any antibiotic.  Scary

My son started taking antibiotics on Monday night and he is only five. How long does it take to work? Since he was born he has been getting alot of colds that last a month to 2months long and ends up on antibiotics. Then he is well for 3 or 4 weeks then we start all over again. We have had alot of sleepless nights out of all the colds he has had. Can please help us? Thank you

Antibiotics usually start to work after a couple of days. I have a uti and it took a little bit to get to reach the infection. take some pain killers to relieve pain until they start to work.

Please call your doctor. The same thing happened to me. The doctor gave me another antibotic and I got well. Hope this helps: )

my son has an infected phimosis, he takes 250mgx4 day. Now since 4 days, slowly very very slowly he gets better, I was concerned, but after reading your comment, I just wanna hug you for your time and the great explanation to people that need exactly your language to understand the activity of an atibiotic. Be blessed! thanks a lot! xox