Your doctor gave you a prescription antibiotic to help treat your infection. But you play a part in getting well, too. Here's a list of do's and don't's that may help to answer questions you have about antibiotics.


Do:

  • Do talk with your doctor about your symptoms
  • Do take your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you
  • Do complete the entire course of treatment, even if you start feeling better before the medicine is finished
  • Do throw away leftover medicine once you have finished your prescribed course of treatment
  • Do tell your doctor about all other medicines you are taking
  • Do tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to antibiotics in the past

Don't:

  • Don't take an antibiotic for infections not caused by bacteria, like the common cold1
  • Don't pressure your doctor to prescribe an antibiotic when your doctor says it's not needed1
  • Don't skip doses. You should take your antibiotics exactly as directed by your doctor1
  • Don't save the medicine for the next time you get sick. If you have leftover medicine, all of the bacteria may not be killed. This means your next infection could be resistant to the medicine. It also makes infections harder to treat in the future1
  • Don't take antibiotics prescribed for someone else1