(no subject)

[rivka]

How long into a course of antibiotics would you wait before you decided that they weren't working?

I've been on Augmentin for an ear- and sinus infection since last Tuesday. My ears still ache and still seem to be full of fluid. I still feel run down and not my normal self. And I still have what seems to be sinus-related coughing (no deep chest symptoms). I don't feel as bad as I did, and I'm not particularly congested anymore, but I don't feel well.

If I wait out the full ten-day course before deciding to go back to the doctor, it will be the weekend.

Comments

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

Call the doctor now. Well, tomorrow, during office hours, anyway. Three or four days should be enough for some sign of it working. If it's expected to take longer than that before there's any effect, your doctor ought to have told you.

I expect you know this, but for anyone reading this thread who doesn't:

Do not stop taking the antibiotics until your doctor has told you to. Never stop a course of antibiotics part way through without medical advice, unless you're having dangerous side-effects. Stopping antibiotics short accelerates the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, making medicine less useful for everybody. This has been a PSA courtesy of someone who may one day need those effective antibiotics.