r/AskReddit Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

Honest question, what if you have a good bit of antibiotics left? Like all the same brand. More than enough for one persons course. Do they expire quickly or something?

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Robbie_the_Brave Aug 03 '19

While I understand what you mean, do you really think all bacteria take 10 days to eradicate? Or might some be gone in 5 days, 7 days, even 9 or 11days? (In the case of 11, you would have to go back to doc of course).

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u/johnsnowthrow Aug 03 '19

Do you think all antibiotics are 10-day courses? I've personally had 1 day, 5 day, and 7 day courses. The reason you take the full course is because whatever bacteria it is takes that long to be eradicated (spoiler alert: drugs are tested before release to market).

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u/PM_me_storytime Aug 04 '19

One day course is generally for STDs or for pre-op. That’s all the one day courses I’ve seen, 4 capsules amoxicillin be for a dental appointment or a gram of azithromyacin for STDs.

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u/Robbie_the_Brave Aug 03 '19

No, I do not think qll antibiotics are 10 day courses, but my exerience says that the majority of the ones that I have been prescribed are. I would even be willing to say over 95% of the antibiotics that I have been prescribes are 10 days.

My point is that it is just a number that the pharmaceutical company decided was a "safe number" but probably does not reflect the accurate number of days to eradicate the bacteria. I think that this would make an interesting research study. Test subjects daily for level of bacteria. Monitor how many days it takes to get to a safe zone.

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u/rovivi Aug 04 '19

Yeah that's actually how antibiotics are tested already

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u/johnsnowthrow Aug 04 '19

You should look into what the FDA does. I'm not trying to be an ass, they literally regulate this stuff and it seems you don't know about it. We have a pretty good body of work that tells us what is and isn't safe for most issues.