How many antibiotics have you had?

[MsOllie]

I was being curious today so looked up my GP record as I'm on antibiotics yet again
Since 2006 I've had 39 courses

I don't have an exact number but at least once a year my whole life- the joys of chronic dermatitis and skin infections, plus a couple of related complications and a case of appendicitis and dental work. A doctor recently told me that antibiotics can mess up your gut bacteria for six months which would mean I've almost never known it normal! I'm just glad I've only ever felt side effects from them one time when I was given a particularly strong dose.

How can you see this OP? My 'medical record' via patient access just has my current medicine on and covid jab, nothing else

Loads, I don’t have a spleen so I’m way more at risk of infection, I imagine if I had my medical details on the app it would show 5-6 courses a year. I’m luckily I’m not on a more regular dose.

I used to be on antibiotics loads as a teen, would get recurrent tonsillitis until I go mono and then never got tonsillitis again.

I don't recall through my early 20s, but I had one set for a throat infection in May this year, one set in Jan 2020 and a set when I had pneumonia in May 2016.

One of my kids has had 3 courses in his life (he's 10), for ear infection, strep and serious salmonella poisoning, the other is 8 and I don't think he's ever had antibiotics.

I'm allergic to penicillin, and intolerant to most others. So very little. They make me so unwell that it's a case of utter desperation to want to take them, or being hospitalised.

Around 12, I used to get tonsillitis before having them removed in my early twenties.

I now get cellulitis (once you get it once you get it often) so need antibiotics for each episode

I was wondering this too.

I’ve taken 4g of cephalexin every day for 8 years. And I had 4 or 5 years of daily high dose azithromycin mixed in with it as well.

I think I had amoxicillin once as a child, probably around 2004 and nothing since then

11, since 2001

Two lots as an adult, I'm not sure as a child.

Maybe 10 times. Not sure exactly. But at least 4 were for the same infected tooth that was determined not to go down without a fight.

Clarithromycin made me pretty determined not to take them unless in desperate need. God I was so ill. Ended up back at the dentist begging for Metronidazole.

If you need them, you need them.

As a child:frequently for ear infections. I can still remember the horror of banana flavoured antibiotics, and to this day rarely eat banana, and avoid banana flavoured things.

Since I had all the ear stuff sorted, I think just one course, but possible some others as a child.

3 times in my life, all post surgery preventatives

In mine it has current and past, you need to click on past medication

I think once as a kid for a nasty cut from broken glass. Oh and once as a baby in hospital.

My 4 kids have had 2 courses of antibiotics between them, but one of them was heavy duty lifesavers for neonatal meningitis, which wrecked her tooth enamel but kept her here. I will forever be grateful to Alexander Fleming (and Florey, Chain and Hodgkin of course!)

Loads! I have a suppressed immune system so take them a lot. Usually 2 courses of different types for each infection but occasionally I try 3 😩

I had a few rounds when i was young as had a lot of ear infections but as an adult only one i think for a tooth infection/

Bloody hell some of these are terrifying. Once for a perforated eardrum at 13. And a dog bite at 48.

During my lifetime, 62 years, probably 3 or 4 courses. In the last 20 years none. I don't seem to get infections.

I had regular ear infections as a child, pretty much every time I got an adult tooth. Horrible fake banana tasting stuff. Haven't had any since.

No idea.
The last time I had them was last summer when I reacted badly to an insect bite and my leg started swelling up and was hot and red.

Once in about 25 years.

Loads as a child. One in the last 14 years. My kids have had none - eldest is 18.

Not loads, I'd say an average amount. Last year once due to sinusitis and the year before once due to covid/chest infection but it was probably 5 years before that I think for a cat bite.