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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to take double dose of antibiotic?

23 replies

BenjaminLinus · 01/04/2017 13:18

I've just got them today, prescription says one 4 times a day. Internal paperwork says dose can be one or two 4 times a day. Dentist always tells me to double up antibiotics for the first day, but these are from the doctor and for tonsillitis.

Would you/do you take double dose for the first day? Or is this specifically for dental antibiotics?

Absolutely no danger of overdosing by mg/kg bodyweight as am very hefty, although I do always wonder why human medication isn't calculated the same way as animal?

OP posts:

treaclesoda · 01/04/2017 13:19

No, if the doctor wanted you to double up he/she would have said so.

SenoritaViva · 01/04/2017 13:20

SpreadYourHappiness · 01/04/2017 13:21

No, definitely don't double up. Your doctor has told you how he wants you to take it and you should follow that.

(I've also had antibiotics from the dentist before and they've never told me to double up. )

RandomDent · 01/04/2017 13:23

My doctor would tell me to make sure I got the full 4 in on the first day, no matter how late in the day I started. Just make sure you've done that?

Toast3 · 01/04/2017 13:24

I Wouldn't double up the dose....think of your 'gut' all those good bacteria being killed and possible tummy ache. Take them as prescribed.
Hope you feel better soon!

Universitychallenging · 01/04/2017 13:27

I have never heard of taking double on the first day is this a thing?

mumofone1234 · 01/04/2017 13:28

I'm guessing the one you were told to double up was Doxycycline?

StarryIllusion · 01/04/2017 13:33

Doxycycline and Metronidazole are OK to double up first day. They are normally for dental infection. Anything else you WILL regret it. Amoxicillin will make you regret it for days afterwards.

Original poster

BenjaminLinus · 01/04/2017 14:42

Ahh, metronidazole sounds familiar - is that one of the 'no alcohol' ones? I like the idea of squeezing the extra dose in to get a full first day - might stay up late and do that.

OP posts:

Okumara · 01/04/2017 14:49

My doctor told me to double the first dose of doxycycline once, the result was projectile vomiting. So I won't be doing that again :D

StarryIllusion · 01/04/2017 14:52

Yeah that's the one but I only double the first dose, not the whole day's doses.

Happyandhungry · 01/04/2017 15:09

Don't double dose but do get in as many as you can in the first day (whilst still sticking to the "at least 2 hours apart" or whatever it says in the leaflet) this is just to get you feeling better as soon as you can basically.

nocoolnamesleft · 01/04/2017 19:04

There are antibiotics where it is common to double on the first day. There are antibiotics where double the dose is used throughout the course for more severe infections, though your guts certainly know about it. There are antibiotics where blindly doubling the dose up could cause serious kidney problems.

You haven't even told anyone on here, none of whom you actually know whether they have medical qualifications or not, which antibiotic it is. So you are best off taking them as prescribed. By someone who knows what antibiotics they are giving you for what reason.

Oh, and in babies/small children we do often dose according to weight. But then the smallest of my patients might by 0.5 kg, and the largest well over 100kg. In comparision, adults vary by comparatively little.

PennyPickle · 01/04/2017 19:12

You cannot overdose on antibiotics. I suffer from asthma and whenever I have a chest infection my GP tells me to double up the first dose of antibiotics.

My DS suffers severe throat problems - which if not treated quickly turn to quinsy, which means several weeks in hospital and various operations to drain the abscesses in his throat. GP also tells him to double up the first day doses of antibiotics.

nocoolnamesleft · 01/04/2017 19:46

You CAN overdose on SOME antibiotics.

SellFridges · 01/04/2017 19:56

My Aunt is a midwife and always used to say take a double dose of antibiotics at first. I tend not to nowadays, but do try to fit as many doses as possible into the first day.

As it happens, DD has been given some today so had a dose at about 5, will have another before bed and if she wakes over night I will give her another dose then.

Whatsername17 · 01/04/2017 20:05

Doubling up is actually known as a loading dose. You are usually advised to give a loading dose when the infection is severe as a way of getting the antibiotics into your system quicker. If you haven't been advised then you probably don't need to.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 01/04/2017 23:06

No. If the doc wanted you to double up they'd have said.

The only times I've been told to double up is when I had periodontitis (wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy) and the dentist told me to double up for the first day of the course only.
The only other times I've been told to double up is when I was really struggling to get on top of a bout of cellulitis. Again. The doctor told me to double up the first day to 'hit it hard'.

I wouldn't double up without that specific advise. Both times I was told to double up I was practically chained to the bathroom

AwaywiththePixies27 · 01/04/2017 23:08

I have never heard of taking double on the first day is this a thing?

Yes. But usually only when the infection is severe and the doctors are worried you may end up in hospital if they didn't get on top of it quickly anyway.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 01/04/2017 23:11

You cannot overdose on antibiotics. I suffer from asthma and whenever I have a chest infection my GP tells me to double up the first dose of antibiotics.

I'm asthmatic too and a frequent flyer on the resp ward. Never been told to double my antibiotics for my asthma/chest infections though. I was put on every single ab and more besides under the sun when I ended up on HDU once though so you've got a point about not overdosing.

treaclesoda · 02/04/2017 03:17

whenever I have a chest infection my GP tells me to double up the first dose of antibiotics

If the prescribing doctor says to do it, I'd class that as 'taking them as prescribed' rather than doubling the dose.

Craicvac · 02/04/2017 09:42

Don't bother. Antibiotics only shorten the course of tonsillitis by about 12hours. The reason they are prescribed is because the bug that commonly causes a true tonsillitis can cause other problems too. You'll make yourself sick, and not achieve anything useful.

Original poster

BenjaminLinus · 02/04/2017 13:38

You haven't even told anyone on here, none of whom you actually know whether they have medical qualifications or not, which antibiotic it is

Yep, the reason being that I have the advice note, I don't need randoms to google it and tell me what I already know.

It's so long since I had anti-biotics from the doctor (have had a few from the dentist) that I was wanting to check the double first dose was the norm.

As the dose can be one or two tablets, there would be no harm from taking the higher dose as far as I can see.

Took the max dose by staying up late - couldn't bloody sleep anyway to be honest, so thanks to whoever suggested that. And the way I'm feeling right now, 12 hours less sounds wonderful!

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