To think I don't need these antibiotics.

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I have been prescribed antibiotics due to a low grade fever and ongoing issues with dizziness ect. My GP prescribed Clarithromycin over the phone and the side effects are horrendous. I had to go hospital and my blood tests were clear no signs of infection in them. Can I stop these antibiotics? Don't really want to take them if I don't need them but also don't want to cause further issues.

Doctors precribe antibiotics willynilly so sure, im sure you know better

Did the hospital tell you to continue taking them?

Not that I know better but my doctors does seem to give them out willy nilly especially now there are no face to face appointments. I have sinus issues i am waiting for a CT scan. This has been going on 3 months and is my 3rd course of antibiotics since it started.

I think lots of doctors do just give them out willy nilly unfortunately. Can you get a second opinion? My doctor prescribed some for my son's tonsillitus, he had a reaction to it and then a second doctor said to stop it as he shouldn't have been on it in the first place.

I will try and get hold of my GP today. Hospital said to continue but think thats more to do with antibiotic resistance. I've been being sick since I started them 2 days ago and had the worst headaches. Feel worse than I did before. For context I've been given antibiotics by my GP before because he didn't want to examine my breast, just said mastitis even though I had no symptoms. Another doctor examined me and said it wasn't an infection so to stop ABs and referred me under 2 week wait for a scan.

I always thought you're supposed to finish a course to avoid antibiotic resistance. How long do you have left before you've finished, is it long?

Some doctors DO give them out willy nilly. My GP definitely does, DS had to go to hospital once after several courses of ineffective antibiotics (needlessly and also incorrectly prescribed, but I assumed the GPs knew what they were doing) and the hospital doctors there were annoyed and commented on it. In a way that suggested it happens a lot.

A sinus infection can land you in ITU, so I'd keep taking them.

Yes I thought the same. I've still got 4 and half days left of them. They're just awful I think in 6 months they've prescribed me 4 lots of antibiotics. Its just not healthy to take that many surely. When actually none have worked so clearly hasnt been an infection.
Ah your poor DS. Yes it probably annoys the hospitals.

Obviously from the point of view of antibiotic resistance it's better to finish the course, but I would be damned if I was prepared to actually be sick for the sake of it. Yes, it's really important. But being sick will probably be getting rid of most of the antibiotic yesterday. I'd suggest you are intolerant of that sort, and note it down and make sure you aren't prescribed them again.

If you’ve started taking them you should finish them because of antibiotic resistance. Lots of people stop a course before the end because they feel better, and that is what allows resistance to develope (albeit the impact of human behaviour on antibiotic resistance is tiny compared to the impact of farming on antibiotic resistance).

@Lougle I know they're not great but I've had this for 3 months and consultant didn't prescribe antibiotics. He said it was fine to wait for the CT scan in a month or 2. He said its either silent reflux or chronic sinusitis. I asked at the hospital and they said a nor.al course of ABs won't clear chornic sinisitus

I get prescribed these ABs because I am intolerant to penicillin and I breastfeed so very limited on what I can actually take. Just frustrating taking something that makes you feel so much worse.

I’ve been offered some for toothache. My tooth isn’t infected, it’s decayed and half filled with a temporary filling which is falling out. The appointment to remove it was cancelled and now won’t be done until September. I’m in pain and al the dentist keeps doing is offering antibiotics as if they are going to cure it!

Don’t stop your antibiotics. That’s how you get antibiotic resistant bacteria.