Can you help me work out when to take the antibiotics?

[Cloud44]

Been given a prescription today - 2 tablets every 6 hours. What times should I take them? I can’t think clearly!
it’s the second prescription I’ve been given as the infection has come back a week later. First time they said 2 tablets 4 times a day - I think it was explained to me wrong and I took it as the 12 daytime hours so I think I took them incorrectly.. is this bad? It was still the same each 24 hours but they may not have been as effective? It was for 5 days. But worried now so want to make sure I spread these out correctly.

Take 2 now, then 2 in 6 hours time, and repeat.
The directions are the same as previously, just expressed differently
Based on a 24 hour clock, taking 2 tablets every 6 hours would be the same as taking 2 tablets 4 times a day.

It’s not necessarily that you didn’t stick religiously to the time to take them that they didn’t work. I had a nasty gum infection that took three different antibiotics gradually increasing in strength. Every 6 hours could be 10 am 4 pm, 10pm and 4am.

So it's just gone 2.00 pm. Take the first lot at 6.00pm. Take the next lot at midnight. Set alarm, take the next at 6.00 am. Take the next at midday tomorrow. Continue as above.

If those times don't quite suit just shift every dose by the same amount of time so maybe 7pm, 1am, 7am, 1pm.
Course the bloody clocks change too tonight. I'd either adjust for that or ignore it. It honestly won't make any difference in the complete course.

Does that help OP?

Thank you so much everyone that’s a big help. Last time I took them a week or so ago they made me feel quite tired and sick/dodgy stomach - has any one got any tips of what could help reduce these side effects?

You basically need to take 4 doses a day. I'd personally spread them over your waking hours so when you wake up, lunchtime, later afternoon and before you go to bed. I have two medications that I take 4 times a day at the moment and that's my pattern.

6am, 12pm, 6pm, 10pm (unless you want to stay up till midnight)

Thank you. Does anyone know if the nausea bands you can get for travel sickness work for nausea from ABs?

Which antibiotics are they @Cloud44 ? And how many does it state per day?

No prescriber expects you to set an alarm to wake yourself up in the night to take antibiotics.

Stick to waking hours - 7am, 13:00, 5pm and bedtime.

Even in hospital they aren't going round waking people to give them tablets in the middle of the night.

It says every 6 hours though - does it matter if there is only 4/5 hours between doses? It’s phenoxycillian (spelt wrong!)

No need to take it so literally.

7am, midday, 5pm and 11pm would be absolutely fine.

It really doesn't matter. It was only on Mumsnet that I discovered some people set an alarm and rigidly take them through the 24 hours.

They so did this to me on postnatal - midwife shook me awake for my antibiotic tablets in the early hours.

Then shook me awake again a couple of hours later to apply antibiotic cream to my baby. I still don't know why they couldn't do that themselves and just let me sleep! And if it was something I had to do for some reason why they couldn't coincide it with mine...

I doubt it - travel sickness is to do with the fluid in your ears

Try a ginger biscuit and a banana / dry bread, and some peppermint tea

Ginger and peppermint will help with nausea
Banana and dry bread will help it be less awful if you are sick

@RidingMyBike that was mean!

On our electronic prescribing the times automatically come up as sensible hours.

It is reassuring to know that this isn't normal practice! It had never occurred to me until then that 4x per day meant over 24 hours rather than waking hours!

I'd normally have done the first as early as possible - say 6am, and the last as late as possible, probably around 10.30pm, then spread the other two doses evenly between.

Thank you everyone. Has anyone else felt worse when taking antibiotics?

I split them over the 18 hours I'm awake, especially if they are a take with food type.

It's not unusual to feel rough from antibiotics, some types worse than others, erythromycin and clarythromycin commonly make people feel very bad

Yes flucloxicillin (sp) made me very poorly, weird dizziness, exhaustion and nausea. My dr switched me to another antibiotic. Don’t think you have to feel horrific. I’ve also just started some clarithromycin and take it around food, which seems to help.

Yep
Me
Now
Doxycycline... am laid on bed feeling rough as a badgers bum

I had those before Christmas for pneumonia, I felt worse with the antibiotics, it was like permanent morning sickness.

Don’t forget that the clocks change tonight.

That's about it @Nat6999
At least I've stopped being sick