Ask Dr Jyoti Sood your questions about when antibiotics are needed and the threat of antibiotic resistance to your family - chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[EllieMumsnet]

Antibiotics have helped millions of people and are essential to treat serious bacterial infections. However they are frequently being used to treat illnesses; such as coughs, earache and sore throats, which can get better by themselves. Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem and one which can put you and your family at risk of developing infections which can’t be easily treated with antibiotics. Public Health England has launched a new campaign called ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’, to warn about the dangers of taking antibiotics unnecessarily and urges people to take their doctor’s advice on antibiotics.

Dr Jyoti Sood is here to answer your questions about what antibiotics are used for, the threat antibiotic resistance poses for you and your family and general tips to keep your family well this winter. Whether you have questions about what illnesses can be treated with antibiotics, what antibiotic resistance is, what it means for you and your family and some self-care advice to help you to get better if you are feeling unwell but are not being treated with antibiotics, Dr Jyoti is here to help.

Dr Jyoti Sood has this to say: “As a GP I’m often asked to prescribe antibiotics by patients who think that they will cure all their ills. The reality is that antibiotics are not always needed because they are ineffective in treating viruses or, in the case of illnesses such as coughs, earache and sore throats, people can get better by themselves. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of developing infections which in turn cannot be easily treated with antibiotics. The best advice is to always take your doctor’s advice and remember that your pharmacist can recommend medicines to help with your symptoms or pain.”

Please post your questions on the thread below and we’ll choose 20 for Dr Jyoti to answer and then post a link to the responses as soon as possible. Everyone who posts their questions will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list)

Here is some information about Dr Sood:
Dr Jyoti works as a GP in Redbridge, in a large urban practice. She trained in local hospitals and has been in the same practice for last 14 years.
She has a specialist interest in diabetes and dermatology and provides clinical support to these areas.
Dr Jyoti is the cancer and diabetes lead for Redbridge and has previously participated in public health campaign to promote awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&C’s apply

Can I keep left-over antibiotics for next time?

Would antibiotics help my acne?

How do you know when a cold needs an antibiotic?

Is it important to complete a course of antibiotics or can they be saved for later use?

I have two relatives who have been prescribed antibiotics as a preventative measure as they have compromised immune systems (following different/ongoing illnesses) and have both had sepsis following infections. I worry that by taking antibiotics regularly to prevent infections it will be harder for doctors to treat them when they actually DO get a serious infection. Is this really the best cause of action for them?

What medical developments are in the pipeline for alternatives to antibiotics?

My son was prescribed several courses of antibiotics when he was younger for repeated ear infections. Does this mean that he will be less responsive now if he needs antibiotics again?

We avoid antibiotics if at all possible and always tell the GP we would rather not have them and recover naturally if we can. (We will ring back if want them later on) Is this OK or am I putting my children at risk?

Why aren’t the swab tests (to identify whether an infection is bacterial or viral) available elsewhere in Europe used here? Are they only good for throat infections or others too?

Thanks 🙏

In the past I've been told that as an asthmatic I should always have antibiotics if I get a chest infection. But no two doctors seem to agree and no one gives clear guidance as to when I should go to the GP. Can you shed any light on this?

Hello I have had a cough since October and was recently prescribed steroids (42x5mg) as I was leaving the surgery, the GP offered me a prescription for Amoxillan "just incase you don't get better in 3 days".
I was tachycardic and had a temp of 39.5.
I haven't taken the ab but still have the cough, a head cold and sore throat. I assume this is viral - how would you know this as a GP and how can you prescribe with confidence?
Thank you!

Is the policy to cut back on antibiotic prescriptions just for adults? I'm assuming it doesn't apply to babies. What age is the cut-off for fewer antibiotic prescriptions?

I'd like to know how you decide whether to prescribe ABs or not? I often end up back at the doctors a week later and end up with a prescription.

I would also like to know how you decide whether to prescribe antibiotics or not?

Also I rarely take my DC to the GP when they're ill as I don't like to feel I've wasted your time and took an appointment from someone else in more need, so what symptoms can I look for that would suggest they need antibiotics?

I've just started a course of antibiotics for a week, (doxycycline) can I still drink alcohol over xmas?

What determines whether an antibiotic will be prescribed? Recently DH had an infection in his finger - red, angry, painful, moving down his finger, looked like a clear infection to me. Went to see a GP who said no antibiotics, will clear up on its own and burst it 'to relieve pressure'. 2 days later DH in agony with it, saw a different GP who said he should have been prescribed antibiotics last time.

So it seems that how can we know when antibiotics are appropriate if the Drs can't agree themselves?

My daughter is 3 and has asthma inhalers due to a weak chest (problems at birth). Every year we struggle with whether we should take her to the Drs or not because of a cough. We don't want her to become resistant to antibiotics however there doesn't seem to be any alternative. When we do take her we are often made to feel guilty for not bringing her sooner (we will only take her if cough sounds chesty or if she's had it for 10days+). We find a humidifier with peppermint or eucalyptus oil helps clear some of it but only after cough has started. Is there any advice or guidance for prevention or alternative treatments for a cough so that antibiotics are not the only option?

Is there an easy way to tell if a cough is a chest infection which might need antibiotics as opposed to an annoying ongoing cough after a cold which will resolve in time?

We don't want her to become resistant to antibiotics
There a lot of comments like this on this thread. People do not become resistant, the bacteria does. So with that in mind, and combined with many bacterial infections beginning their life on the other side of the world with mutations occurring during their progress around the globe, I’d like to ask how effective does the Dr think restricting/decreasing their use in the UK (and other European countries) will actually be long term? I have lived in many countries where antibiotics can be bought over the counter, mainly in Asia. Even in a country like Singapore, where you might expect the health system to be more regulated, I can tell you that if I go to (the excellent) local GP, where I will pay something like SGD70.00 to be seen, if I make it clear I want antibiotics then I will definitely be walking out with them. In addition, in many Asian countries you will be prescribed a much stronger and much longer course of antibiotics than you would in Europe, whether you need them or not. That in itself is a huge problem with regard to resistance. I definitely agree that antibiotic use should be much more strictly administered but would be interested in Dr Soods opinion on how this can ever happen if it is not a world wide initiative.

If you have an allergy to Penicillin which antibiotics should you not have?

Adding onto Judashascome point, here is a basic diagram explaining some of the ways bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics (sorry to hijack Dr Sood!)

After working in a pharmacy for some time (final year pharmacy student here!), I was stunned by the number of antibiotic prescriptions we had to dispense. Understandably, it's hard without seeing the patients but do you think all of the prescriptions are necessary?

Do you think there's enough microbial resistance awareness amongst all healthcare professionals, or could there be more collaborative working?

I find ear infections for my DD a constant concern. It is never obvious when she has one until I am at the GPs with a child with a clearly gunky ear who is then prescribed antibiotics. I get moaned at by the GP but at no point has it cleared up by itself in the past (see also tonsillitis and conjunctivitis for this trait). What are we expected to do to manage this?

What are the most common uses for antibiotics? I have read about people taking them when they don't really need them, but when would you decide that they are necessary?

Can a UTI be treated without antibiotics at all?

what is the best way to prevent a cough from becoming something more sinister that may require antibiotics?