why does my doctor gave me antibiotic for viral infection?

i fell sick with high fever, dragged my feet to visit a doctor while feeling toasted and dizzy. Doctor said its a viral infection, and will prescribe me antibiotic, but ....isn't antibiotic uselss against virus? I didn't ask the doctor when i was there because i was half dead and can't think straight.

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Reply 1

the bear

http://www.drugs.com/article/antibiotics-and-viruses.html

strange prescribing by your doctor ... is he an experienced physician ?

Reply 2

HucktheForde

Original post by the bear

http://www.drugs.com/article/antibiotics-and-viruses.html

strange prescribing by your doctor ... is he an experienced physician ?

i supposed so

Reply 3

username1539513

Original post by HucktheForde

He/ she might be ruling out bacterial infection? I don't know

Reply 4

abruiseonthesky

Because your doctor's an idiot that doesn't care about antibiotic resistance and is used to having patients whine at them because they have a virus so just prescribes everyone antibiotics to shut them up, whether they complain or not?

Reply 5

cupcakes87

if its viral, you shouldnt be given antibiotics wtf :/

youre right OP, antibiotics are useless against viral infections :sigh:

Reply 6

_Fergo

Maybe it wasn't just a viral infection...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

HucktheForde

anyway i have taken my first dose so i will finish it.

Reply 8

Zadkiel

I believe your doctor thinks your virus may be a transformer and eventually (like bumblebee) would become a bacteria.

:redface:

Reply 9

Student403

Original post by jcampos

i believe your doctor thinks your virus may be a transformer and eventually (like bumblebee) would become a bacteria.

:redface:

robots in disguise

Reply 10

Rum Ham

I had viral pneumonia and was given 2 lots of antibiotics to make sure there wasn't any other bugs lurking about as a precaution. I was shocked too as you hear so much about overusing antibiotics and how bad that is.

Reply 11

.Devon

So you can stay home the next time you're sick

Reply 12

SophieSmall

Original post by abruiseonthesky

pretty much this.

If my doctor prescribed me antibiotics for a viral infection I'd change doctors immediately. Antibiotic resistance and overuse of antibiotics is no joke and is quickly becoming one of the biggest global problems.

Reply 13

happydapdap

Original post by abruiseonthesky

BOOOOM
You
go
Girl
<3
That GP can sit the **** down and shut the **** up
You TOLD him

Reply 14

happydapdap

Original post by SophieSmall

LOVE this response too.

The guy even said he was only half aware what was going on.

Probably misunderstood/misheard the doctors reasoning but people love annihilating doctors so go you

Reply 15

abruiseonthesky

Original post by happydapdap

LOVE this response too.

The guy even said he was only half aware what was going on.

Probably misunderstood/misheard the doctors reasoning but people love annihilating doctors so go you

Because my biology degree has taught me absolutely nothing about this topic, this is of course coming from a place of complete ignorance :rolleyes:

Reply 16

udsjufhbsg

Original post by abruiseonthesky

Because my biology degree has taught me absolutely nothing about this topic, this is of course coming from a place of complete ignorance :rolleyes:

Biology degree =/= Medical degree and GMC registration

Reply 17

z33

Original post by abruiseonthesky

Because my biology degree has taught me absolutely nothing about this topic, this is of course coming from a place of complete ignorance :rolleyes:

#youAintNoDoctorBruv

X'D

Spoiler

Reply 18

username2151383

clearly this doctor didn't do GCSE biology !!!

Reply 19

navarre

Because, unfortunately, doctors are often faced with patients who simply can't understand, or just don't care, about the differences between a virus and bacteria. They go to the doctor expecting more than just a visit- they expect something done, even if that something is utterly useless.

Faced with the huge problem of antibiotic resistance, which will probably gift us with major pandemic in the next few years, one option may be to give patients sugar pills instead of antibiotics for viral illness. But that raises the whole ethical issues about lying to patients about what they're taken.