Antibiotics are medications used to treat infections that are caused bybacteria.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
What Is An Antibiotic?
Penicillinwas the first antibiotic developed, and it happened by accident.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
Antibiotic development exploded after World War II, and today there are several classes of antibiotics to choose from.
How Do Antibiotics Work?
Antibiotics work by binding to bacterial cells and penetrating their cells walls.
Antibiotics are divided into classes based on how they enter cell walls and destroy bacteria.
This is called the mechanism of action.
Antibiotics by Mechanism of Action
Different types of antibiotics work against bacteria in different ways.
Below are some examples.
How Long Do They Take to Work?
Other types of antibiotics are more effective over time.
On the other hand, penicillin works over a period of time.
Depending on how your illness has spread, it can take days or even weeks to work completely.
Always take antibiotics for the full regimen prescribed by your doctor.
Stopping a course of antibiotics early can worsen your infection or increase your resistance to antibiotics overall.
For example, penicillins and vancomycins can only be used to treat infections because of gram-positive bacteria.
This includes things like throat infections,C.diffinfections, andneurosyphilisan infection of the brain and spinal cord.
Antibiotics Are Not a Cure-All
Antibiotics should only be used for specific bacterial infections.
Taking antibiotics only when appropriate can help fight antimicrobial resistance.
AntibioticsDO NOT workagainst viruses and cannot be used to treat infections likeinfluenzaorCOVID-19.
You should also be sure to always take your full course of antibiotics.
You should also never share your antibiotics with anyone else or use antibiotics that were not prescribed to you.
Few studies investigated the effect of social or limited alcohol consumption while taking antibiotics.
Antibiotics can kill"good" bacteriaand upset the natural balance in your body, especially in the gut.
The use of probiotics while taking antibiotics may be helpful in reducing some of these side effects.
Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistanceis a problem that emerges because of overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
When this happens, it’s not your body that becomes resistant to antibiotics.
Instead, the bacteria antibiotics are meant to kill or damage are no longer effected by the medications.
Antibiotics don’t work for everything and are not effective against viruses.
Go the emergency room or seek immediate medical care if you experience symptoms of anallergic reactionwhile taking antibiotics.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s not recommended to drink alcohol with antibioticsand particularly with certain varieties.
You may experience things like increased nausea or vomiting when combining antibiotics with alcohol.
A UTI can be treated within a few days with antibiotics, but can last much longer without.
Even worse, an untreated UTI can lead to more severe illness like kidney infections or even urosepsis.
How long antibiotics stay in your system depends on the bang out of antibiotic you are taking.
Types of antibiotics that last the longest in your body include certain types of penicillins and hydroxychloroquine.
HealthyChildren.org.The history of antibiotics.
September 2017;33(3):300-305. doi:10.4103/joacp.JOACP_349_15.
Eyler RF, Shvets K.Clinical pharmacology of antibiotics.CJASN.
July 2019; 14(7):1080-1090. doi:10.2215/CJN.08140718.
SingleCare.What is levofloxacin and what is it used for?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About strep throat.
Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania.Antibiotics.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Combating antibiotic resistance.
Ramirez J, et al.Antibiotics as major disruptors of gut microbiota.Front Cell Infect Microbiol.
September 2020;10:731. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2020.572912.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance facts.
Unity Point Health.Can UTIs go away on their own?
