When
you last took antibiotics, your doctor probably told you to “complete the
course”—that is, take the pills for the length of time prescribed, even if you
felt better before the end. But there’s growing evidence that this old-school
approach does more harm than good.
You
might assume prescribing lengths are standardized, based on solid scientific
principles. Not so, says Professor Jack Gilbert, PhD, faculty director of the Microbiome
Center at the University of Chicago. “The length of time we use an
antibiotic for is pretty arbitrary.” He says most doctors opt for five to 10
days, but there’s no consensus about where these figures came from.
“They may reflect long-standing convention or be
based on a manufacturer’s decision during an initial drug trial,” according to an
opinion piece by infectious diseases specialist Professor Lyn Gilbert.
Related: 5 Natural Powerful Antibiotics You Should Consider
Related: 5 Natural Powerful Antibiotics You Should Consider
