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Comment by esaym | Hacker News Reader

I've noticed that if I am very sick, even with antibiotics, I don't start getting better until 5+ days after first dose. Wondering what my body would naturally do with those five days, I've basically stopped going to the doc and just fight it off myself.

Really haven't noticed a difference. I'm talking stuff like ear pain, pink eye, severe sinus pain, ect. Don't know what I've had (since I didn't go to the doc, though I don't think they know half the time anyway..), but I survived it.

I'm sure there are valid reasons for antibiotics, but they are clearly over prescribed.

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You're an outlier then. Within twenty-four hours of taking an antibiotic, I've always felt MUCH better. I will agree they are over prescribed, especially for things that don't even respond to antibiotics(viruses). But there is no denying their effectiveness.

How do you know he's the outlier?

Occam's razor. Antibiotics aren't over-prescribed/over-used just for giggles. It's because when they're actually necessary, they usually improve one's health quite quickly.

I've had an antibiotic shot a couple of times and that was amazing. Going from tonsils so swollen they were touching and impeding my breathing to being able to eat my first meal in days just a few hours later. Was quite amazing!

> especially for things that don't even respond to antibiotics(viruses). But there is no denying their effectiveness.

Wait. What?

Not everything responds to antibiotics.

Viruses are an example of not responding to antibiotics.

Doctors sometimes prescribe antibiotics for things they wont work for.

Antibiotics can be very effective against some diseases.

Sample group of me, my wife, and my son. We see symptoms die down in 24-48 hours. Its very clear they work, especially in my case where I've always had a long hard struggle fighting off infections.

I do make an effort to get more Vitamin D in the winter, which has been helping me avoid getting sick, but not recover faster.

>Wondering what my body would naturally do with those five days

Strep can become deadly in children. Invasive strep has a significant mortality rate, and that's with treatments. If you think you have strep you should get treated.

Also, I find it amusing you consider drugs unnatural. We are a tool using species, naturally. Developing and using drugs is in our nature.

Lastly, this is the same reasoning anti-vaxxers have, so I'd be careful here. It can lead to some really bad outcomes.

>Also, I find it amusing you consider drugs unnatural.

Strange, I never said anything like that. I'm simply sharing my story. Yes I am kind of a cheapskate, and I don't like blowing my money on something that I don't get results from. I'm in my 30's, been to the doc plenty of times. Never really felt like it was worth it. But my health is perfectly fine, maybe in 10 years that won't be the case and I'll be forced to like the doc no matter what.

Don't try this with any kind of infected bite (human or animal). You will lose limbs or die.

One should be able to judge the severity. I was bitten by a small dog once on the middle finger. It swelled up pretty big the next day, started draining puss from the teeth holes, was red and hot to the touch. Had to take some pain pills just to go to sleep that night. Was better in the morning though, so didn't go to ER.

You got lucky. Go the ER next time.

If you want to take your life into your own hands, the way to monitor the infection is by using a pen to draw a line around the red part. If the infection spreads outside the line, it's time for an infectious disease specialist.

The symptoms you're describing can all be part of viral processes. Antibiotics will do nothing for these conditions.

how do you know what you have is bacterial as opposed to viral? You may be taking antibiotics for no reason.

I don't, but how would the doctor know? I've gone in plenty of times with horrid conditions, hacking up all colors of the rainbow, and barely able to talk. Yet was told it was allergies... My brother-in-law a few months ago had horrid throat pain and swelling. The Doc said it was strep (I think they even did a test too). The antibiotics did nothing. Once his throat got to the diameter of a pencil a few days later, they rush him to the ER. They said it was mononucleosis.

Sinus infections are pretty hard to treat with antibiotics.

That was partly to blame to my protest. Either way (doctor or not) it is 10-14 days of pain and drowning in my own snot.

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