Why the antibiotic course still matters

Antibiotics often make you feel better well before the infection is gone. That gap is where the trouble starts.

What stopping early does

The bacteria that survive longest are the hardest to kill. Stopping when symptoms ease leaves those behind, and they are the ones that repopulate — this time less responsive to the same medicine.

Take them on schedule

Even spacing keeps the drug level steady. A dose taken whenever you remember produces peaks and troughs, and the troughs are where resistance develops.

Do not save leftovers

A part-used strip is not a treatment for the next illness. Different infections need different antibiotics, and self-prescribing an old one delays the right treatment.

Do not share

What worked for a family member may be wrong for your infection, and wrong for your other medicines.

If side effects make a course hard to finish, call your doctor rather than stopping quietly — a different antibiotic is usually available.