A Detailed Guide To Antibiotic OTC Drugs

Antibiotic OTC drugs seem like great options for your ailments. However, this is farthest from the truth. These medications are super dicey and can leave you in the ER. As a result, it is very important that you keep track of your medication in order to avoid any unnecessary medical complications. Scroll down to read more. 

What Are Antibiotic OTC Drugs? 

Antibiotic OTC drugs or antibiotics over-the-counter are antibiotics that you can buy without any prescription. These drugs are sold in an OTC format because they do not demonstrate fatal or concerning side effects. But before I start talking about OTC, I need to establish the fundamentals. 

We all have taken antibiotics at least once in our lifetime. These drugs deter a myriad of infections and keep us safe. As a result, they are perfect for people who want to contain an infection.  

Howevevr, antibiotics are no joke, especially if you are pregnant. If you are pregnant, you need to take special care of your diet and medication. As a result, you need to carefully pick and choose situations that are perfect for antibiotic usage.  

When Should You Use Antibiotics? 

Full-spectrum or Antibiotic OTC drugs cater to specialized usage. In other words, you cannot use one antibiotic for every infection out there. You need to adapt according to different situations. Otherwise, you might demonstrate sub-par results.  

When full-spectrum or antibiotic OTC drugs are used properly, they demonstrate fewer side effects. Otherwise, you might end up with a messy situation on your hands. Hence, it is very important for a user to know how to use it properly. 

Therefore, you should only use antibiotic OTC drugs when you show signs of an infection. Otherwise, you should stay away from those, especially if you are a pregnant woman. 

When Should You Not Use Antibiotics? 

Antibiotics are not tic tac. These are serious drugs that have some serious after-effects. As a result, a user needs to have a clear idea about its usage. Subsequently, antibiotics are not suitable for every situation. Infections like cough, flu, cold, sore throat, sinusitis, COVID-19, etc., cannot be treated using antibiotics. 

Never use antibiotics if you ‘suspect’ an infection. Always remember that your doctor knows the best. As a result, you must consult him at every juncture. Otherwise, you might end up complicating things further.  

Another important aspect of antibiotic OTC drugs is improper usage and resistance build-up. Never leave an antibiotic medication coursework in the middle. In such cases, physicians recommend antibiotic cool-down. Stop using the medication for a specified period of time and allow your system to reset.  

However, all these decisions must not be taken alone without a physician’s guidance. Otherwise, you will be biting more than you can chew. 

Legality Antibiotic OTC Drugs 

Legality plays a major role when it comes to antibiotic OTC drugs. Antibiotics are considered to be a prescription drug in most countries. In other words, pharmacies are not allowed to hand out these drugs without a prescription. 

In the USA, OTC antibiotics are banned. As a result, you might come across OTC antibiotics in the open market.  

As per the government mandate, OTC medications increase the risk of medical complications. As a result, the government has decided to keep things under check by changing the legal status of OTC medications.  

Alternatives To Antibiotics OTC Drugs 

Antibiotic OTC drugs may prove useful in some cases. Howevevr, they are often sub-par and produce undesirable results. As a result, it is important to know some of the alternatives that you should gravitate toward.  

Antibiotics must never be consumed without a prescription. As a result, consult your physician before taking these medications.  

With that note, let us dive right in and look at some of the most prominent antibiotics that work as more powerful alternatives to the antibiotics OTC drugs. 

Penicillins 

Penicillin was one of the greatest chapters in the history of medical science. It was the first of its kind, and it opened the floodgates for scientists to follow. Penicillins come in several different variants. These include:  

• Amoxicillin 
• Clavulanate 
• Ampicillin 
• Dicloxacillin 
• Oxacillin 
• Penicillin v Potassium 
• Tazobactam 

Tetracyclines 

Tetracyclines are broad-spectrum antibiotics that are known to work against a myriad of infections. These include UTI, STD, periodontitis, eye flu, etc. This class of antibiotics is the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics. Some of the most prominent variants of tetracycline antibiotics include: 

•  Demeclocycline 
• Doxycycline 
• Eravacycline 
• Eravacycline 
• Omadacycline 
• Sarecycline 
• Tetracycline 

Cephalosporins 

Cephalosporins are the most common remedy for gram-negative infections. Cephalosporins is a wide-acting antibiotic. As a result, the medication can cover a myriad of infections, including UTIs, derma-related infections, meningitis, pulmonary infections, etc. Some of the most prominent variants of the Cephalosporins class of bacteria include: 

• Cefaclor 
• Cefadroxil 
• Cefdinir 
• Cephalexin 
• Cefprozil 
• Cefdinir 
• Cefepime 
• Cefiderocol 
• Cefotaxime 
• Cefotetan 
• Ceftaroline 
• Ceftazidime 
• Ceftriaxone 
• Cefuroxime 

Fluoroquinolones 

Fluoroquinolones or Quinolones are synthetic antibiotic medications. This class of antibiotics is broad-spectrum in nature. This class of antibiotics is revolutionary because adults and children can use them. However, Fluoroquinolones are a potent class of antibiotics. As a result, medical practitioners prescribe this under special conditions. Here are some of the most prominent variants of Fluoroquinolones 

• Ciprofloxacin 
• Delafloxacin 
• Levofloxacin 
• Moxifloxacin 
• Gemifloxacin 

Lincomycins 

Lincomycins are quite effective against gram-positive aerobe and anaerobe bacteria. Subsequently, they are also effective against gram-negative bacteria. Hence, this class of antibiotics is perfect for wide-scale usage. This class of antibiotics is effective against ailments like intra-abdominal infections, joint infections, skin infections, pelvic inflammation, etc. Some of the most prominent variants of Lincomycins include: 

• Clindamycin 
• Linomycins 

Antibiotics Misuse 

Not many people know this, but antibiotic OTC drugs can be misused. This is primarily due to widespread misinformation. General populus seems to have a scant idea of proper antibiotic usage. Here are some examples to help you identify antibiotic OTC drugs misuse: 

• Treating Viral Infections: Antibiotics help deal with a myriad of bacterial infections. However, they remain useless when it comes to viral infections. As a result, stop using antibiotics when you have flu or a common cold. You are only adding to your problems. 
• Using Over-Generously: Antibiotics are only effective when they are truly needed. Over-usage of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, stop taking medication at the drop of a hat. 
• Unprescribed Consumption: Antibiotics are not Tictacs. These are serious medications that should only be used when needed. Do not hope for positive results if you start taking antibiotics randomly. Wait for your physician to prescribe it.  
• Using ‘Leftover’ Antibiotics: Antibiotics should not be saved or shared with your friends. Refrain from consuming antibiotics from a previous illness. In fact, such cavalier usage can only lead to problems. Hence, avoid using them altogether.  

The Closing Thought 

In summation, that was all I had to say about antibiotic OTC drugs and their medicinal implication. OTC drugs are always dicey. In some cases, they work like a charm. In other cases, they can leave you with more problems than you can bargain. Keep following our page for more such content.

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