Taking antibiotics when you don't need to?!

Taking antibiotics when you don't need to?

Would anything bad happen if you took antibiotics when you weren't sick? I was wondering about that..... I don't really want to try it out, but does anyone have an answer? I'd really appreciate something other than "I dunno."

4 weeks ago
Some of you seem to have gotten the impression that I was thinking of taking antibiotics even though I'm not sick.... I DON'T! Is curiousity a sin? I was just wondering.... but anyway, thanks for the answers, I guess.

Yes, it's called resistance.

You take antibiotics to combat bacteria. They usually work by either breaking down the cell wall of the germ or by preventing synthesis of cell wall proteins. Either way, you only want to take them in the presence of an infection. If you take them when you're not sick, the natural bacteria inside of you can confer resistance to any subsequent medication if they happen to overpopulate and cause an infection. The result is an illness that can't be cured with a simple prescription.
For the same reason, when your doctor prescribes a certain amount of antibiotics, make sure you take all the pills (even if you're starting to feel better). The whole dose is presented in that way so that you eliminate all the harmful germs. If you stop taking it, the ones that remain will become stronger and won't react to the same medication again.

Hope that helps!