Should I take antibiotics?

[Crescent Cat]

I feel a little better today but still kinda cruddy. I think antibiotics was the right call. Around midnight last night I woke up in a frantic coughing fit and I hacked up some gnarly shit. It was back to the thick yellow mucus I had before.

Now the mucus I'm coughing up is back to the lighter/clearer consistency. That's a good sign, yes?

I'm still having some trouble breathing and need a few treatments. I ran out of Mucinex but I'm still having productive coughs and keeping myself hydrated.

I'm wondering if I'm contagious at this stage. If I'm feeling up to it I'd like to go to my DnD session tonight but only if I don't risk infecting everyone there. The house it's at has small children and I don't want to get them sick.

[KiaKat]

General rule is that if you have a fever, you're contagious. However, usually the first day of antibiotics is enough to make you not-contagious, as long as you took all the doses on time, you're CONTINUING to take the doses on time, and there isn't a viral or fungal infection riding shotgun.

[jedimaster91]

I would stay home, contageous or not. Your body needs rest to fight off whatever bug is making you sick.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My mom got me Activia yogurt when I started the antibiotics. I had very little stomach trouble even after 2 weeks on the drugs.

Also, Mucinex is great but once your lungs are better stop taking it. I took it longer than I should have and the doctor said it was just prolonging the post-nasal drip and therefore aggravating my cough at that point.

[Seshat]

Background info as to the reasons behind Nurse Knockers' comments

(Amina and/or other medical experts, please correct any incorrect info here.)

Antibiotics are useless against virii, but great against bacteria. If your infection is bacterial, take them - and take the whole course. If your infection is viral, ask if there's an antiviral for that particular virus yet. If not, your only choice is to trust your immune system.

If you don't take the whole course, the bacteria that survive the incomplete course are the ones that are somewhat resistant to the antibiotic you used, and will probably infect someone else - and if they don't take the whole course, an antibiotic-resistant strain evolves.

*I* can't tell whether an infection is bacterial or viral, or whether it started out viral but bacteria have come in while the body is weakened and started a colony. I go to my doctor to find out. (I figure that Nurse Practitioners also know. Probably many others.)

Supporting your body with stuff like vitamins and honey and so forth is a great idea. Probiotics and other tools to help maintain a proper balance between our symbiote bacteria & fungi are also useful. See the various other posts in this thread for that info. We have smart folk here.