What to do if you forget to take your antibiotic

When you forget to take the antibiotic at the right time, you should take the missed dose when you remember.

However, if there are less than 2 hours left until the next dose, it is recommended to skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the correct time, to avoid increasing the risk of side effects due to a double dose, such as severe diarrhea, abdominal pain or vomiting. .

Read too: 5 ways to combat diarrhea caused by antibiotics

Ideally, the antibiotic should always be taken at the same interval, generally every 8, 12 or 24 hours, to ensure that there is always a constant level of the medicine in the blood, avoiding the development of bacterial resistance that can worsen the infection and make treatment difficult.

What to do if you forget to take it

Some recommendations if you forget to take the antibiotic are:

What to do if you forget to take 1 pill

In most cases, when you forget just 1 tablet, it is recommended to take the tablet as soon as you remember, as long as there are no less than 2 hours left until the next dose. From then on, the following doses should be taken at the original time.

However, it is important to always read the medication leaflet, as instructions may vary depending on the type of antibiotic and the dose being used.

Check the leaflet of the most used antibiotics:

Furthermore, it is also possible to contact the doctor who prescribed the antibiotic to confirm the best way to act after forgetting.

Read too: Antibiotics cut the effect of contraceptives?

What to do if you miss 2 hours of your schedule

If it is 2 hours after the usual time to take the antibiotic, it is important to take it as soon as you remember.

For example, if the antibiotic regimen is 1 dose every 8 hours, that is, 3 times a day, you can take the missed dose up to 2 or 3 hours later. After this period, you should skip the missed dose and continue taking the antibiotic at the scheduled doses.

What to do if you forget to take several pills

Missing more than one dose of the antibiotic can harm the treatment and, therefore, it is always important to inform the doctor who prescribed the antibiotic about how many doses were missed.

In many cases, the doctor will recommend starting treatment again with a new pack of antibiotics, to ensure that all bacteria are eliminated correctly, preventing the disease from recurring.

Although it is possible to start treatment again with another package, it is very important to try to avoid forgetting, because during the period in which you stop taking the antibiotic correctly, the bacteria can become resistant, and it may be necessary to change the antibiotic, in addition to make it difficult to treat a new infection in the future. Understand what bacterial resistance is.

Tips for not forgetting to take your antibiotic

To avoid forgetting to take a dose of antibiotics, there are some simple and very effective tips, such as:

• Combine antibiotic intake with other daily activitiessuch as after eating or after taking another medicine, such as medicine for high blood pressure;
• Keep a daily record of antibiotic intakenoting the doses taken and those missing, as well as the time;
• Create an alarm on your cell phone or computer to remember the right time to take the antibiotic.

These tips are important for maintaining correct and regular antibiotic intake, accelerating the cure of the problem and preventing the emergence of side effects such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, for example.

Read too: Antibiotics: what they are, most used and common questions