Everyone should listen to the advice of their doctors.
But I just thought I’d point out that the evidence that unconditionally finishing an entire course of antibiotics actually is necessary turns out to be very poor: https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418
If you think about it, it doesn’t really make sense. Prolonging an antibiotic course will increase, not decrease, the chance of organisms becoming resistant, and finishing a course of an antibiotic will by definition not kill resistant organisms anyway.
Thanks, I didn't know this. My doctors' unilateral stance was in favor of fixed treatment durations.
The paper you linked reads more like an opinion piece to me (not my field, cannot judge), but it points to this meta-analysis [1] which supports your argument. Surprising that so few studies seem to exist on this link (~20 in the meta analysis).
I don’t go to the doctor often, but after having a kid, WOW you will get wildly different “best practices” from different doctors. Try to not over index on one physician’s advice.
But I just thought I’d point out that the evidence that unconditionally finishing an entire course of antibiotics actually is necessary turns out to be very poor: https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3418
If you think about it, it doesn’t really make sense. Prolonging an antibiotic course will increase, not decrease, the chance of organisms becoming resistant, and finishing a course of an antibiotic will by definition not kill resistant organisms anyway.