Does it really matter what kind of antibiotics you take?

I'd like answers from doctors & nurses, please. My question is: if you have a common illness that needs antibiotics to cure, is it okay to take any type of antibiotics?

I get UTI's at least once a year and I always have to go through the whole process of going to the doctor and getting labwork done, etc. It's expensive and I KNOW what I have. Each time I get different antibiotics for the same illness. So the last time I got a UTI, my sister had some leftover antibiotics from an ear infection. I took them and healed up just fine. I'm wondering what the danger is in doing that, if any?

Yes. There are two basic distinctions of bacteria. Gram positive and gram negative. Antibiotics generally only work on one type.

That is why it is necessary to do a culture and sensitivity test to find out what antibiotic the particular strain of bacteria is susceptible to.

Some antibiotics are referred to as "shotgun" antibiotics and work on both types of bacteria, but not as well as some of the more specific medicines.

I am not a Dr. but I do know that in Mexico, that you can buy most drugs, maybe all of them, over the counter. You could save your self a lot of money and a lot of bother, if you were really in a free country.

Im not a Dr or nurse but I have to say I do it sometimes myself. I get infections a lot and usually I know what they are and if I have left overs from the last infection, I skip the Dr. But some people are highly allergic to Penicillin and need something else, also I know some antibiotics are stronger than others. I dont have an answer for you, I just wanted to say you arent the only one... freakin drug prices (growls)

Not all antibiotics work on all infections. The reason you have lab work done when you have a UTI, is to be certain that you do have a UTI and not something else. (Sometimes STD's can act like UTI's). The doctor also will check to see what type infection it is so that the appropriate antibiotic is given to you.

Never Never take someone else's antibiotic!! First of all you don't know the strength, the type and you don't even know if it will work on you. Secondly, it could have something in it that you may be allergic to such as "sulfur". An allergic reaction could be deadly. Thirdly, the antibiotic you got from your sister may have expired. When an antibiotic is given, the entire course of it should be taken by the patient so that there are no left overs, this ensures that the antibiotic has cleared the infection entirely. The expense of making certain you are diagnosed properly and get the proper medication is worth it.