What happens if you take antibiotic doses too close together?

There's an increased risk of side effects if you take 2 doses closer together than recommended. Accidentally taking 1 extra dose of your antibiotic is unlikely to cause you any serious harm. But it will increase your chances of getting side effects, such as pain in your stomach, diarrhoea, and feeling or being sick.

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Is it bad to take antibiotics too close together?

There's an increased risk of side effects if you take two doses closer together than recommended. Accidentally taking one extra dose of your antibiotic is unlikely to cause you any serious harm.

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How long can you wait between antibiotic doses?

Ideally these times should be at least 4 hours apart. Missed dose: If you forget to take your dose, take it as soon as you remember. But, if it is nearly time for your next dose, take the next dose at the right time.

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What happens if you take an extra antibiotic in a day?

Accidentally taking an extra dose

If you accidentally take one extra dose of your antibiotic it's unlikely to cause serious harm. However, it will increase your chances of side effects like: pain in your stomach. diarrhoea.

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Is it OK to take antibiotics 1 hour early?

Yes, it is OK to take your meds an hour prior to your normal time. This won't have any impact on your health.

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The Dos and Don’ts for Taking Antibiotics

21 related questions found

Can I take antibiotics sooner than 6 hours?

Official answer. In an ideal world - every 6 hours is best. In hospital they would dose you every 6 hours. This is what you should do if your infection is severe.

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Do antibiotics have to be taken exactly on time?

Do: Take your prescription at the same time every day. Plan to take your antibiotics at about the same time each day at regular intervals. Consider scheduling them before or after meals so that you can remember and if your doctor says it is OK to take them with food.

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Can you take antibiotics earlier than 12 hours?

It's important to make sure you take your antibiotics at regularly scheduled doses — for example, every 8 hours or every 12 hours. This is so the medicine's effect spreads out evenly over the course of a day. Make sure to ask your medical provider if you should take your medication with food or on an empty stomach.

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Do I need to wake up to take antibiotics?

It is important to space the doses of antibiotic evenly throughout the day. It is not necessary to wake up to take them during the night.

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What happens if you take too much amoxicillin at one time?

Taking an extra dose of amoxicillin is unlikely to harm you or your child, but speak to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried.

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Can I take antibiotics 3 hours in between?

Try to take the right number of doses each day, leaving at least 3 hours between doses. Taking an extra dose of flucloxacillin is unlikely to harm you or your child. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you're worried or if you take more than 1 extra dose.

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Can I take amoxicillin earlier than 8 hours?

Typically, people take amoxicillin twice to three times a day, or every 8-12 hours, either with or without food.

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What is the strongest antibiotic for bacterial infection?

Vancomycin 3.0 is one of the most potent antibiotics ever created. It is used to treat conditions like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-induced meningitis, endocarditis, joint infections, and bloodstream and skin infections.

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How do you reverse antibiotic damage?

How can I help my gut bacteria to recover after antibiotics?
  1. Take probiotics. The clinical evidence for the benefits of taking probiotics during and after antibiotic use is confusing. ...
  2. Make the most of prebiotics. ...
  3. Eat like a hunter-gatherer. ...
  4. Reduce stress. ...
  5. Exercise.

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Why shouldn't you take antibiotics before bed?

When taking an oral antibiotic, it is important to know the dose you are taking and how many times a day you should take the medicine. Also, it is generally not a good idea to take these medications right before bedtime because this can lead to an irritation of the esophagus.

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Can you take medicine 2 hours early?

It's usually safe to take medicine 1-2 hours early or late, but don't double up doses. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to see how to handle the switch to a new time zone.

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Can I take penicillin 4 hours apart?

Penicillin V is usually given four times a day. This is usually first thing in the morning (before breakfast), at about midday (before lunch), late in the afternoon (before tea) and at bedtime. Ideally, these times should be at least 3 hours apart.

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Can I take antibiotics 5 hours earlier?

So for example, if you are supposed to take your antibiotic every 12 hours, you could take it if it's less than six hours away from your next scheduled dose. If it's beyond six hours, simply take the next dose when it's due, understanding that your therapy will need to be extended to incorporate the dose you missed.

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Is it OK to finish antibiotics early?

Evidence is emerging that shorter courses of antibiotics may be just as effective as longer courses for some infections. Shorter treatments make more sense – they are more likely to be completed properly, have fewer side effects and also likely to be cheaper.

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How many hours should you wait between two antibiotics a day?

If you're taking it twice a day, leave 12 hours between each dose. For example you could take it at 8am and 8pm.

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Can I take my antibiotic 2 hours late?

In most cases, you can take the dose you missed as soon as you remember and then continue to take your course of antibiotics as normal. But if it's almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.

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Why shouldn't you lay down after taking antibiotics?

Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine, to make sure the pills have gone through the esophagus into the stomach. Notify your healthcare provider if you experience painful swallowing or feel that the medicine is sticking in your throat.

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Why are antibiotics timed?

Early antibiotics may: prevent injury caused by microbial activity and toxin production. prevent or ameliorate harmful host responses to infection.

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Does twice daily mean every 12 hours?

Try to divide up your dosing times as evenly as possible throughout the day: for example, every 12 hours for a drug that needs to be taken twice a day, or every 8 hours for a drug that needs to be taken three times a day.

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What to avoid while on antibiotics?

What Not to Eat while Taking Antibiotics
  • Foods high in acidity. Highly acidic foods repel absorption of drugs in our body. ...
  • Allergens and sugars. Gluten, dairy, and sugar are common allergens which suppress the ability of our white blood cells to destroy bacteria. ...
  • Dairy products. ...
  • Foods high in fiber. ...
  • Alcohol.

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