A lot of dangers and various diseases lie in wait for a person’s life. It’s easy to cope with some, and it doesn’t cause much trouble. Others are very persistent and treacherous, and to cure them you have to make great efforts. This applies to infectious diseases, which in the old days, when medicine had not yet reached its heights, were considered incurable and took a lot of human lives. After the discovery of special substances that can resist pathogens, the body has become easier to fight bacterial infections, and today this issue is under the close supervision of physicians. It was truly a revolutionary breakthrough in medicine.
Today, antibiotics for adults and children are used very widely and effectively. Just do not use antibiotic treatment without a doctor’s recommendation and from any disease. They are quite capable of harm if used improperly. Sometimes it happens that when taking antibiotics, the temperature rises, and this often casts doubt on the correctness of the prescribed treatment. For what reason the temperature rises, and what to do in this case, we will analyze in this material.
Features of antibiotics
Antibiotics are drugs that kill pathogenic bacteria. Today, even children know about them. At the present stage, antimicrobial medicine is very widely used to treat diseases of a bacterial nature. They are available in different dosage forms: ointments, tablets, injections, and you can purchase them at absolutely any pharmacy. And they are released completely free, without a prescription. However, this freedom does not mean that you can prescribe antibiotic treatment on your own, because a drug that helped with one disease can become useless or even harmful with another. You can often hear complaints that, instead of the expected positive effect, the temperature rises when taking antibiotics and does not fall for a long time. Why is that?
It should be understood that the appointment of antibiotics is a very serious issue, and only a qualified specialist can do it responsibly and competently. An antibiotic that is improperly selected will not only not lead to better health, but will also worsen its condition due to the fact that the patient is not given the necessary treatment.
It is well known in medical circles that antibiotics, even if they are of a wide spectrum, act only against bacteria of a certain type, without any reaction to other types. In addition, with viral infections, they are completely ineffective and can be prescribed for use only when a secondary bacterial flora joins them. Under such conditions, it is important to understand why the temperature rises when taking antibiotics. After all, to eliminate the problem, you need to see the reason that caused it. Therefore, the first thing to consider is what may be the reasons for the increase in body temperature during treatment with such drugs.
The main causes of fever
Any antibiotics for adults or children cannot be guaranteed to be beneficial if you do not know the features of their use. If, when taking an antibacterial prescribed by a doctor, an increased temperature appears and stays at this level for more than four days, it is necessary to consult with a medical professional about the possibility of adjusting the treatment. An increased temperature when taking antibiotics can be just a side effect of the prescribed drug, or it can be a reaction of the body to non-compliance with the dosages and rules for taking medications. A temperature rise is also possible if the identified group of bacteria against which treatment is being carried out is joined by another infectious agent that is resistant to this drug.
There may be such a reaction to the incomplete course of treatment with an antibacterial drug in case of progression of the primary infection process and supplementing it with new characteristics. The main purpose of the use of such funds is the operational effect on a specific pathogen and a decrease in the level of intoxication syndrome. By themselves, the drugs do not have a thermoregulatory effect on the body, but at the same time they are one of the important characteristics due to which it is possible to assess the current state of the patient and determine the intake of antimicrobial agents. Therefore, it is so important to know what temperature is when taking antibiotics in a patient.
So, an increase in temperature can be caused by such reasons:
- pathogen immunity to the wrong drug;
- pathogen resistance to an antibacterial agent - resistance; the appearance of drug fever;
- the presence of serum-like syndrome;
- reaction to tubulointerstitial nephritis;
- manifestation of pseudomembranous colitis.
Technical points
In addition to these global reasons, there are also just technical omissions, which also lead to the fact that the temperature rises when taking antibiotics. These include:
- violation of dosage, as a result of which microorganisms are less active, but do not stop their detrimental effect on the body;
- improper selection of the drug, as a result of which its effect becomes ineffective, and the disease continues to progress;
- the use of an antibiotic designed to fight bacteria as an antipyretic;
- the presence of an adverse reaction in the drug, causing an increase in body temperature;
- incomplete antibiotic treatment, as a result of which the pathogenic bacteria were not destroyed and began to multiply after stopping the use of the drug.
As you can see, the answer to the question of whether there can be temperature from antibiotics is unequivocal - the unskilled use of antimicrobial drugs is quite capable of causing an increase in body temperature. How to reduce it, and what needs to be done for this, we will consider right now.
Increased temperature when taking drugs, what should I do?
The fact of an increase in temperature during the period of taking antibiotics should be considered in conjunction with the general condition of the person. Moreover, there are quite objective reasons caused by the features of treatment. Thus, an increase in temperature to 37.9-40 degrees can be caused by the powerful effect of the drug, when many bacteria die simultaneously and bacterial endotoxins are released, which increases the symptoms of general intoxication of the body. In this case, everything happens within the normal range and does not give cause for concern. However, the presence of pathology cannot be ruled out either. Therefore, you should know how much the temperature holds when taking antibiotics during the normal treatment process.
Starting taking medications, you should carefully monitor the well-being of the patient. If the treatment is prescribed correctly, and the manifestation of temperature is due to the characteristics of the action of the drug, then this temperature can last up to four days. If signs of improvement in the patient's condition are noticeable, an increase in degrees is not dangerous, this indicates the intensity of the treatment process.
However, in the absence of obvious improvements and a high temperature for two days, you should consult a doctor in order to avoid any complications. With manifestations of drug fever, which is accompanied by a temperature of 38-40 degrees on 6-8 days after the start of treatment, which can also be manifested by a rash on the skin and itching, the general condition can be quite good. The appearance of drug fever is diagnosed by laboratory tests, as well as the manifestation of bradycardia, when the heart rate decreases. In this case, the drug is simply canceled, and after 2-3 days the febrile syndrome disappears.
Serum-like syndrome
Serum-like syndrome occurs due to the use of drugs of animal origin. Symptoms may appear after 2-3 weeks: a temperature of 37.5-39 degrees, a rash on the skin, pain in the joints and muscles, an increase in the size of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen. During treatment, the antibiotic is canceled and antihistamines are prescribed. If there are complications, then antipyretic drugs, antispasmodics, glucocorticosteroids and others are added to them.
Tubulointerstitial nephritis
Tubulo-interstitial nephritis occurs between 2 days and 6 weeks and is characterized by general weakness, severe sweating, nausea, inhibition of perception, loss of appetite, fever and muscle pain. Possible rash and aching lower back pain. The temperature is in the range of 37.5-39 degrees. The patient in this case is hospitalized, the drug is canceled, and a special diet No. 7 according to Pevzner, bed rest, glucocorticosteroids, desensitizing drugs are prescribed. Perhaps the correction of water-electrolyte disturbances, as well as acid-base balance.
Pseudomembranous colitis and parasite infection
Pseudomembranous colitis is characterized by diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, frequent and loose stools, with impurities of mucus or blood, temperature - 38-39 degrees, rarely rises to 40. During treatment, the antibiotic is canceled, you can replace it with another remedy. Etiotropic drugs are prescribed, and also replenishment of the fluid lost by the body is shown. In addition, it is desirable to conduct correction of electrolyte disturbances and symptomatic therapy.
Considering that 90% of childhood diseases occur due to infection with parasites, the high temperature when taking antibiotics in a child should not go unnoticed by a doctor. The causes of temperature are the same as in adults. The decision on what the treatment will be should be made exclusively by the doctor, and parents should clearly follow the appointment and monitor the change in the condition of the child.
Sore throat and antibiotics
Often there is an increased temperature with angina when taking antibiotics. A feature of the treatment of this pathology with antimicrobial agents is just a decrease in body temperature, therefore, when taking antibiotics, antipyretic drugs are not prescribed to see the effectiveness of their action. Antibiotic treatment is usually 5-7 days, it must be completed until the end, otherwise the surviving bacteria will again take over the body.
Adult bronchitis and drugs
Many are interested in what antibiotics to take for bronchitis in adults. Acceptance of these drugs is considered mandatory in the treatment of the disease, they should be prescribed only by the attending physician with the appointment of a regimen. As a rule, aminopenicillins, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, cephalosporins and natural antibiotics are used in the treatment of bronchitis: garlic, horseradish, onion, honey, viburnum, raspberry, pomegranate and others. But an important role in the effectiveness of treatment is played by how to drink antibiotics, and how to choose them. About it further.
How to choose the right drugs
Antimicrobial drugs are indicated for bacterial infections that are completely useless for viral diseases. There are six groups of them, and each of them acts on different types of bacteria:
- penicillins are used to treat urinary tract, respiratory and skin diseases;
- cephalosporins are good for complex infections such as meningitis and sepsis;
- aminoglycosides - for severe pathologies (there are serious side effects);
- tetracyclines - urology and dermatology;
- macrolides - for lung infections;
- lincosamides - with bone lesions.
How to use
Since the wrong choice of the drug can cause significant harm, only a qualified doctor should deal with its selection and dosage. Patients should know how to drink antibiotics. And this knowledge consists in strictly following the instructions of the doctor, without arbitrarily changing the dosage or timing of admission. Reducing the dose will not give the desired result, an increase can give serious side effects. The entire recommended course must be drunk to the end, to avoid omissions in taking the medicine, only then you can overcome the harmful microorganisms and get rid of the disease.
Useful medication tips
Antibiotics should be taken strictly on schedule as many times as prescribed, before or after meals. If you missed taking the medicine, in no case should you take a double dose. Since the antibiotic is a very powerful drug, in addition to microbes, it also destroys beneficial bacteria that perform important functions in the body. To restore them, you need to take probiotics, which are also prescribed by the doctor.
In the treatment of infectious diseases, a temperature of up to 38.5 degrees is considered permissible, it is not required to reduce it. After the child has been treated with antibiotics, he should not be bathed for the first two days, so that the disease does not worsen. During and after taking the medicine, the body's immunity decreases, so you should refrain from visiting crowded places for some time, where you can catch a bacterium or virus.
Conclusion
This article gives basic knowledge about antibiotics, as well as why body temperature can be elevated during treatment with antibacterial agents. The main thing in treatment is to carefully monitor the patient’s condition and consult a doctor at the slightest deterioration in health, do not self-medicate and clearly follow the recommendations of specialists.