Eli5 – why do you take antibiotics as a course and not all at once?

Question

I’ve just started an antibiotics course which is 4 times a day for 10 days and that got me wondering if they would be just as effective if I took them all and why not.

In: 674

Answer 1

Great thread. Another important consideration is toxicity. A large dose all at once could overwhelm multiple organs or organ systems. Things that kill bacteria aren’t so different from things that kill us in large enough doses.