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

The same reason you eat 3 meals a day and not a weeks worth at one sitting: your body can’t handle that much at once. It takes time to absorb the good stuff and let it do its job.