This family of drugs is still too often seen as the magical instrument of healing. However, if it is only available with a prescription, it is because it should absolutely never be used without medical advice. For three reasons:
The majority of our common infections are caused by viruses, which they have no effect on.
All antibiotics do not attack all bacteria equally well. The one we have may have been chosen by our doctor to fight against a particular microbe, which may not be the same as the one we suffer from today.
The duration of taking an antibiotic must be strictly observed, even after the symptoms have subsided. An instruction which was undoubtedly not followed during the treatment recommended by the doctor (the packaging generally provides for exactly the right number of tablets) and which is unlikely to be followed if the remainder is absorbed. However, stopping an antibiotic prematurely can lead to a resumption of the disease, with a much more serious infection. Worse, this medication may be less effective the following times, when we need it. The misuse of antibiotics is in fact responsible for the growing resistance of bacteria to these molecules, and some infections become very difficult to treat.