What antibiotics for colds are effective for adults, child: list and names

Antibiotics for colds are prescribed by a doctor when the human body is unable to cope with the infection on its own.

Usually, dangerous signals of an attack by harmful bacteria are an increase in body temperature to more than 38 °C, as well as a runny nose, sore throat and other symptoms that often accompany a cold: inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, sore throat, shortness of breath, dry cough, headache, etc. Antibacterial drugs will help to cope with bacteria, but their use should be prescribed exclusively by a medical specialist, since uncontrolled self-medication with antibiotics can negatively affect a person's health.

Treating Colds with Antibiotics

Antibiotics for colds are necessary in extreme cases, when the immune system cannot cope with pathogenic microorganisms that have attacked the human body. Many of us, at the first symptoms of a cold, wonder which antibiotic to take, perceiving it as a miracle cure for all diseases. However, this is a profound misconception, since antiviral drugs are indicated for the treatment of influenza and acute respiratory diseases, and only when the patient's condition has worsened and a bacterial infection has "joined in", a properly selected antibiotic will help. Thus, it is unacceptable to take an antibiotic at the first signs of a cold!

Treatment of colds with antibiotics should be rational, and for this, a consultation with an experienced doctor is necessary, who will determine the severity of the patient's condition and prescribe the antibacterial drug that will be most effective in a particular case.

A cold (ARI) can be considered a rather insidious disease that manifests itself regardless of age, health condition of a person, and weather conditions. Acute respiratory disease is one of the most common diseases in the world and lasts an average of a week without complications. Usually, adults get a cold on average two or three times a year. Today, doctors count more than two hundred viruses that cause inflammation of the respiratory system. It should be noted that a cold is a contagious disease - it can be transmitted by airborne droplets and often affects the bronchi, trachea, and lungs. A viral infection lives longer in mucus than in the air or a dry place. In order to start treatment on time, you should objectively assess the patient's condition. The main symptoms of a cold are:

• inflammation of the lymph nodes, which manifests itself in the form of lumps on the back of the head, neck, behind the ears, under the lower jaw, which, when pressed, cause pain in the patient;
• profuse discharge of mucus from the nose (runny nose), nasal congestion, as well as unusual dryness of the nasal mucosa;
• sore throat, dry cough, hoarse voice;
• redness of the eyes and tearing;
• increase in body temperature from 37 to 38.5 °C;
• upset stomach, nausea and vomiting (if the body is infected with rotavirus).

A cold never occurs without symptoms, so at the first signs of its development, you should consult a doctor in order to prevent possible complications in time.

To treat an advanced cold, an accurate diagnosis is necessary, which will allow you to choose the best medicine, i.e. an antibiotic. Each group of antibacterial drugs is designed to treat a specific type of bacteria, so the antibiotic is prescribed depending on the lesions. For example, in case of inflammation of the respiratory tract, it is necessary to choose a drug that effectively fights bacteria that cause inflammation in the respiratory organs: for example, Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin, Augmentin (i.e. penicillin antibiotics). In case of various respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, it is necessary to take into account that they are caused by bacteria, most of which are highly resistant to penicillin. For this reason, it is best to use Levofloxacin or Avelox to treat this disease. Antibiotics of the cephalosporin group (Suprax, Zinnat, Zinatsef) will help cure bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, and macrolides (Sumamed, Hemomycin) will cope with atypical pneumonia, which is caused by chlamydia and mycoplasma.

Treatment of colds with antibiotics should depend on the category of the disease. In case of ARVI, first of all, it is necessary to use antiviral drugs, because they specifically affect the immune system, strengthening it and helping to cope with the viral attack. It is pointless to use antibiotics with such a diagnosis, and this is contraindicated by doctors. The earlier the treatment of ARVI with an effective antiviral drug is started, the greater the chances of finishing it faster. However, if the cold is caused by a bacterial infection, taking antibiotics should not be neglected. At the same time, it is very important to pay attention to the condition of your own body in time and find out the exact cause of the cold in order to choose the most optimal antibacterial drug. After all, antibiotics should be taken very seriously, because they can not only help, but also harm in case of the wrong choice. So, it is necessary to clearly set boundaries determining in which cases antibiotics can be prescribed, and in which they cannot. Nowadays, indications for antibiotic therapy are:

• purulent tonsillitis (angina);
• laryngotracheitis;
• purulent otitis (inflammation of the middle ear);
• purulent sinusitis (purulent frontal sinusitis or maxillary sinusitis);
• purulent lymphadenitis;
• inflammation of the lungs, pneumonia.

What antibiotics should I take for a cold?

Antibiotics for colds should be used on the doctor's recommendations in cases where the patient's condition indicates the development of complications, such as tonsillitis, purulent sinusitis, pneumonia. However, first of all, for colds, you need to use proven folk remedies and drink antiviral drugs, the action of which is aimed at destroying the viral infection. You should not resort to antibiotics if the cause of the disease has not been established. It is necessary to weigh all the pros and cons of taking antibacterial drugs, taking into account their side effects and possible complications.

Only a doctor knows what antibiotics to take for a cold, who will determine the degree and type of complications caused by the cold, and then prescribe an antibiotic of the appropriate group:

• Penicillins (Augmentin, Ampicillin, etc.) have a pronounced bactericidal effect and are effective in the treatment of bacterial infections and severe forms of ENT diseases (tonsillitis, purulent otitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, etc.). The action of these antibacterial drugs is aimed at destroying the walls of bacteria, which causes their death. A positive feature of penicillins is their low toxicity, so they are widely used in pediatrics.
• Cephalosporins have an active bactericidal effect aimed at destroying the bacterial cell membrane. Usually, antibiotics of this group are prescribed for the treatment of pleurisy, bronchitis, pneumonia and are administered by injection (intravenously or intramuscularly), only Cephalexins are taken orally. They cause fewer allergic reactions than penicillins, but in rare cases, allergic reactions and kidney dysfunction still occur.
• Macrolides (azalides and ketolides) have an active bacteriostatic effect and are effective in the treatment of atypical pneumonia. The first macrolide was Erythromycin, which was used by patients with an allergic reaction to penicillins.
• Fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin, etc.) are used to destroy gram-negative bacteria (mycoplasma, pneumococcus, chlamydia, E. coli). Quickly penetrating into the cell, they affect the microbes that are there. Today, they are the most non-toxic antibacterial drugs that do not cause allergies and are safe to use.

To find out what antibiotics to take for a cold in a particular case, you should consult a medical specialist. For example, Flemoxin Solutab, which contains amoxicillin, is often prescribed to treat various infectious and inflammatory diseases these days. Suprax may be prescribed for bronchitis, pharyngitis, acute tonsillitis and otitis, pneumonia and a number of other infectious and inflammatory diseases. It should be taken in accordance with the doctor's recommendations, since uncontrolled treatment of colds with this drug may cause side effects in the form of intestinal microflora disorders. This can lead to the development of severe diarrhea or pseudomembranous colitis. An effective antimicrobial drug is Levomycetin, which is used for infectious diseases. The dosage of the drug and the duration of treatment, as in other cases, should be strictly determined by the attending physician.

A good antibiotic for colds

Antibiotics for colds should be used if there is no improvement after taking antiviral drugs in the first days of the disease, and especially when the patient's condition has worsened: this means that, in addition to viruses, the body has also been attacked by bacteria. Such drugs are good "helpers" in ridding the human body of toxins and all sorts of pathogenic microbes, but the choice of antibiotic in a particular case remains with the doctor, since it must correspond to the indications and the course of a particular disease. The fact is that an insufficiently strong antibacterial drug may not fully cope with complications caused by a cold or flu, and an antibiotic of "powerful" action can harm the body's immune system.

The use of antibiotics in medical practice dates back to 1928 and is associated with the name of the Englishman Fleming. It was he who discovered the substance "penicillin", capable of killing many microbes and bacteria, and thus made a real revolution in medicine, since since then many previously fatal diseases have become curable: scarlet fever, pneumonia, tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc. During World War II, thanks to antibiotics, doctors managed to save the lives of millions of wounded people. To this day, these faithful "helpers" help doctors fight for the health of many patients.

A good antibiotic for a cold is a medicine that is selected taking into account the type and course of the disease. Antibiotic treatment should be carried out carefully, after consulting with a doctor who will select the best drug from four main classes of antibiotics of different action, which have proven themselves to be effective in the treatment of various complications caused by bacterial infections. These classes include: penicillins (Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Augmentin, etc.); macrolides (Azithromycin, etc.): fluoroquinolones (Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, etc.); cephalosporins (Cefixime, Cefuroxime, Suprax, etc.).

Before taking any medications, it is advisable to try to cope with a mild cold using traditional medicine methods and recipes. For example, do inhalations, foot baths, put a compress or mustard plasters. It is necessary to increase the amount of liquid consumed, and also expand the diet with natural vitamins, i.e. fresh fruits and vegetables. At the first signs of worsening of the cold, you should immediately go to the hospital to prevent the development of complications. In the case when a bacterial infection has attacked the body, there is an urgent need to "connect" an antibiotic, because in this situation we are literally talking about saving the patient's life. The patient must understand that only the attending physician can prescribe an antibacterial drug, and it is necessary to strictly adhere to the dosage specified by him, as well as the intervals of administration. Self-medication can lead to exposure of a person's health to significant danger.

Antibiotics for colds can have a number of negative consequences, especially when self-medication is done incorrectly. Among such side effects, the most common are allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, dysbacteriosis, and suppression of the immune system.

It should also be remembered that it is not recommended to take antibiotics for more than 5 days in a row, however, a reduction in the period of treatment with antibiotics can lead to the infection not being eliminated from the body, and this, in turn, will cause complications in the form of failures in the work of the heart and kidneys. If after three days the patient does not feel relief, it is necessary to ask the doctor to change the drug to another, more effective one. It is also necessary to be careful when combining other drugs with antibiotics - in such cases, you need to follow the doctor's recommendations. In no case should you take an antibiotic whose expiration date has expired!

A good antibiotic for a cold will definitely give positive results within three days: the patient will feel better, his appetite will return, and unpleasant symptoms will disappear.

When treating with antibiotics, it is important to take care to reduce their negative impact on the body. For this purpose, the doctor should prescribe probiotics to the patient - drugs that normalize the intestinal microflora and thereby prevent the development of dysbacteriosis, strengthen the immune system, have a beneficial effect on the functioning of internal organs, reducing the possibility of side effects and complications.

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Antibiotics for colds for children

Antibiotics for colds should be given to children with special caution. Such treatment should be prescribed by the attending physician, whom you should consult immediately after the first signs of the disease - the appearance of a runny nose, cough, high temperature in the child. Usually, a temperature above 38.5 ° C indicates that the child's immunity is trying to get rid of the virus on its own, in which case the doctor prescribes antipyretics. If after 3-5 days the child's health does not improve, and the temperature is still high, it is recommended to start taking the appropriate antibiotic, but only strictly as prescribed by the pediatrician and upon confirmation of the bacterial nature of the disease.

Antibiotics for colds in children are a serious test for the growing body, so they should not be used immediately after the onset of symptoms of the disease. If parents believe that taking a "powerful" antibiotic is the only effective method of treating ARVI or ARI, this is a profound misconception! The effect of antibacterial agents on a child's body without a special reason can be very negative, and sometimes even destructive. Not to mention the use of antibiotics to treat infants, which in itself is blasphemous. Colds should be treated with antiviral drugs, the effect of which usually does not appear immediately, but after 3-5 days. At the same time, the febrile process in children, which is most often caused by viral respiratory infections, can fluctuate within 3-7 days, and sometimes even more. Do not mistakenly believe that antibiotics are an alternative to cough suppressants, because cough during a cold is a protective reaction of the child's body, which usually passes last, after the disappearance of other symptoms of the disease. The question of prescribing antibiotics for a child is decided by an experienced pediatrician, who will assess the child's condition and only in case of extreme necessity will choose the optimal drug. Parents should carefully follow all the doctor's recommendations, including the method of administration and dosage of the antibacterial drug. It is also important not to stop treating the child before the established deadline.

Some antibiotics for colds are strictly prohibited for children. First of all, these are drugs of the so-called tetracycline group (Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Minocycline, etc.), which can disrupt the process of formation of tooth enamel in a child, as well as antibacterial drugs of fluorinated quinolones, which have the ending "-floxacin" in their names (for example, Ofloxacin, Pefloxacin), which negatively affect the formation of articular cartilage in a child. In pediatrics, the use of Levomycetin is also prohibited, the action of which is aimed at the development of aplastic anemia (the process of suppression of hematopoiesis) and can lead to death.

Among the antibacterial drugs used in pediatrics, we can note Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Levofloxacin, Flemoxin Solutab, Moximac, Zinnat, Avelox, Amoxiclav, etc. The choice of a particular drug depends entirely on the experience and professionalism of the pediatrician, who must determine which antibiotic will be the best assistant and will be beneficial in the treatment of complications after a cold in each specific case.

So, antibiotics for colds should be used to treat children only in cases of urgent need. This will not lead to the desired recovery, but will only worsen the situation, since the action of the antibacterial drug can be destructive to the baby's immunity, which will increase the risk of the infection returning.

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Names of antibiotics for colds

Antibiotics for colds should be chosen especially carefully, without resorting to self-medication, but after consulting a doctor who will determine the degree of complications and prescribe the most effective remedy. In addition, when taking antibiotics, you need to follow these recommendations:

• only one, most effective drug from a certain group should be used in treatment;
• If after the first dose of antibiotics the patient's condition has not improved within two days and the temperature has not decreased, it may be necessary to change the drug;
• You cannot combine taking antibiotics with antipyretic drugs, since they “blur” its effect;
• the period of antibiotic treatment should be at least 5 days, or even more. This duration of treatment allows the drug to fully cope with the infectious agent;
• In case of severe cold and complications of the disease, the patient should be immediately hospitalized, and antibiotic therapy should be carried out under the supervision of the attending physician.

It is useful for everyone to know the names of antibiotics for colds (at least a few of them), because in this way a person will have at least some idea of the drug that the doctor will prescribe. Antibiotics are traditionally divided into several classes:

• penicillins,
• macrolides,
• fluoroquinolones,
• cephalosporins.

The penicillin class includes such antibiotic names as Ampicillin, Augmentin, Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, etc.

The most common names of the macrolide class are Erythromycin, Azithromycin, etc. (such drugs are considered the most powerful in the treatment of bacterial infections). Fluoroquinolone antibiotics include Levofloxacin and Moxifloxacin, and the cephalosporin class includes Axetil, Cefixime (Suprax), Cefuroxime axetil, etc.

The main goal in treating various infectious complications caused by colds is to provide the body with effective assistance aimed at quickly getting rid of pathogenic microbes and toxic substances. In order for the treatment to give a quick positive result, it is necessary to make the right choice of antibiotic, and only an experienced doctor can do this.

It should be remembered that antibiotics for colds are not as harmless as it may seem, they can cause a number of side effects, especially if used in the wrong cases. For example, many do not understand or simply do not know that only an antiviral drug can cope with a viral respiratory infection, and begin to take antibiotics immediately when cold symptoms appear, such as a runny nose, cough, fever. This is a big misconception, since improper use of antibiotics can cause great harm to an already weakened human immune system. Such drugs are needed only to treat bacterial infections, the development of which can be caused by complications of a cold. Usually, antibiotics are prescribed if after 4-5 days from the onset of the disease, the patient's condition does not improve or, conversely, it gets worse.

Amoxiclav for colds

Antibiotics for colds should be used purposefully, depending on the patient's condition and the characteristics of the disease. Among the common drugs used in modern medicine, a special place is occupied by the effective antibacterial drug Amoxiclav. It has proven itself as a reliable means for the treatment of various complications caused by colds and other unfavorable factors, in particular, such as the occurrence of infections after surgical operations.

Amoxiclav is successfully used in modern medicine for colds to treat so-called "mixed" infections, as well as to prevent possible infection of the patient during surgery. Mixed infections are most often caused by gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms, as well as anaerobes (including strains), manifesting themselves in the form of chronic forms of otitis, sinusitis and osteomyelitis, cholecystitis, odontogenic infections, aspiration pneumonia, various abdominal infections, etc.

Amoxiclav is a combination of two substances: aminopenicillin, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid, which has a pronounced bactericidal effect. A detailed medical study of the microbiological properties of this drug gives grounds to assert that Amoxiclav, due to the combination of the above-mentioned active substances, inhibits the synthesis of bacterial walls and has a stable antibacterial effect on a whole host of pathogenic microorganisms: Neisseria spp., Streptococcus spp. (various groups), Staphylococcus spp., Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Helicobacter pylori, Moraxella catarrhalis, Acinetobacter spp., Haemophilus influenzae and many others.

The pharmacokinetic properties of Amoxiclav indicate its distinct advantages over other penicillins. Thus, after taking the drug, rapid absorption of the components from the gastrointestinal tract is observed, regardless of food intake. The maximum concentration of the drug is reached approximately 45 minutes after administration. The main route of elimination of the drug from the body is its excretion with urine, feces, and exhaled air.

Amoxiclav for colds, due to its pronounced antimicrobial activity and unique pharmacokinetic properties, is used to treat a number of infectious diseases accompanied by inflammatory processes:

• infections of the respiratory system (in particular, acute and chronic sinusitis, bronchitis, retropharyngeal abscess, pneumonia, etc.);
• otitis (both acute and chronic);
• infections of the skin, joints, soft tissues and bones;
• genitourinary infections;
• various types of gynecological infections.

As for the side effects that occur when taking Amoxiclav, the drug is generally well tolerated by patients, without any negative reactions from the body. In percentage terms, only 8-14% of the total number of patients had side effects in the form of gastrointestinal tract dysfunction (diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting). To avoid such side effects, it is recommended to reduce the dosage of the drug and take it with food.

Antibiotics for colds have an invaluable effect when there is an urgent need to counteract the development of pathogenic microbes and bacterial infections. However, to sum up, it is necessary to note again that taking antibiotics should be agreed with a competent medical specialist. This is the only way to achieve high results in the treatment of post-cold complications and minimize the risk of negative impact of antibacterial agents on human immunity.

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Antibiotics for pregnant women with colds

Antibiotics for colds, as effective drugs that suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, are used only in cases of complications caused by the development of a bacterial infection in the body. Their use allows you to suppress the growth of not only pathogenic bacteria, but also some fungi, thereby making life easier for a patient with a cold. It is important to remember the danger of self-medication with antibacterial agents, especially when it comes to children and pregnant women. In such cases, you need to take antibiotics as responsibly as possible, following only the recommendations and competent appointments of an experienced doctor.

Antibiotics for pregnant women with colds should be chosen taking into account their effect on the fetus and only in those extreme cases that really require the use of these drugs. In order to choose the most suitable antibiotic for the treatment of a pregnant woman, it is first necessary to determine the causative agent of the disease, as well as to determine its sensitivity to one or another drug. If it is impossible to conduct such a study, broad-spectrum antibiotics are usually prescribed. The most harmless for the body of the mother and child are penicillin antibiotics (for example, Ampicillin, Oxacillin, etc.), as well as cephalosporins (for example, Cefazolin) and some macrolides (of which Erythromycin and Azithromycin can be distinguished). These are the drugs that doctors prefer when prescribing treatment for pregnant women.

The dosage of antibiotics for a pregnant woman is determined by the doctor, usually it is no different from the dosage of the drug for others. The expectant mother should carefully follow the doctor's recommendations and in no case reduce the dose of the drug, since this can provoke the opposite effect: in such a situation, the antibiotic will not have such an effective action aimed at destroying microbes, and will not be able to fully suppress the bacterial infection.

It is important to take into account the fact that antibiotics are most effective only in the treatment of infectious diseases of bacterial origin. In other cases, they are not able to provide the desired effect and can even harm the body. For example, antibacterial drugs will be powerless in the case of:

• ARVI and flu (in this case, the diseases are caused by viruses, for the destruction of which it is necessary to use antiviral drugs);
• inflammatory processes (antibiotics are not anti-inflammatory drugs);
• elevated temperature (do not confuse the action of antibiotics with the action of antipyretic and pain-relieving drugs);
• cough in pregnant women in cases where it is caused by a viral infection, allergic reaction, development of bronchial asthma, but not by the action of microorganisms;
• intestinal disorders.

If we consider the issue of the impact of antibiotics on the fetus, then based on the results of numerous medical studies, we can conclude that these drugs do not provoke the development of any congenital defects in the child and do not affect its genetic apparatus. But at the same time, some groups of antibacterial drugs have the so-called embryotoxic effect, i.e. they can lead to disruption of the fetus's kidney function, the formation of teeth, affect the auditory nerve, and also cause a number of other unfavorable deviations.

Antibiotics for pregnant women with colds have the most adverse effect on the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy, so if possible, it is recommended to postpone treatment to the second trimester. However, if there is an urgent need for such treatment, the doctor should prescribe antibiotics with the lowest toxicity to the expectant mother, and also strictly monitor the condition of the pregnant woman.

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