A member asked:

I was prescribed 500mg metronidazole twice a day for 7 days..i only took 4. so many does it really take the whole 14 pills to clear up?

9 doctors weighed in across 5 answers
Dr. Dustin Colegrove answered

Specializes in Internal Medicine

Take all of them: It is important to take all of your medication as prescribed even if you are feeling better 4 or 5 days into the course of treatment.

Answered 2/6/2018

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Finish all Rx!: The number of days a medication is prescribed is based on lots of studies and research. You should absolutely take all the medication as prescribed or you risk incomplete cure and/or developing resistant infections that require more and stronger medications.

Answered 11/12/2015

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Dr. David Krulak answered

Specializes in Family Medicine

Antibiotics: The danger of not taking all the pills in an antibiotic prescription is in the possibility of under treating the infection. You can treat the infection to a point where you no longer have symptoms, but have not yet killed off the organisms. The ones remaining can then resurface with resistance to that antibiotic, which makes them harder to treat in the future.

Answered 7/10/2019

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Yes: You have partially treated your condition and by stopping the treatment because you feel better makes no sense because you have not completely destroyed the source of the infection. If you get a relapse the bacteria may have become resistant and the Cipro (ciprofloxacin) might not work.

Answered 11/12/2015

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Dr. Jeff McFadden answered

Specializes in Family Medicine

Pills?: No one can answer that question because you haven't said why you are being treated. It may be for BV (bacterial vaginosis) or some other type of infection. Generally speaking, yes it does take the entire course to clear up and infection and in some rare cases the infection still doesn't clear up after 1 week of use. We prescribe a week because it usually takes a full week to treat effectively.

Answered 11/28/2017

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