Can antibiotics actually make you feel worse before you get better?

Antibiotic effect: Definitely. Imagine millions of bacteria where, in a wave of antibiotic, a majority of these bacteria exploding, with their guts and toxins spilling all over the place- it's a total mess. This mess attracts thousands of white blood cells, and an inflammatory response ensues that cleans this mess up- resulting in increased tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling. Once done, the area improves.