[zzz95]

Anecdata, but I always ask if I really need them, and 100% of the cases the doc says: we can probably wait a few days. In my life of 30years, never had to take antibiotics...not even once! My case might be special, but at least shows that most of the time (in our times at least) we can easily do without them.

[AnkhMorporkian]

I think you probably are fairly special. Most people I know have had some pretty intense infections that could have been fatal, though only two of them would have certainly been fatal. As for myself, I've had a jaw infection that actually got into the bone, meningitis, lyme disease, and walking pneumonia twice. Compared to some of my peers, I actually consider myself pretty healthy.

That being said, I have definitely been prescribed antibiotics a few times that it wasn't necessary.

[matwood]

I always ask questions too, but by the time I go to the doc it's usually something that requires more than just waiting a few more days.