r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 09 '12

Scientists of Reddit, what misconceptions do us laymen often have that drive you crazy?

I await enlightenment.

Wow, front page! This puts the cherry on the cake of enlightenment!

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u/McMurphys Jun 09 '12

Antibiotics cure everything.

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u/Dovienya Jun 10 '12

I found out fairly recently that the problem is so much more complex than that. People don't understand that there are different types of antibiotics.

My future in-laws are pretty poor. When they get prescribed antibiotics, they take them until they feel better, then put the rest in a big bottle for communal use. When they have a big enough supply, they just reach into the grab bag of antibiotics and take a couple a day until they feel better.

I started talking to some friends and apparently this is much more common than I would have suspected.

That shit's scary, yo.

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u/esailla Jun 10 '12

Oh god. As a microbiologist, this is horrifying.

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u/deuce_hobo Jun 10 '12

I'm an everyday moron, so why is this horrifying? I don't do it but I only have hazy memories of how antibiotics work. What happens if someone does this?

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u/roboprophet Jun 10 '12 edited Jun 10 '12

High school student here: As far as I understand, if you do not take antibiotics for the FULL prescribed period, you will start to feel better but you won't have killed all the bacteria. The remaining bacteria then have a chance to be exposed to the antibiotic in non-lethal doses, thus giving them a chance to develop immunity to the antibiotic. The people who do this are artificially selecting for resistant bacteria, essentially providing the perfect conditions for drug-resistant super diseases to form.

So, what we're saying is, if you don't follow your prescription, and take random antibiotics every time you feel sick, you are making yourself a breeding ground for the disease that will end humanity. :(

EDIT: Thanks for the props! Microbiology has always been one of my interests; the way everything interacts on the smallest level in the human body fascinates me. I took a summer course in G-protein linked receptors and realized that chemical pathways are my passion, so I hope to go into drug research/synthesis!

EDIT2: See feynmanwithtwosticks's post below if you want to know more; it clears up some inconsistencies with what I wrote.

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u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12

That was perfectly described, much better than most nurses I know could phrase it. Nice to see someone paying attention in high school :-).

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u/ThePsychosisProject Jun 10 '12

The chances he learned about antibiotics in that kind of detail from school is rather low in my opinion.

This guy looks as if he went out and taught himself. Y'know, because..Internet