While I am the biggest proponent here of taking charge of your own treatment, I hear too often of people who do not follow their doctors recommendations. Sometimes this involves medications. While we all feel we know our own bodies better than someone else, being your own doctor can have negative consequences. I only mention all this because the previous posts indicate that someone was prescribed antibiotics, which surely the doctor felt was necessary at the time. The antibiotics were not taken for various reasons, (right or wrong) and now there is a potential infection causing problems. Infections in those who have recently left treatment, or who are in treatment, get out of hand really quickly, as the treated immune system is not up to the challenge of yet another assault. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST IS NOT AN ATTACK ON THE PREVIOUS POSTERS BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESTATE SOMETHING WHICH WAS DISCUSSED EARLY IN THE MESSAGE BOARDS, BUT HAS NOT BEEN SAID HERE RECENTLY. It goes without saying that these doctors most of the time know a lot more than us. Allowing the non use of an antibiotic to let something bloom into a bigger or more extensive problem, stopping antibiotics before the dosage has been used up completely (which can help build antibacterial resistant strains of bugs), abruptly ending medications (such as pain medications and anti-depressants) which can cause severe, acute, withdrawal symptoms, are all bad ideas. As you all read these posts, please keep in mind that the comments by posters and their actions, may not always be the example to follow. They are patients like you or your loved one, and they are offering an opinion. That opinion, or anecdote about their own experience, may have come out OK for them, but may result in a different outcome for you. If you choose not to take a prescribed medication, perhaps because it has side effects which are disturbing you or for other reasons, please always discuss it with your treating physician.