Do not ask for antibiotics for an ordinary cold
Antibiotics do not make an ordinary cold resolve faster. In adults, they more than doubled the risk of side effects in the cited review. There was also no clear benefit for a pus-like nasal discharge lasting less than ten days.
What it takes
Nothing; it also saves unnecessary medicine costs.
What you may gain
A Cochrane systematic review pooled six randomized trials with 1,147 participants. Compared with placebo, antibiotics did not significantly change the proportion of people whose cold had not improved or whose symptoms persisted: RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.60–1.14. Adverse effects were 1.8 times as frequent (95% CI 1.01–3.21). The adult estimate was 2.62 (1.32–5.18); no increase was demonstrated in children, RR 0.91 (0.51–1.63). For acute purulent rhinitis, meaning a pus-like nasal discharge lasting under ten days, antibiotics also offered no clear benefit, RR 0.73 (0.47–1.13), while adverse effects were more frequent, RR 1.46 (1.10–1.94), an increase of about 46%. The authors did not recommend routine antibiotics for either condition.
Context & considerations
This version was republished in 2025, but its abstract states that the literature search ran through 2013. Antibiotics are prescription medicines in China and pharmacies must sell them against a prescription. Do not self-treat with leftover antibiotics, either. The medium benefit rating is a judgment about avoiding adverse effects, not an observed reduction in mortality.
Research & references
Kenealy T, Arroll B (2025). Antibiotics for the common cold and acute purulent rhinitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11:CD000247. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000247.pub4