EDIT: TL;DR - Antibiotics have their place, and uses. Don't be afraid to tell your doctor and their rationalizations to fuck off, and get a second opinion. Especially if you already have personal experience with the same issue for a second time.
It's interesting to observe how far we've come in terms of medicine, and understanding about the human body, bacteria, viruses, etc,. and then experience, and learn first hand how much we still don't know, understand. and just don't have the ability to affect.
I certainly, completely understand the position of doctors not wanting to prescribe antibiotics, and yet, from the standpoint of a patient, and someone who has suffered due to a doctors reluctance to do so, I also appreciate fully the desire of a patient to want the doctor to do EVERYTHING within their power to help.
In my own case it was something utterly mundane. As mundane as it gets. An ingrown toenail. Despite knowing how to avoid it, knowing what it wast, and otherwise reasonable practices, was still unlucky enough to have a tiny tiny open wound, and whether through getting soaked in some rain puddles, mud and a swamp, or just some crappy luck at home, well, I obviously had a problem. It's genetic. My father hand a problem with it, my brother has issues with it, I already had to have a minor operation on another occasion.
Bottom line is, I had an obviously enflamed, ingrown toenail that was beyond the scope of home treatment. Nothing to worry about.
Went to a podiatrist, and he promptly cut it out. In fact it was kind of a treat for me because he did so with a laser, as opposed to my previous similar surgery done with manual tools.
Unlike my previous surgery, he didn't prescribe me any medications. Despite me specifically asking for it. (Having received both some antibiotics and painkillers for the same procedure previously.)
Fast forward to 3 days later. Instead of healing, my would and irritation only got worse. Called the doctors office and his response was to prescribe me some decidedly weak antibiotics, and tylenol 3. Again despite my objections that I cared less for the painkillers of any kind, and wanted a strong antibiotic.
Cue "Hur durr, I'm doctor, I know best, take it call me in a week if it's not better."
Fast forward 4 more days. My FOOT, not my toe, but by goddamn foot, has swollen, I'm in severe pain upon waking. There are sign of infection spreading on my my skin... kind of veiny branches, and redness.
Call the doctor's office, the bastard is on vacation. After 10+ calls get through to him, and he tells me to go to emergency room at a hospital at which he practices, and that he'd speak with a doctor there to let him know what's going on.
On getting there, on one quick look, the new doctor tells me I have a severe infection. I get local anesthesia, and against their advice, watch as they cut open my toe, and rip out much more nail, nail bed(not sure what the proper term is), and just seem to carve meat from the inside of my large toe. Sew it up, and give me 3 prescriptions (painkiller, strong broad-spectrum antibiotic, and topical creme).
Within literally a day the swelling is gone, skin color on the rest of my foot is back to normal, and within 2 more days, aside from having to regularly change bandages and some twinges of pain, I'm basically back to normal.
A week later, going back to the original doctor, he opened up the wound again, and cut out a bit more of nail tissue, and more of what he though might be infected tissue, though frankly at that point things looked well on their way back to normal anyway.
After all that, I'm left with a very small, but ugly, scar on my toe, any about a quarter of my nail not growing where it should. Adding insult to injury a small spur of nail, for lack of a better term, still grows from the spot.
So yes, I can completely appreciate from an intellectual standpoint where doctors are coming from in not wanting to prescribe antibiotics without good cause. I can even understand from a detached standpoint why I would be exactly the kind of person not to require additional antibiotics... patient in late 20's at the time, otherwise completely healthy, aside from being overweight.
That said, as a patient, selfish as it may be, I don't care about the potential for hypothetically contributing to antibiotic resistance as a global issue. I want all measure possible, within reason, to be taken to prevent my own infection.
Not to mention that hospitals, not outpatient procedures are largely breeding grounds for antibiotic resistance.
As for viral infections... there unfortunately, it seems medicine in general is utterly in the dark. For the most part, the absolute best option is just rest and lots of fluids. Can't help but to hope for a day where the profession of doctors is mostly eradicated due to advances in nanotech.
