when should be the right time to take penicillin?

[Karen A]

Ok, I have a gum infection bec of my tooth abscess. I was prescribed to take penicillin 4 times a day. I counted it so obviously its every 6 hours but my sleep is about 8 hours and i dont want to wake up during those times. So I take like 6:30am, 11:30am,4:30 then at night like 10:30 pm. Is that alright? my time schedule? sometimes Im an hour eraly/late.

[ASGopt]

It's okay, it does not have to be EXACTLY every 6 hours, just close to it as possible.

Unless your doctor specifically advised you to wake up and take it on the spot every 6 hours, get your sleep and then take it as soon as you're up, and the last thing you do when you go to bed.

[lithiumdeuteride]

Don't worry. As long as you're taking the penicillin reasonably regularly, the bacteria causing the infection will be under constant attack from the penicillin.

If you finish the prescription in the allotted time, there is a very good chance the infection will be eliminated. However, if you stop halfway through the prescription, it can be dangerous, because the bacteria that survive may become resistant to penicillin.