# Okay, so here's the deal **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868 "2006-10-18T01:09:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fragster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ec9cab/32.png) [@Fragster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fragster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/1 "2006-10-18T01:09:43Z")
Seriously. I’m on antibiotics for my impacted wisdom tooth (due to be out this January, thank you very much). I have to take a pill at midnight, but I don’t have any water in my room. I don’t want to get up now, and I definitely won’t want to get up at midnight. Should I start saving saliva now? What do I do? WHAT DO I _DO_?! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/2 "2006-10-18T01:39:27Z")
:dubious: Just get up now and bring a glass of water to put beside your bed. You should never take pills dry like that-is this a joke? ---
**Author:** ![Fragster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ec9cab/32.png) [@Fragster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fragster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/3 "2006-10-18T01:43:15Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] :dubious: Just get up now and bring a glass of water to put beside your bed. You should never take pills dry like that-is this a joke? [/QUOTE] Uh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that. :o ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/4 "2006-10-18T01:45:50Z")
I am currently on antibiotics myself, for an ear infection. I have to take a dose every six hours, with food. I set my alarm for half an hour before I am due, get a light snack, and take my pill. (It’s [cephalexin](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/medmaster/a682733.html), which rips a hole in my gut if I don’t eat before taking it, milk alone doesn’t cut it for me.) Take the medicine as directed, and finish all of it even if you feel better. You don’t want a rebound infection. ---
**Author:** ![Spidey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Spidey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spidey)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/5 "2006-10-18T03:34:02Z")
Antibiotics now for a tooth thats coming out in january? I just had all 4 of mine removed last friday, and I didnt start on the antibiotics (ammoxicillin i believe) until one hour before hand. Anyway I recommend following the antibiotic instructions to the letter, you definitely dont want an infection to take hold cause it will be a gazillion times more trouble than getting up now to go get some water. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/6 "2006-10-18T06:20:54Z")
[QUOTE=Fragster] Seriously. I’m on antibiotics for my impacted wisdom tooth (due to be out this January, thank you very much). [/QUOTE] Um, what? Why, or do you have to, put up with an infected tooth for _3 months_? You do realise mouth infections correlate with heart disease? Criminy. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/7 "2006-10-18T19:45:27Z")
**Askance** , good dentists in small town areas (especially ones willing to deal with an impacted wisdom tooth, some/most? dentists won’t because it probably requires oral surgery, or at the least a lot of work) get booked up that far ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Fragster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ec9cab/32.png) [@Fragster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fragster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-heres-the-deal/376868/8 "2006-10-18T21:37:41Z")
**Zabali\_Clawbane** , you are exactly correct. The tooth is infected, requiring antibiotics RIGHT NOW so I don’t get the aforementioned heart disease or a brain infection or something else nasty. An oral surgeon is required to take out the teeth, and the soonest I could get in is December (yeah, December 21st, not January). And I was kidding, I know to take them with water and finish them all. Luckily I don’t have to take them with food, but I do need to set my alarm three times a day!