i have every confidence your doctor knows what he or she is doing. bactrim (or bactrim ds) often is prescribed to treat infections of the tissue such as a boil. bactrim is actually a combination of two different antibiotics: sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. this one-two punch of drugs will attack several different strains of bacteria. if you ever have a question about a medication prescribed by a health care provider it's perfectly ok to question them about it at the time they prescribe it. in fact you should always ask what the medication is being prescribed for why the doctor chose that particular drug how to take it and what the possible side effects are. by asking these questions you make yourself a better-informed patient. lastly always take a prescribed antibiotic exactly as labeled. and always take the full amount of the prescription. do not stop taking an antibiotic just because your symptoms clear up. this type of behavior may contribute to the recent development of antibiotic-resistant organisms. hope this helps! bactrim ds is an antibitoic often perscribed for intense bacteria infections and is double the strength of bactrim. it is effective against bacteria that have a knack for developing the ability to resist other antibiotics (i. e. mrsa). you doc may have thought you could have mrsa. you could have a nasel swab to test for mrsa or the boil secretions to be sure but think this is a good option if the doctor thinks your infection is intense enough.
i have a infected boil. the physician prescribed bactrim ds does that sound right?