Yes we need them. My Lung specialist told me . Every winter I'm to take antibiotics and prednisone as a safety measure. I also have severe COPD

I have taken antibitoics several times since I have COPD. Always helped I'm so lucky to have a good Dr.

I should have added a paragraph. Despite what I just said above, there are certainly many physicians (no pulmonologists among them, I trust) who very much believe that antibiotics are given way too often for things that don't respond to them and that people are developing resistance to them as a result. For the normal population that may very well be true. It's not true for people with COPD. Most good pulmonologists will prescribe an antibiotic even for something they think is probably viral because they don't want that viral infection morphing into something that could put us in the hospital. Staying well and out of the hospital is every pulmonologist's goal for all of his/her patients.

I have been ordered to take anti biotics if I get a cough (worse than usual) as a preventative to stop a chest infection before one sets in. My doctor keeps a close listen to my constant throat clearing. If I even suspect a cold I have to take a round of anti biotics. Doctors orders!

I have been on antibiotics monthly for over a year. 10 days for each treatment. Two diff. types alternated every other month.I have severe COPD and with other treatment have not return to the hospital over a year.