By the time I get them for those things I'm usually sitting at about 4 hours of sleep over the last 48-72(!) hours and unable to eat or (sometimes) even keep water down, so yeah, I need 'em. I wait that long so my body has a change to fight it off without resorting to antibiotics, which sometimes does work. Though also to avoid spending two and a half hours being sick and miserable in the car, at the doctor's office, in the car again, at the pharmacy, then in the car again, rather than at home resting, until I just cannot avoid it.

Actually, the medical system has probably on net contributed to antibiotic abuse. Yes, if antibiotics were OTC, people would use them more.

However for decades, doctors have universally instructed patients that they must finish the prescribed course. Even if the symptoms abate, patients are instructed to keep taking the dosage until done.

However this maxim was never supported by evidence[1]. Careful studies show that this approach leads to worse outcomes, because the patient's more likely to develop resistance on subsequent infections. And on average it leads to people taking two to three times more antibiotics than if they followed the intuitive approach of stopping when they feel better.

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/news/medication/questions-over-advice-to-...