Greetings from Healthcare magic group members, I have understood your query and concern. You have got a cold and cough for which you have tried some over-the-counter medications and they helped solving your problem to some extent which means that your condition is improving. Colds are mostly caused by virus and antibiotic can t fight any virus. They only treat an bacterial infection.Sometimes, you get infected with a bacteria after you ve got a cold. Signs of bacterial infection are sinusitis (pain around face and eyes that get worse when over bending), fever, thick yellow or green mucus and pain in chest that get worse on coughing. These symptoms may also occur with viral infection but if they do not improve with time and last for more than a week, you may have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics for which you should consult your physician. Looking at your current condition, i would suggest you to continue with symptomatic treatment which include: 1. Drink lots of fluids. keep yourself hydrated 2. Take hot drinks - hot water with honey, green tea, ginger tea etc 3. Take steam/ humidifier to clear the passages 4. Avoid cold drinks, sour food stuff (prefer simple eating with less spices and healthy) 5. Continue with over the counter cough syrups and antiallergic medications if they help. 6. Do not over work (its preferable to take rest, but if you have to do mandatory physical work then keep yourself hydrated all the times) Unnecessary use of antibiotics make it less effective in future. It creates more resistant strains of bacteria that cannot be easily eradicated. So always avoid antibiotics if they are not needed. Antibiotics are not prophylactic medications. However, if you think that your conditions is not improving for two weeks then consult doctor for further investigation. Hope this answer helps. Please free to ask if you have any further questions. Regards, Dr. Khoja