I get a bad case of bronchitis at least once a year, and have never been prescribed antibiotics for it. Mostly, I use an inhaler and usually end up getting a nebulizer treatment when the inhaler isn’t enough. I also take an expectorant, like Mucinex. It always seems to last several weeks to a month, for me.
From the Mayo Clinic:
Antibiotics don’t effectively treat most cases of bronchitis because the condition usually results from a viral infection. Instead, the following are the cornerstones of acute bronchitis treatment:
* Get plenty of rest.
* Drink extra liquids.
* Take a nonprescription cough medicine.
It’s best not to suppress a cough that brings up mucus, however, because coughing helps remove irritants from your lungs and air passages. If your cough is keeping you awake at night, use just enough cough medicine so that you can rest, but not enough to suppress your cough completely. There are several kinds of over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicines. Read their labels to figure out which is most likely to relieve the type of cough you have. If your cough is preventing you from sleeping, your doctor may recommend a prescription cough suppressant.
Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if he or she suspects that you have a bacterial infection. If you have a chronic lung disorder or if you smoke, your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics to reduce your risk of a serious, secondary infection.
If you have asthma, your doctor may recommend an inhaler and other asthma medications to reduce inflammation and open narrowed passages in your lungs.