scared of antibiotic resistance

[Em.ma]

Obviously this has been in the news recently and I find it so terrifying, I've only ever had three courses of antibiotics in my lifetime but I'm scared we will go back to a time when people die of infection after a routine operation etc.
Any advice on this

[Fishmanpa]

Any advice on this

Yep.... based on your history, it's absolutely nothing to be concerned about nor a passing thought.

Positive thoughts

[Njoy704]

3 courses of antibiotics is very minimal. There are people on antibiotics for months and some for a year or more. There are strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria like mrsa vre. But most people who get them are the elderly in nursing homes or those who's been hospitalized for long periods of time or with a weak immune system.
Just remember to always wash your hands thoroughly and use purell when needed .

[MyNameIsTerry]

There are many types of antibiotics and once they stop working for people (which is due to the infection, not inability for them to work) doctors have other options like steroids. I've had chest infections with my asthma that wouldn't clear on repeated antibiotics hence steroids were used and they worked fine. I've had many more courses than you and when I was young I would have more than 3 courses in a year due to my asthma yet they still work fine on me.

Also, there are different ways to administer antibiotics e.g. IV when you go into hospital and need more immediate results than waiting days on the oral form.

Antibiotic tolerance was an issue raised decades ago and WHO and many other agencies have worked to reduce GP's dishing them out like sweeties to prevent us becoming tolerant, or rather the bugs. Some bugs are tolerant to some antibiotics, hence they come up with new solutions to handle them.

This is just anxiety, we aren't going back to those days with medicine.

[Njoy704]

There are many types of antibiotics and once they stop working for people (which is due to the infection, not inability for them to work) doctors have other options like steroids. I've had chest infections with my asthma that wouldn't clear on repeated antibiotics hence steroids were used and they worked fine. I've had many more courses than you and when I was young I would have more than 3 courses in a year due to my asthma yet they still work fine on me.

Also, there are different ways to administer antibiotics e.g. IV when you go into hospital and need more immediate results than waiting days on the oral form.

Antibiotic tolerance was an issue raised decades ago and WHO and many other agencies have worked to reduce GP's dishing them out like sweeties to prevent us becoming tolerant, or rather the bugs. Some bugs are tolerant to some antibiotics, hence they come up with new solutions to handle them.

This is just anxiety, we aren't going back to those days with medicine.

I have never heard of steroids being used as an option to infection. That's very interesting. How do steroids fight infection though?

[MyNameIsTerry]

I have never heard of steroids being used as an option to infection. That's very interesting. How do steroids fight infection though?

I'm not sure. Since I've had several courses for asthma, an inflammatory coindition, and my mum has had them in creams for inflammations, I'm guessing it must be something connected to these types of conditions. Could it be because they reduce the immune system too because of how some infections work?

[Njoy704]

I'm not sure. Since I've had several courses for asthma, an inflammatory coindition, and my mum has had them in creams for inflammations, I'm guessing it must be something connected to these types of conditions. Could it be because they reduce the immune system too because of how some infections work?

You know what?... now that I think of it, I was given a steroid cream for a a really bad rash . It was an allergic reaction though... but I guess it can be considered a sort of infection. But not caused by bacteria. I don't know if steroid will help with bacterial infections, other than maybe helping keep the inflammation down?

[MyNameIsTerry]

You know what?... now that I think of it, I was given a steroid cream for a a really bad rash . It was an allergic reaction though... but I guess it can be considered a sort of infection. But not caused by bacteria. I don't know if steroid will help with bacterial infections, other than maybe helping keep the inflammation down?

I'm not sure about it but it was more than one GP who treated me over several years who resorted to steroid use with a chest infection. I had tried 2 lots of antibiotics first and they said to try these as they weren't working. Whilst asthma is an inflammatory condition, you take steroid inhalers for that and they can increase those or issue stronger temporary ones or even try things like nebulisers (which are amazing), but I wasn't on anything alongside them to counter the chest infection which was still there. One of the GP's had asthma too and had used steroids himself. He explained this over safety since one of the senoir partners refused to issue them (despite his juniors doing so previously) as "he didn't believe in them" which caused my mum to complain to see another GP (I was a child then) or he going to happily keep trying different antibiotics until I probably ended up in A&E unable to breathe!

In every case it went away very quickly.

Maybe someone will come along who can explain it?

Have you seen the vitamin C mega dose courses some doctors use? It's interesting. I had a chest infection this year and Idoubled up vitamin C (so nothing like mega dosing) and it sorted it out. Thats the first chest infection in my life so far where I haven't needed antibiotics due to my asthma. I rarely get colds anyway, had loads when I was younger, and I think I caught this one quite quickly.

[Njoy704]

I'm not sure about it but it was more than one GP who treated me over several years who resorted to steroid use with a chest infection. I had tried 2 lots of antibiotics first and they said to try these as they weren't working. Whilst asthma is an inflammatory condition, you take steroid inhalers for that and they can increase those or issue stronger temporary ones or even try things like nebulisers (which are amazing), but I wasn't on anything alongside them to counter the chest infection which was still there. One of the GP's had asthma too and had used steroids himself. He explained this over safety since one of the senoir partners refused to issue them (despite his juniors doing so previously) as "he didn't believe in them" which caused my mum to complain to see another GP (I was a child then) or he going to happily keep trying different antibiotics until I probably ended up in A&E unable to breathe!

In every case it went away very quickly.

Maybe someone will come along who can explain it?

Have you seen the vitamin C mega dose courses some doctors use? It's interesting. I had a chest infection this year and Idoubled up vitamin C (so nothing like mega dosing) and it sorted it out. Thats the first chest infection in my life so far where I haven't needed antibiotics due to my asthma. I rarely get colds anyway, had loads when I was younger, and I think I caught this one quite quickly.

I'm trying to defeat this weird sinus infection with vitamin c. 1000mg a day. So far, nothing. I'm not congested, but I have sinus pain and earache. I'm scared to go to 2000mg because I don't know if you can overdose on vitamin c.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm trying to defeat this weird sinus infection with vitamin c. 1000mg a day. So far, nothing. I'm not congested, but I have sinus pain and earache. I'm scared to go to 2000mg because I don't know if you can overdose on vitamin c.

I take 500mg AM & PM anyway.

If you take to vitamin C you hit what they call "bowel tolerance" and the result is a mad rush to the toilet where you will be for a while. Thats the effect of too much of vitamin C but doctors "mega dose" and this only starts once you hit this tolerance.

2000mg is easily safe. The only thing I would ever say is that if you have some physical condition, check it out first but otherwise you should be ok. Long term use of vitamin C above 2000mg isn't recommended though.

The problem is that your body can only take about 250mg at a time anyway so the rest is wasted. Timed release is better OR split your doses up throughout the day as the more you keep your vitamin C levels up in your blood plasma, the more benefits you get. The best form you can buy is liposomal, which is supposed to rival IV in terms of efficiency, but this is different because it's very small and penetrates cells directly just like the IV version. You can make your own but it's not true liposomal but more an enzyme but still better than standard vitamin C.

You want to Google mega dosing as it will bring loads up including some from medical professionals.

[uru]

Actually there has been some really good news on this topic recently

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287745.php

[Em.ma]

Thanks everyone.
I'm only concerned as all these stories in the news about going back to a post antibiotic era scared me.

[MyNameIsTerry]

The same was said over 20 years ago which triggered work by the worldwide medical community to change their practices to ensure it doesn't happen. Then the same was said about MRSA & other bugs but they dealt with that too.

Some pioneering doctors are using vitamin C to treat quite serious issues instead of modern medicine with amazing results.

This is a typical anxiety fear due to media hysteria.

[uru]

T
Some pioneering doctors are using vitamin C to treat quite serious issues instead of modern medicine with amazing results. .

Got a link for this?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Got a link for this?

It started off with Linus Pauling. If you Google vitamin C megadosing it will bring plenty fo hits.

[uru]

It started off with Linus Pauling. If you Google vitamin C megadosing it will bring plenty fo hits.
No offence but all of that work was discredited. Check online if you don't believe me.

[MyNameIsTerry]

No offence but all of that work was discredited. Check online if you don't believe me.

And yet there are many normal people who have used it and found it worked. I'm not talking about cancer here, and there are still doctors doing this work as it has carried on, but when you talk about basic infections it has useful applications. I didn't megadose, simply upped and found benefits. Hpnotherapy was classed as garbage a few years back and now the NHS use it so I'm open to things other than meds which have the studies yet fail people a lot. EFT was quackerary and now we have some favourable studies along with those that have just been poorly designed.

And no offence but if you already knew that why are you asking for a link? You could do your own search couldn't you?

[Fishmanpa]

Got a link for this?

One must be very careful concerning alternative methods and treatments, especially those that have some fantastic claims.

When I was battling cancer, all sorts of alternative treatment methods would pop up on the boards. 100% of the time they were from desperate people where conventional medicine failed them or they were told they were terminal.

Here's the thing... I'm sure there are benefits to some of these treatments in general BUT and here's the clearest point... IF these methods really worked, if they really cured the ailments they claim to cure, they would have been adopted by the medical profession and society as a whole long ago en mass, and the ailments they claim to heal would not still be plaguing us.

Please note that I myself have sought alternative treatment for chronic pain in the form of acupuncture. A 2500 year old practice that is still practiced in Eastern Medicine. It proved to be beneficial for me. My surgeon actually recommended it. That being said, I wouldn't have trusted it to remove cancer from my body.

Positive thoughts

[daisyflower]

3 lots of antibiotics in your whole life? You are one seriously healthy person! Don't worry about the antibiotic resistance, that's for professionals to worry about and not you.
To the person saying about the sinus infection, get a Neti pot! Think it's sold as sinurinse...works a dream! After 6 weeks of bad pain a few years ago, I bought one and washed the most rankest thing out of my sinus and the pain went right away!

[uru]

And yet there are many normal people who have used it and found it worked.

Yeah but placebos also work, right?



I'm not talking about cancer here, and there are still doctors doing this work as it has carried on, but when you talk about basic infections it has useful applications.
has it? Again, do you have a link?


Hpnotherapy was classed as garbage a few years back and now the NHS use it so I'm open to things other than meds which have the studies yet fail people a lot.

If you check the NHS page http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/hypnotherapy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

They write "Overall, the evidence supporting the use of hypnotherapy as a treatment in these situations isn't strong enough to make any recommendations for clinical practice.



No firm conclusions can be made, because the studies are generally only small and of poor quality."



EFT was quackerary and now we have some favourable studies along with those that have just been poorly designed. can I see the favorable studies?


And no offence but if you already knew that why are you asking for a link? You could do your own search couldn't you?

I was asking because I didn't want to jump to conclusions about what you were saying. I worried because you might have been saying something else so I wanted to check. When you mentioned Pauling I realised where you were coming from.

The only reason I'm saying anything is that I don't think people should give out bad medical advice on a site like this one. Sorry.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yeah but placebos also work, right?



has it? Again, do you have a link?



If you check the NHS page http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/hypnotherapy/Pages/Introduction.aspx

They write "Overall, the evidence supporting the use of hypnotherapy as a treatment in these situations isn't strong enough to make any recommendations for clinical practice.



No firm conclusions can be made, because the studies are generally only small and of poor quality."


can I see the favorable studies?



I was asking because I didn't want to jump to conclusions about what you were saying. I worried because you might have been saying something else so I wanted to check. When you mentioned Pauling I realised where you were coming from.

The only reason I'm saying anything is that I don't think people should give out bad medical advice on a site like this one. Sorry.

Since Pauling came up with the mega dosing I had already mentioned in the thread, and in already being aware of that work, it appeared to me that you understood already.

For hypnotherapy see IBS. Also see the many clinical hypnotherapists employed by the NHS. If you look into it, you will find them.

For EFT look on the NICE evidence base.

You can easily find them if you have a look. I added them as an example of a treatments that were considered not too work until evidence emerged to change it. I don't plan on adding links to all the studies, anyone interested can find them if needed.

I only gave you that name because from there you can find more up to date people since. It saves me looking for links that you could do yourself.

Just because there is no evidence doesn't mean something cannot work, only that sufficient evidence in a scientific study has not been seen plus credible studies are often debunked by later ones.

There are people who claim they have used vitamin C in mega doses with success but they haven't used IV forms and those claiming to be making their own liposomal forms are only producing enzyme forms not true liposomal.

Personally I did try vitamin C increase when I developed a chest infection and found it worked. I think I caught it quite early though. I know a chest infection because it's part of being a long term asthma sufferer who had been given advice on spotting it because I've always needed antibiotics. I couldn't get to my GP this time so had nothing to lose and if paid off or it would have been antibiotics.

Placebo works, therapy is a good example of it. If course, it wasn't going to clear my chest infection up. :D

I wasn't aware I was giving out bad medical advice, more having a discussion about an interesting concept and only advocating getting vitamin C - an essential vitamin - which we should be doing anyway in at least our diet, plus trying to reassure the OP that tolerance isn't going to be happening.