Stay Away From Antibiotics!

While antibiotics may be helpful in some ways, I think that the fact that 70% of the American pop. is medicated with antibiotics topping the list is a cause for concern. Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant due to repeated unnecessary exposure from this conventional method of treatment.

By the way here are 9 more reasons to avoid antibiotics:

1. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Crohn's Disease has increased over the over the past 50 years in direct correlation to the incidence and widespread use of antibiotics.
Scientific link between Antibiotics Crohn's disease and Colitis

There's even a theory from German scientists that Crohn's is actually a mutation created from normal gut bacteria from antibiotics.

2. Cancer Link

Antibiotics may slightly increase the risk of colon cancer this study suggests.


3. A.I.D.S.

It just so happens that the group with the highest incidence of A.I.D.S., is the group who consumes more antibiotics than any other group in America. See immune suppression below.

4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

A Report from About.com. Hazards include salmonella infection and too much mercury exposure.

5. Liver Damage

Antibiotics in particular are the worst offenders of liver damage and the most likely to cause serious harm to the liver. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

6. Fungal and Bacteria Overgrowths

Antibiotic use triggers the release of endotoxins (toxins produced within the body), which suppress the immune system. They destroy the "communication pathways between cells of the immune system".

7. Recurring Infections

Improved nutrition and improved sanitation and hygiene are far more important than the ‘wonder drugs' or vaccines to reduce recurring infectious diseases. Research has revealed that those treated with antibiotics succumb to recurring infections more frequently than those who do not use antibiotics. For example, children with ear infections who are prescribed antibiotics routinely suffer from repeat infections.

8. Weakened Immune System

Peter J. D'Adamo, ND, is a naturopathic physician and author known for his pioneering research on the interconnectedness of human blood groups, lifestyle, nutrition, and health. He explains:

"When you allow your body to go to war on its own terms, without antibiotic intervention, it develops not only a memory of specific antibodies to the current infection and any similar to it, but also the ability to fight more effectively the next time it is challenged or attacked."

immunedisorders.homestead.com...

Obviously this mechanism is compromised through the use of antibiotics.

9. Mitochondrial damage

Pharmaceuticals are a major cause of mitochondrial damage, including statin medications, analgesics such as acetaminophen, antibiotics, and many others.
Structurally, mitochondria are essentially modified bacteria. Antibiotics indiscriminately target bacteria.
Mitochondrial disorders commonly manifest as neurological disorders, for example, neuropathy.

I think I'll pass on antibiotic medication....and that's putting it mildly.

There are so many additives in our food that possess antibiotic activity that I doubt if it matters. We are constantly consuming chemistry that kills off some beneficial bacteria. You never needed to constantly take probiotics before, ask yourself why we should be taking them constantly now. Most of us have unbalanced gut flora and this increases our susceptibility to many things. We evolved with a gut flora that helped us to do many things.

Oh there is much more.

There is a class of antibiotics called Fluoroquinolones that include Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox and about any generic with FLOX in the name.

These drugs SHOULD BE the antibiotic of last resort. Instead they are given out like candy causing massive side affects. Trust me, I am fully aware as I have been robbed from the full use of my arms now for over 2 years and have to get shots in my elbows every few months just to function.

www.webmd.com...

Antibiotics Linked to Serious Nerve Damage

This is not the first serious warning for fluoroquinolones. In 2008, the FDA required a boxed warning, the most serious type of warning, to be added to the medications, alerting patients of the risk of tendon damage and rupture.


Aug. 27, 2013 -- The FDA is strengthening its warning that a popular class of antibiotics, called fluoroquinolones, may cause sudden, serious, and potentially permanent nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy.

Fluoroquinolones are antibiotics that are commonly used to treat a variety of illnesses such as respiratory and urinary tract infections. These medicines include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), norfloxacin (Noroxin), and ofloxacin (Floxin). More than 23 million patients received a prescription for one of them in 2011.

Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves that send information to and from the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Damage interrupts this connection, and the symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. In general, the symptoms are in the arms and legs and include numbness, tingling, burning, or shooting pain.

Peripheral neuropathy has been listed as a side effect of fluoroquinolones since 2004. There have been reports of long-lasting nerve damage and disability in patients taking this type of medication.

A recent FDA review revealed that the existing warnings for fluoroquinolones were inadequate. The FDA's newest alert requires that all drug labels and medication guides for fluoroquinolones be updated to better emphasize the risk for serious and potentially irreversible peripheral neuropathy.

The scary thing about all of this is that all of those antibiotic users contribute to the water supply, so even those who don't take it are ingesting it anyway through tap water.

I read somewhere there is a push by governments and doctors to reduce these numbers because the viruses and bacterias are mutating as a result, and becoming resistant to treatments.

A 0 ppm Reverse Osmosis systems with charcoal filters are mandatory with any tap water in my house.
It also helps with the other yummy additives like pharmaceuticals, pesticides, nicotine, arsenic etc...

Down here in Florida, we are getting about 500 ppm of dissolved solids through our tap water, the rain is between 5-10, maybe 20 ppm max.

I think it's important to note that people should "stay away from Unnecessary Overuse of Antibiotics". There's a time and a place for everything, and in my opinion the overuse of them is the biggest problem, not just the antibiotics themselves.

I believe that most of the main reasons you mentioned probably occur because of overuse of antibiotics, not just antibiotics in general. It's a distinction that should be made. This is an interesting topic, I'm excited to see what else ATS has to say on the subject.

One good source on antibiotics is here: www.whale.to...

Adverse reactions lead US patients to ask 'just how safe are antibiotics?'

A growing number of American patients say they've been poisoned by fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Not only has this ruined lives, they say, it's exposed the unhealthy relationship between some drug manufacturers and medical regulatory bodies. Carey Purcell reports

Bobby Grozier was on top of the world before he took the pills. A senior software adviser for a Fortune 500 company based in Manhattan, he earned a great salary and was happily married with a young daughter.

That changed when he was prescribed a toxic combination of drugs to treat lingering symptoms of what his doctor thought was prostatitis. Ten years later, he suffers from permanent brain damage, is on disability and has lost more than $3 million in medical costs and income.

www.whale.to...

In 1953 Dr Orian Truss discovered the devastating effects of antibiotics in an Alabama (USA) hospital. During a ward round Truss was intrigued by a gaunt, apparently elderly man who was obviously dying. However, he was only in his forties and in hospital for four months. No specialist had been able to make a diagnosis. Out of curiosity Truss asked the patient when be was last completely well. The man answered that he was well until six months before when he had cut his finger. He had received antibiotics for this.

www.whale.to...

Unvaccinated people a public health threat? Nope, people who take antibiotics are the real danger. Vaccine pushers often resort to an interesting fear tactic to try to mandate vaccine obedience among the masses: They insist that those who are unvaccinated are a health threat to the rest of the vaccinated population because the vaccinated people might get infected by the unvaccinated disease carriers!

The quack logic of such a claim should be self-evident. If vaccines protect people from infectious disease, then vaccinated people should not be concerned at all about being around unvaccinated people. After all, the vaccine made them all "immune," right?

But of course that's all propaganda. Vaccines don't really work at all. They are marketed under a blanket of disease hysteria and pimped by a cult following of medicalized quacks and needle junkies who abandoned real science long ago. After all, who needs real science when you've got the CDC marketing all the fear for you? The CDC is to medicine what George Bush was to the war industry -- spread a little fear and the profits roll in.
The real risk to others? People who routinely take antibiotics

www.whale.to...

Scientists discover why honey is still the best antibiotic

Conventional antibiotics are overprescribed and overconsumed. They are given out like parade candy, tossed out to anyone waving their hands. 2010 data obtained by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that a whopping 833 antibiotic prescriptions are handed out on average per every 1,000 people.

Conventional antibiotics make users sicker in the long run

Doctors carelessly prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, which is useless since antibiotics are only effective for breaking up bacterial infections. To make matters worse, overprescription and overconsumption make future infections harder to fight, since antibiotics deplete the good bacteria in the gut.

As this disturbing trend continues, scientists are looking for simpler answers. Researchers from the Salve Regina University in Newport, Rode Island, are rediscovering the reasons why raw honey is still one of the best natural antibiotics around to this day. Honey fights infections on multiple levels and doesn't promote resistant bacteria
Lead author Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D., presented the findings at the 247th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. She reports, "The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance."

www.whale.to...

a reply to: TrueMessiah

I remember as a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's, when we got sick we had to ride it out. Most of the time kids would be out of school for 3 to 5 days. Now it seems like the first sign of a fever or cough, the first reaction is bringing the kid to a doctor to receive a check-up and than going home with a prescription for antibiotics. I think today, we don't allow time for our bodies own immune system to kick in to develop it's own antibodies.

Bacteria is everywhere! Our bodies were created to coexist with bacteria on this planet.

a reply to: TrueMessiah

3. A.I.D.S.

It just so happens that the group with the highest incidence of A.I.D.S., is the group who consumes more antibiotics than any other group in America. See immune suppression below.

Maybe that is because they are immune compromised and can not fight off infections normal people would.

a reply to: TrueMessiah

3. A.I.D.S.

It just so happens that the group with the highest incidence of A.I.D.S., is the group who consumes more antibiotics than any other group in America. See immune suppression below.

Well I think that shows this article's bias right there. First off they're trying to conclude causation from correlation. Anyone with any kind of science background will tell you that's a no-no.

Second, people with AIDS have a suppressed immune system. That's the nature of the disease. So of course they're going to be prescribed more antibiotics. But no, let's just believe that antibiotics cause AIDS.

This War Against Medicine is really starting to get disturbing. The anti-vax movement was bad enough. Antibiotics are one of the greatest discoveries mankind has made. Not only have they increased lifespan but also quality of life. I will agree that they, along with many medications, are over prescribed. However, to warn people off them altogether is irresponsible at best.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: TrueMessiah

I remember as a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's, when we got sick we had to ride it out. Most of the time kids would be out of school for 3 to 5 days. Now it seems like the first sign of a fever or cough, the first reaction is bringing the kid to a doctor to receive a check-up and than going home with a prescription for antibiotics. I think today, we don't allow time for our bodies own immune system to kick in to develop it's own antibodies.

Bacteria is everywhere! Our bodies were created to coexist with bacteria on this planet.

Antibiotics against an undiagnosed fever or even a cough (viral-based)?
That cannot work. It is like "oh, you have a flat tire? Let me replace your battery"..

And please, if you can: stay away from antibiotics. The more people don't use it, the more efficient are antibiotics, as there are less resistant bacteria!

a reply to: TrueMessiah

First, antibiotic resistant bacteria isn't a reason to avoid antibiotics, if you have a reason for taking it.

And yes, as 2 other posters mentioned, people with AIDS not having the best immune system, have to compensate by having more external help, aka antibiotics.

As far as antibiotics triggering the release of endotoxins, well yes, because the antibiotics are helping to kill the bacteria.

Endotoxin - "Endotoxins are part of the outer membrane of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. Endotoxin is invariably associated with Gram-negative bacteria whether the organisms are pathogenic or not. Although the term "endotoxin" is occasionally used to refer to any cell-associated bacterial toxin, in bacteriology it is properly reserved to refer to the lipopolysaccharide complex associated with the outer membrane of Gram-negative pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Pseudomonas, Neisseria, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordetella pertussis and Vibrio cholerae."
textbookofbacteriology.net...

The endotoxins will be there one way or the other, but assuming antibiotics make an infection go away faster, less endotoxins in the long run if you take antibiotics.

Reoccurring infections has nothing to do with the idea of not taking antibiotics. If with the help of antibiotics you're still getting infections, the answer isn't to go it alone with just your immune system...because obviously it isn't doing the trick to begin with...if it was, you wouldn't be getting reoccurring infections...lol.

a reply to: TrueMessiah

Thank You for Creating This Informative Thread!! Some valuable and possibly life saving information. I appreciate the share!!!

Syx.

a reply to: WeRpeons

I was born in '62. I remember missing school from being sick. No meds usually, and just riding it out like You mentioned.
However one time Iwas so sick, i had the syrups and pills that did not really help Me. I had Rhumatuic Fever for 3 weeks! Resulting now in Major Tinnitus. I have birds chirping as well as crickets, along with hundreds of frogs ribbiting, and occasional Cicada screaching in My head at All times!! I was to the point yrs ago, I wanted to suicide,Seriously went through some scenarios for a week or so on it, but backed out figuring I was going to just have to make the best of a messed up deal......
Just wanted to let Ya know I was in that boat yrs ago. The one floating along riding it all out...... Syx.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: TrueMessiah

I remember as a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's, when we got sick we had to ride it out. Most of the time kids would be out of school for 3 to 5 days. Now it seems like the first sign of a fever or cough, the first reaction is bringing the kid to a doctor to receive a check-up and than going home with a prescription for antibiotics. I think today, we don't allow time for our bodies own immune system to kick in to develop it's own antibodies.

Bacteria is everywhere! Our bodies were created to coexist with bacteria on this planet.

This is how I've been living my life. I stay away from the doctor's unless I REALLY need to go. Most of the time, illnesses are just seasonal crap that you get over in a few days. I've always felt dishonest not going to school/work for having a runny nose or a cough. It's not like they prevent you from doing other things. Fevers on the other hand, I can understand not coming in for the day though. But even then, I don't go to the doctors. I just eat some chicken noodle soup, go to back to bed, and wait for the fever to break.

As a 29 year old though, I saw the beginnings of what you are talking about while I was growing up. Children constantly out sick for the slightest thing, and for the longest time I couldn't figure out why everyone else got so much sicker than me. Finally, I figured out that they were just over compensating for something that is relatively easy to fight off.

a reply to: SyxPak

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. Normally us kids would ride it out for about a week and than if there were no signs of it getting better we would than go to the doctor. I can remember very seldom ever seeing a doctor when I was young, unless I cracked my head or when my tonsils got inflamed. I think the cost of a doctor visit was part of the reason why our parents didn't visit them too often.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I just eat some chicken noodle soup, go to back to bed, and wait for the fever to break.

The old chicken soup remedy, lol. You have to wonder if chicken soup really has any benefits to it, or it was just handed down as a cure all generation after generation. All I know, it probably made a good portion of the profits for Campbell's Soup, lol.

a reply to: WeRpeons

It's worked every time I've tried it. I'd say its good for combating the small illnesses, but as far as a cure for big ones that can really put you up for several days, you'd best be taking medicine. Though maybe it's a bit of that placebo effect in action, but I like it and at least it's natural.

Telling people not to take antibiotics is ignorant. This is the 21st century. Antibiotics are a reality of current life. Livestock is pumped full of them, so if you eat meat you're getting them anyway. If you're dying of an infection I doubt you're going to say no to them.

Don't spread ignorance.

P.S., it's the salt in chicken soup that is beneficial.

I didn't look at the link for the research on recurring infections, but I have an issue with the example used in support of said research.

Research has revealed that those treated with antibiotics succumb to recurring infections more frequently than those who do not use antibiotics. For example, children with ear infections who are prescribed antibiotics routinely suffer from repeat infections.

Firstly, children are prone to chronic ear infections and antibiotics are the most effective cure for most cases. A topical application with antibiotic drops is what is normally prescribed. I'd say that the chronic infections necessitate the use of antibiotics, not that the antibiotics are causing the chronic infections.

Doctors claim that antibiotics destroy all the flora and fauna of the environment inside the ear, both good and bad, causing the bad organisms to take over when they bounce back from the antibiotics. The problem is not the antibiotics really, it's the imbalance created after the infection is killed off by the antibiotics.

Regardless, I've had chronic ear infections as an adult and I rarely use antibiotics. I've tried everything to avoid using them, but for ear infections and the massive flareups that can happen, antibiotics is the best. In my case, I think a tooth infection was contributing to it, so it was going to continue to flare up until the tooth was finally pulled, regardless of the cure applied.

Ok in regards to the A.I.D.S. issue, I think it was on the list due to the fact that antibiotics debilitate the immune system (evidenced by number 8 on the list) even further so it would be presumed wise for someone in this conditionto avoid them as much as necessary.