I
Thought Antibiotics Were Safe. If so, what is the harm in prescribing them?
As a Newburgh
Chiropractor and a Holistic Chiropractor, I have many patients who come to me who have been on or are
currently taking an antibiotic. And when
I ask them about the side-effects associated with taking the antibiotics, they
look at me with a confused look and say, “My doctor didn’t tell me there would
be any side-effects!” And then the
education begins.
All medicines
have side effects, including antibiotics. Because few antibiotics are highly
specific, they not only destroy the "bad" bacteria, but also kill
many of the beneficial bacteria that inhabit the body. These good bacteria play
a critical role in maintaining general health and preventing disease-causing
organisms from establishing a foothold. Serious, potentially fatal
antibiotic-associated infections remain a major concern in hospitals, and thus
antibiotic use is monitored carefully. IV antibiotics, such as those sometimes
promoted for treating symptoms attributed to Chronic Lyme Disease, require
lines and catheters that present an avenue for dangerous secondary infections
to get into the body and take hold.
Patients also
risk negative and sometimes serious reactions to the antibiotics themselves. In
the first studies, 25 percent of the patients in the treatment group
experienced study-related adverse events (New Engl J Med 345:85-92,
2001). In the clinical trial looking at cognitive function (how a person's
brain works in the way of thinking and remembering), six patients experienced
serious adverse events, four of whom required hospitalization (Neurology
60:1923-30, 2003). In the most recent trial for cognitive improvement, 26
percent of patients given IV therapy experienced adverse events compared with 7
percent for the IV placebo group (Neurology 70(13):992-1003, 2008).
In addition to
personal safety concerns, unnecessary antibiotic use contributes to the
serious, growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. Overuse of antibiotics
has led to many bacteria developing resistance to the very drugs doctors once
used to combat them.
Finally, because
antibiotics destroy the beneficial bacteria needed by the body to digest your
food, what results from taking antibiotics will be a digestive Yeast/Candidia
imbalance which will then lead to sugar cravings, Leaky Gut Syndrome,
allergies, elevated cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure, auto-immune
concerns, heart disease, irritable bowel, colitis, diverticulitis and the
potential for cancer. Please consider this before taking an antibiotic
without having your doctor confirm that your symptoms are being caused by a
bacteria. Without a culture, there is no way to know if you are dealing
with a true bacterial infection, or if your symptoms are due to a different
cause such as a virus or other pathogen.
A Must for
ANY Antibiotic Therapy
The most common
effect of taking antibiotics is, (because it destroys the friendly bacteria
that play a critical role in maintaining normal digestive function, when the
antibiotics destroy these good bacteria) it results in a Yeast/Candidia
overgrowth. This will then lead to a Yeast and/or Candidia
infection. This usually occurs after the consumption of sugar found in
most foods that come in packages and have a shelf-life. To avoid this
common side-effect, it is recommended anyone who takes an antibiotic to also
take a probiotic. Probiotics are the friendly bacteria needed to help re-establish
the required beneficial bacteria (flora) to help restore balance to the
digestive system. Taking a probiotic requires one dosage every time you
eat a meal for a period of no less than 9 to 12 months. Ideally you
should figure 1 year to recover. In addition to the probiotic, there is a
second supplement called Zymex which is designed to reduce and eliminate the
excess amounts of Yeast/Candidia. This too is required every time you eat
a meal for the same period of no less than 9 to 12 months. Monitoring
this condition is important. Working with a Holistic Chiropractor who is
well versed in dealing with this condition is warranted. The effects of
antibiotic therapy are probably the number one cause of health imbalances in
the United States. Knowledge is power. Do Not let this side effect
ruin your health or the health of your loved ones.
Yours to Consider
Health concerns
are a major source of lost happiness and lost joy in all of our lives. Finding
a solution that is agreeable and enables you to get back to your life is
important. Please appreciate that you always have the more invasive surgery and
prescription medication available to you as a last resort. What many
Traditional Medical Doctors may not share is, many times, once you begin that
journey into medication and/or surgery, it alters your original body from the
one that you were born with. Unfortunately, at that time, more conservative and
natural treatments may no longer be viable. I encourage you to consider that
before making any decisions about treatment for your health. As always I am
here to help.
Your Choice:
- Continue doing the same thing and nothing
changes or it may get worse
OR
- Try something different and get a
different result that makes you happier and healthier.
The Choice is Yours
Please call Dr. Huntoon at
845-561-BACK (2225) to discuss your options or click on our E-Visit to do it via e-mail.
Thank You for your
consideration.
