long term abx use and bacteria resistance

[Guest guest]

this is scary for us on long-term abx therapy:

Overuse of Antibiotics Spurs Vicious Cycle

Posted By Dr. Mercola

<http://articles.mercola.com/members/Dr.-Mercola/default.aspx>

| June 10 2010 | 15,442 views

Share

<http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.mercola.com%2Fsites%\

2Farticles%2Farchive%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Foveruse-of-antibiotics-spurs-vicious-cyc\

le.aspx & t=Overuse%20of%20Antibiotics%20Spurs%20Vicious%20Cycle & src=sp>

retweet

<http://button.topsy.com/retweet?nick=mercola & title=Overuse+of%20Antibiotics%20S\

purs%20Vicious%20Cycle & url=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.mercola.com%2Fsites%2Farticles%\

2Farchive%2F2010%2F06%2F10%2Foveruse-of-antibiotics-spurs-vicious-cycle.aspx>

19

<http://topsy.com/articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/10/overuse\

-of-antibiotics-spurs-vicious-cycle.aspx>

Email to a friend

Previous Article

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/10/codex-serves-up-a\

-hearty-helping-of-melamine.aspx>

Next Article

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/06/10/how-the-telecom-indust\

ry-deceives-you-about-brain-cancer-risk-and-cell-phones.aspx>

antibioticsPatients who are over-prescribed antibiotics may develop drug

resistance that lasts up to a year. This puts both them and the larger

population at risk.

The more antibiotics are prescribed for coughs and flu-like illnesses,

the more bacteria become resistant in a vicious cycle.

According to Reuters:

/ " Medical experts say overuse of antibiotics in //Europe//, the

//United States// and other wealthy regions is building widespread

resistance in and threatening vital medical treatments from hip

replacements and cancer therapies, to intensive care. " /

Sources:

Reuters May 18, 2010

<http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64H6RE20100518?feedType=RSS & feedName=heal\

thNews & utm_source=feedburner & utm_medium=feed & utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2Fheal\

thNews+%28News+%2F+US+%2F+Health+News%29>

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Follow me on twitter <http://twitter.com/mercola> Follow me on facebook

<http://www.facebook.com/doctor.health>

There's much talk about the seriousness of antibiotic-resistant

disease, yet few actually take it into consideration when making

day-to-day health- and dietary decisions for their families.

It's easy to think that one more round of antibiotics won't hurt. In

fact, many believe it's absolutely necessary for nearly all

infections. And it's a rare person that gives any thought at all to

the fact that eating factory farmed meat fuels antibiotic-resistant

disease.

But this is where it needs to start -- within the home of each and

every one of us.

The Staggering Statistics of Lethal Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Although doctors are urged to limit antibiotic prescriptions, as

long as people ask to get them for every ear-, nose-, throat- or

urinary infection they may have, the habitual prescribing of potent

antibiotics is not likely to cease.

The knee-jerk decision to ask your doctor for antibiotics for every

minor infection adds to the toll these drugs exact on public health,

and it's a significant one.

Did you know that antibiotic-resistant infections now claim more

lives each year than the " modern plague " of AIDS?

It's hard to believe, but according to a study published in October,

2007 in the /Journal of the American Medical Association

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940231?ordinalpos=9 & itool=EntrezSystem2.PE\

ntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum>/

(JAMA), there were close to 100,000 cases of invasive

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the

United States in 2005, which lead to more than 18,600 deaths.

HIV/AIDS, meanwhile, killed 17,000 people that same year.

And when you include ALL resistant infections, not just MRSA, the

numbers become even more staggering.

Approximately 1.7 million Americans contracted infections during

hospital stays in 2007, and a subsequent *100,000 people perished

from these diseases*, according to the U.S. Center of Disease

Control (CDC).

It's also costing the American health care system more than $1.87

billion a year to treat these drug-resistant bacteria, according to

Reuters.

As long as we continue using bazookas to eradicate mosquitoes, which

is essentially what you're doing when using potent antibiotics for

minor infections, this trend of creating ever more resistant strains

of infections will continue.

Keep in mind that, according to this latest meta-analysis, the

health risk from over-use of antibiotics is also a very /personal

/one, as opposed to simply raising the occurrence of antibiotic

resistance in the general population over time.

Reuters reports:

/ " The more antibiotics are prescribed for coughs and flu-like

illnesses, or urine infections, the more bacteria become

resistant in a vicious cycle, said British researchers who

analyzed 24 previous studies of antibiotic resistance./

/ " The effect is greatest in the month immediately after

treatment, but may last for up to a year, and this residual

effect may be a driver for high levels of resistance in the

community. " /

What this boils down to is that whenever you use an antibiotic,

you're increasing your susceptibility to developing infections with

resistance to that antibiotic -- and you can become the carrier of

this resistant bug, and spread it to others.

/ " ... The more we prescribe, the more the bacteria become

resistant, " says lead researcher Alastair Hay. " And really the

only way of turning that vicious cycle into a virtuous circle is

to *only prescribe when it is absolutely necessary* in the first

place. " /[Emphasis mine.]

Naturally, this issue needs to be addressed on a large scale, by

doctors and hospitals, but I urge you to also take personal

responsibility and evaluate your own use of antibiotics, and avoid

taking them -- or giving them to your children -- unless absolutely

necessary.

How Your Dietary Choices Come into Play

Compounding the problem is that not only are potent antibiotics

over-prescribed in modern medicine, they are also widely over-used

in agriculture.

In fact, agricultural uses account for about *70 percent of all

antibiotic use*

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/antibiotics-in-fe\

ed.aspx>

in the US, so it's a MAJOR source of human antibiotic consumption.

Animals are often fed antibiotics at low doses for disease

prevention and growth promotion, and those antibiotics are

transferred to you via meat, and even via the manure used as crop

fertilizer

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/07/13/are-there-antibio\

tics-in-your-lettuce.aspx>.

Some countries have realized the hazard inherent in this and have

opted for a healthier approach to raising their livestock. Denmark,

for example, stopped the widespread use of antibiotics in their pork

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/13/denmark-uses-anti\

bioticfree-animals.aspx>

industry 12 years ago. After they implemented the ban on

antibiotics, a Danish study confirmed that it had drastically

reduced antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals and food.

So, reducing the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease is yet

another reason for making sure you're only eating grass-fed,

organically-raised meats.

Every so often, I'm criticized for recommending eating meat. But

it's important to remember that I ONLY recommend meat from organic,

grass-fed, free-range, humanely raised animals.. They are far

superior to conventionally farmed meats in terms of quality and

nutritional content, and second, they're not treated with

antibiotics and other growth hormones.

So, please, understand that any time I discuss meat consumption, it

is with the /explicit understanding/ that I /only/ promote humanely

raised, organically farmed livestock that have roamed free, feeding

on their natural food source, without any use of antibiotics and

other growth-promoting drugs typically used in conventional farming.

(For more information about real meaning behind meat labels such as

" free-range, " or " biodynamic, " please review this previous article

<http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/07/Ethical-Meat-and-\

Unethical-Hype--A-Look-at-All-Natural-GrassFed-and-Other-HalfTruths.aspx>.)

So keep in mind that in addition to enjoying better health, becoming

an educated consumer and selecting organic meats over

conventionally-raised meats will help quell the rise of

antibiotic-resistant disease.

Natural Approaches to Preventing MRSA

Aside from the long-term preventive strategies of avoiding frivolous

use of antibiotics for minor infections, and opting for

antibiotic-free, organic meats, there are also several sound methods

that can greatly hinder the spread/ /of infectious disease on a

day-to-day basis:

1. *Wash Your Hands ... and Make Sure Your Doctor Does Too*

Handwashing, which is one of the oldest and most powerful

antibacterial treatments, may be the key to preventing MRSA.

According to a s Hopkins study, the best way for patients to

avoid such infections is for doctors and nurses to simply wash

their hands before touching a patient. This is the most common

violation in hospitals!

Be sure to use a mild soap, and avoid all antibacterial soaps as

they typically contain triclosan, a dangerous chemical that can

cause even more resistant bacteria. More importantly,

antibacterial agents /are not necessary/ for soap to work.

Studies have shown that people who use antibacterial soaps and

cleansers develop a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever,

vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people who

use products that do not contain these antibacterial ingredients.

In other words they are unnecessary /and/ can cause you additional

problems.

Guidelines to proper hand-washing include:

* Wash your hands for 10 to 15 seconds with warm water

* Use plain soap

* Clean all the nooks and crannies of your hands, including

under fingernails

* Rinse thoroughly under running water

* In public places use a paper towel to open the door as a

protection from germs that harbor on handles

2. *Avoid Sharing Your Personal Items*

Since infection can spread by contact with contaminated objects,

keep personal items like towels, clothing, bed linens, athletic

equipment, razors and more to yourself.

3. *Use Natural Disinfectants*

As with antibacterial hand soaps, antibacterial house cleaners are

also best avoided. A natural all-purpose cleanser that works great

for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3 percent

hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Just put each liquid into a

separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed

by the other.

4. *Eat Garlic*

Researchers have found that allicin, the active compound in

garlic, is an effective, natural " antibiotic " that can eradicate

even antibiotic-resistant bugs like MRSA. An added benefit is that

the bacteria appear incapable of developing a resistance to the

compound.

Keep in mind that the garlic must be fresh! The active ingredient

is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic

pills are virtually worthless and should not be used.

Instead, compress the garlic with a spoon prior to swallowing it

(if you are not going to juice it). If you swallow the clove

intact you will not convert the allicin to its active ingredient.

Of course, there may be other effective strategies than the ones I

just mentioned.

If you know of any others that would be helpful for preventing the

spread of infections, I encourage you to add your comment below.

If you aren't already registered it will literally only take a

moment to register so you can post your own words of wisdom.