Medicines and Antibiotics

Taking anibiotics for a “simple” cold will not help. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics. If one has a condition requiring antibiotics, then by definition there is nothing “simple” about that cold. It is either a sinus, ear, throat or upper respiratory infection, and may require the intervention of an antibiotic. The problemis that many people take antibiotics incorrectly, do not follow instructions to the letter, eat or drink something that renders the antibiotic ineffective (such as grapefruit juice in many cases), or do not take ALL of the medication ebcause they strat to feel better. This sets them up for a relapse with an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacterial infection.

there are also many antibiotics that cause stomach issues as a side effect and the patient would also need to take something like Prilosec in order to calm the stomach!

To Health,

while on Bioxin once, it worked wonders for my shredded stomach!

Mybat, I really hope your husband is feeling better and stopped coughing. If not, insist on full blood test and chest x ray. – My son had chronic cough and after months of antibiotics inhalers etc, blood tests with the help of an xray pinpointed what medicine he needed.

I think we have to be proactive where antibiotics are concerned. They are a marvellous drug in the right time. We don’t want to become immune to them.

We should all be Gezunt in shtark bezras Hashem.

Anon, my doc told me when on a certain antibiotic (Can’t remember which, sorry) not to drink grapefruit juice because it lowers the efficacy of the dose.

tamazaball

It has nothing do do with citrus, rather 6′,7′-Dihydroxybergamottin, a compound in grapefruit, which inhibits cytochrome P450 in the liver, which is a family of proteins with extensive metabolism for many medications, that is involved. Therefore, since the usual metabolism of these compounds is inhibited, bioavailability is increased (they stay longer in the system), which can reach toxic levels, similar to overdosing.

isnt grape-fruit juice also to be avoided when on certain cholesterol medications? I was at someone’s house and they mentioned that the fruit salad had grapefruit in it for one of the other people at the table (who said they had to avoid it because of a medication taken to reduce heart issues-not sure what).

seems like with all these interactions, one needs to ask their doctor every time they get a new med to find out the purpose, reactions (normal and abnormal they might get), and any interactions that they should be aware of with their other medication/foods.

we are such a pill-popping generation it makes me wonder what they did in the past.

Grapefruit juice contains a number of compounds. We do NOT fully understand the actions of some of these compounds. In addition to their effects on drug metabolism cited above, some of these compounds can affect other biological systems as well. For example, how much of a given drug enters the brain.

I urge anyone taking any drug whatsoever to take the time and read the label describing the interactions of that drug with others, and reading the contraindications. Then follow the instructions, they are not there for nothing. If you do not understand, don’t be embarrassed, get your doctor or a pharmacist to explain it to you. Don’t be shy, this is your health that we are discussing.

Again, for any visit to the doctor, bring a list of your medications and the dosages that you take. Do not rely on the doctor to have it on file or look it up. Especially in the cases in which you consult multiple specialists, a single doctor may not have the entire list on file.

So take responsibility for your own health!! The system is not going to do it for you.

In addition to keeping an updated list of your medications and dosages, do not fail to keep a similar list for your children, and especially, for your parents. Many of our elderly take a bewildering combination of meds, and have difficulty keeping track of everything. Their physicians are overworked and underpaid, and often do not get the complete story. It is our duty to make sure that our parents/grandparents receive quality medical treatment.

To havesomeseichel,

How in the world do you OD on Purell? These products are very effective more than soap and water, but they aren’t needed unless soap & water isn’t around or you have a lot of exposure to germs. Recently, they put these automatic Purells in hospitals and everyone was using them instead of water. What happened was an increase in C. difficile because it has spores, so they got rid of the bottles and told people to wash off the spores with soap & water. Unless you are worried about C. difficile Purell is very effective.

coughs could be a psychological problem, I know somebody that had a cough, and after going from doctor to doctor they found out he was terrified of a disease in the throat, then he got cured.

All in the mind.

To havesome seichel,

And what’s wrong with getting rid of all the germs? Immunity doesn’t work the way you make it out, it isn’t simplistic. C. Diff causes Pseudomembranous colitis- usually an antibiotic-associated colitis. This is sometimes deadly. Why don’t you take out a book on immunity from the library so you would have an understanding before you start posting?

Health- I do know something about immunity (was a bio student at one point in my life). Someone had told me that and I was confused, so I posted my question. I just wanted clarification to unconfuse me! that is why it was in question format, not as a statement!