I Denounced Antibiotics and I’m Still Alive
Stop using antibiotics to improve your health.
I was young, naive, and trusted my physician. I had my fair share of colds, usually 1–2 times each year. It usually progressed into some sort of sinus infection or bronchitis.
“Dr. S, I have a sinus infection again. I think I need an antibiotic.”
“Ok, I’ll call one in for you.”
This was the routine — 1–2 times every year. I was relieved. Of course, I needed the antibiotic, didn’t I? It would cure my illness and make me well again. It always did before.
Hold up!
Antibiotics have become the cure-all for so many inconvenient illnesses. It’s not just a lack of knowledge but our culture that supports the unfortunate perpetuation of this idea.
Antibiotics in themselves have a positive connotation in our society. They heal us of the awful symptoms caused by many common infections. Don’t they?
The truth is — they don’t. Have you ever thought about the name? Anti- against and biotic- life — against life. And that’s just what they do. They make your life worse and I’ll show you why.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand the idea of killing bacterial life that causes severe infection. I’m not advocating for the removal of antibiotics from the medicinal arsenal. They do have a number of important benefits. However…
Most infections are not cured by antibiotics
99% of typical upper respiratory infections (colds, sinus infections, bronchitis, and yes, even ear infections) are caused by viruses, NOT bacteria. So the antibiotic does nothing to stop the infection. Our own immune systems fight off viruses, with a time course of about 1-2 weeks.
So if a typical patient goes to the doctor 1 week after getting ill and gets an antibiotic (let’s say a 5-day course of Azithromycin — a Zpack), then it makes sense that they feel better 3–7 days later.
Their immune system killed the virus in the appropriate time course. Unfortunately, the antibiotic gets all the credit. And the patient remembers this the next time they fall ill.
Even worse, antibiotics kill so much good bacteria that the medication can prevent healing and even make susceptibility to other infections more likely. I know, totally counterintuitive. But it’s true.
In fact, I just read an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association that found an association between antibiotic treatment in asthmatics and longer hospital stays — not shorter.
This is one example of many articles I have read relating antibiotic use to decreased immunity and worse outcomes. Just search Google and you’ll see a plethora of research articles describing decreased immune function.
Do you ever wonder why your “cold” seemed to get better after about a week and then worsened again? Most people think the same illness came back with a vengeance, perhaps turned into a bacterial infection. The truth is, only a minority acquire a bacterial infection. What actually occurred was that you contracted another virus because of decreased immunity. Antibiotics increase this deleterious effect on the body.
Bacteria is good
Humans are made of bacteria. We would not function without the symbiotic nature of the bacteria both on and in our bodies.
Every day we are learning new reasons to foster a healthy microbiome within our gut. It improves our immune system, our heart health, creates necessary vitamins and promotes many other strong bodily functions.
When we take an antibiotic, even once yearly, we eliminate a whole host of good bacteria in our bodies and our guts in particular. And the consequence is a hit to our overall health.
Maintaining healthy bacterial life in your body is just as important as eating healthy, sleeping, and exercising frequently. Yet we think antibiotics are actually improving our health when we’re sick. This is far from the truth.
My story
Upon entering medical school, I began to realize the harms of antibiotics and I vowed to allow my body the time to “heal thyself” — the natural evolution that has allowed humans to survive for thousands of years.
Since 2005, I have not taken one antibiotic. In my job treating patients in the ER and Urgent Care, I see many infections. And sure, I still get 1–2 yearly sinus infections or episodes of bronchitis.
With the knowledge I’ve acquired, I have chosen to avoid antibiotics. And guess what? I’m still alive. My immune system fights off the viral infection and I feel good about my body and my decision.
What’s more, I have 3 children under 10 years old and none of them have ever been treated with an antibiotic.
I’m not against treating them if it were necessary (i.e. strep throat – though this may not be necessary either) but also understand that the body almost always heals on its own.
I watch my children closely. I know that I have the advantage of being a doctor. But each infection that my children have acquired, including typical ear infections and pink eye, have healed without antibiotics. This is the sole job of our immune systems — and it works well.
Antibiotics may be necessary for some infections and have certainly benefitted our society in many ways. But the pendulum has swung too far and it’s time to be better stewards about the use of these medications.
Sure, it’s easy to get an antibiotic at the local urgent care. And doctors certainly have a long way to go to improve their prescribing habits and increase public education on antibiotics. But patients also have the choice to abstain.
The next time you have a cold, let your body heal itself — denounce antibiotics as another way to improve your health and I’m confident you will be happy you did so.
What’s your story? Do you agree or disagree? Comment below!