I nearly died at 4 years old in 1968 due to acute lung infection. I have had yellow stained teeth due to Tetracycline saving my life (stains emerging adult teeth in kids, mum knew…it was that or I died). It’s been a salient reminder to me all my adult life.
I’ve also been prescribed antibiotics over my 60 plus years for diphtheria, scarlet fever, interstitial cystitis (still take long term low dose), and god knows what else. And like most people of my age, was almost certainly over prescribed them for any number of probably viral infections.
I also worked with antibiotics, including old school penicillins at start of my career nearly 45 years ago now. As a research chemist initially. The real issues is that few new antibiotics are being researched. It is a ticking time bomb, hence the anxiety about over prescribing and resistance. In 2021 reputable epidemiological studies showed resistant bacteria contributed to 1.1 million deaths worldwide, expected to rise to 2million by 2050 if new classes of antibiotics aren’t approved.
For a while, later in my career, I was also managing production of a drug called Tetracycline, 2nd line defence against multi resistant TB. At time we could hardly make enough of it for demand (as just after iron curtain fell, and huge surge of TB came out of Iron block gulags). I used to have meeting with WHO each month to decide what production would go to which markets world world. Part of issue was drug was so old, and difficult to make based on out of date techniques , it was sold at a loss as philanthropic gesture. WHO wouldn’t allow us to stop manufacture, but product was virtually impossible to make in any significant quantities. Eventually production was outsourced to some key universities through charitable trust, but this very old drug still remains crucial in fight against multi resistance TB and is now so bloody expensive as initial charitable trusts set up, no longer exist. And This is the other issue, antibiotics that are effective against bacterial resistance are getting more and more expensive.
A few pharma companies and a lot of university globally are looking at bringing new types to market. 50 years after last new classes released. Roche, for instance are close with a multi resistant antibiotic that’s a whole new class of antibiotics…and there’s other research looking at “tweaking” a very old class of antibiotics dating back into 1950s, and another group who have found encouraging new class of antibiotics in one of their technicians back garden soil! There is also now a global action plan for resistance, including promoting research and education re resistance. But agian, these new antibiotics will be hugely expensive.
things we should all do to stop resistance
- stop pushing GP for antibiotic when you’ve been told it’s a virus…too many GPs still “cave in” for a quite life. antibiotics don’t work on most chest infections. Most chest infections are viral. Same with ears and ear ache.
- always finish your course as prescribed. Even if you feel better. Always. You should feel better after 48 hours. But finish the course to kill off all the blighters, or they come back with a bite next time. Always.
- never take antibiotics not prescribed to you, or use antibiotics prescribed to someone else, on a different family member. Just don’t. Please. There are lots of different antibiotics for different infections. You’re not a GP or pharmacist . Just don’t do it. Sharing medications is a stupid thing to do at best of times, and with antibiotics you are storing up a whole load of shit.
- never flush down toilet or put in bin - take unused product back to pharmacist. Especially if it’s creams (topicals). If it’s tabs or suspension you should have finished your course
- they’re not smarties. Or calpol. Treat them as serious medication to be used only when necessary, not as a “just in case”.
end of sermon. Sorry. 🤷♀️