Why do bacteria and other bugs absolutely LOVE me??

[StrawberryJellyBean]

I’ve spent most of the last 2 years infected with some sort of bacteria or other infection. I’ve had multiple and recurrent ear infections, tooth infections, sinus infections, skin infections, UTIs, BV, and other infections on top of this too. It feels like over the last year I’ve spent more time infected with something than uninfected! Each infection has been severe enough to require antibiotics, and I’ve had a range of different types and doses over the last year. Off the top of my head, in the last 12 months I’ve probably had around 13-14 separate antibiotic prescriptions. Probably more actually! Sometimes they work and take away the infection and other times they don’t and I need a stronger or different dose.

I don’t understand why this is happening! I’m healthy, BMI 20 and have a fairly active and healthy lifestyle. I had full bloods taken for something unrelated and my immune system was good. I shower everyday and brush my teeth and use mouthwash and floss. I’m fairly young (University age) and I can’t work out why this is happening suddenly!

Is anyone else like this? I never used to get any sort of infection and now it’s like I’m never off antibiotics!

@Superoverthinker

I was like this until I strayed taking probiotics. They really helped me since all the antibiotics were killing off the good bacteria. I haven't had anything needing medication for years now

I’ve heard this too. One of my colleagues was plagued by reoccurring tonsillitis, his gp advised him to drink a Yakut every day and for over 10;years he’s been clear. I agree with you, it’s not a normal amount of antibiotics to be needing and I say that as someone with autoimmune disease, I’ve needed one prescription in 3 years. It could be your gp is an avid antibiotic prescriber or there may be something else going on. Definitely try and see if you can get the actual results. There are so many things that could be causing this 99% easily treatable.

All those antibiotics will have decimated your gut health. Focus on building up the good bacteria in your gut.

Another vote for probiotics, and foods that promote gut health. With that many antibiotics your gut biota will be trashed. The more we find out about gut biota, the more aspects of health we find it impacts. It certainly won't do any harm, and you may be surprised by how much good it does.

I'd quit sugar and flour for a bit, as an experiment.

I’ll try the probiotics. Excuse my ignorance, but will they help with stopping the infections once they start? Or are they for helping with preventing the infections before they start?

I did wonder if maybe my surgery are very keen on antibiotics but they don’t seem to be and they weren’t previously. I also see different people each time- its actually more like a health centre rather than a gp surgery with other professionals onsite too.

If I went with an infection in it’s early stages they would usually recommend waiting to let it heal on its own, but almost every infection so far has been bad enough to need at least one course of antibiotics, often more, or they progress and worsen.

After saying it last night, I can already tell I’ve got another infection starting! I’ve woken up today and definitely have another UTI. Obviously I’ll wait before getting it treated and see if it goes on it’s own, but I’m well used to this now and know what to expect with it and unfortunately it never gets better on its own, it just goes to my kidneys. I’ll wait and if it’s not improving I’ll go to the health centre and it will probably be more antibiotics

Then after that I’ll probably get another nasty case of conjunctivitis, or another inner ear infection, or who knows what else

I don’t actually have anything against taking antibiotics when necessary and I always finish the doses correctly as instructed. I just suddenly realised how many I’d actually had over the last year or two and realised how many it was

@StrawberryJellyBean

I’ll try the probiotics. Excuse my ignorance, but will they help with stopping the infections once they start? Or are they for helping with preventing the infections before they start?

I did wonder if maybe my surgery are very keen on antibiotics but they don’t seem to be and they weren’t previously. I also see different people each time- its actually more like a health centre rather than a gp surgery with other professionals onsite too.

If I went with an infection in it’s early stages they would usually recommend waiting to let it heal on its own, but almost every infection so far has been bad enough to need at least one course of antibiotics, often more, or they progress and worsen.

After saying it last night, I can already tell I’ve got another infection starting! I’ve woken up today and definitely have another UTI. Obviously I’ll wait before getting it treated and see if it goes on it’s own, but I’m well used to this now and know what to expect with it and unfortunately it never gets better on its own, it just goes to my kidneys. I’ll wait and if it’s not improving I’ll go to the health centre and it will probably be more antibiotics

Then after that I’ll probably get another nasty case of conjunctivitis, or another inner ear infection, or who knows what else

I don’t actually have anything against taking antibiotics when necessary and I always finish the doses correctly as instructed. I just suddenly realised how many I’d actually had over the last year or two and realised how many it was

So, you get “good” bacteria and “bad” bacteria. The bad bacteria is generally the one that makes you ill. Taking a “good” bacteria in the form of probiotic sets a battlefield so good versus bad and if you get a good probiotic they will back up your immune system and help to defeat the bad one, if you keep it up you’re basically creating an army that will deal with the bad ones before they become an issue, hope that makes some kind of sense. If kidneys are particularly affected I’d be making sure I’m drinking enough water to help them flush out toxins and maybe a “kidney” support supplement. It’s a tricky one op for sure!

This 100% isn’t normal and I would be insisting on further investigations. In the meantime, as other have said, a probiotic and a multivitamin is probably a good start.