Remind me why anti-biotics are bad.

[spidermama]

I've had a temperature for the last 7 days and nights.
My dh is away.
I went to the doctor who said it's a chest infection. He gave me a prescription for anti-biotics.
After having had this for a week already, wouldn't it be better to let my immune system finish the job?
Also I had dreadful in the milk ducts for six weeks after the birth of my ds4 and would really hate for that to happen again.
But I feel so wretched and I'm looking after four kids on my own.
What would you do?

TIA.

How many antibiotics have you taken in the last year or so?

I would probably take them if I've not had any for a long time.... that is me though, and i'm a wuss with illness

One of the reasons they're seen to be bad is because, although they knock out all the bad bacteria that's causing the infection, they knock all the good bacteria out as well, so they can throw your system out of balance and give you thrush and tummy upsets.

Chest infections are horribly difficult to clear up on their own though, and can lead to worse conditions if they're untreated, so in your case I would take the antibiotics, but take a pro-biotic or acidophilus along with it.

Hope you feel better soon.

wwb I didn't know anti-biotics cd give you thrush. I was on a course of heavy ones for a nasty bug a few weeks ago and since then have had bad trhush, normally only get it when pg (!I'm not!).
What can I do about it then?

tbh if I'd suffered that long and was having to cope with the kids I'd take them. I even took them for gastro enteritis 2 weeks ago. Make sure you take probiotics alongside to minimise the impact on your "good" bacteria.

spidermama - noones says antibiotics are bad. It's just as a society thay have been over-used and so decreasing their effectiveness.
As you quite rightly say, it is much better for your own immune system to develop it's own ability for tackling infections.
However, antibiotics would 'help' you fight an infection, particularly if you are over-worked and run down. If you are feeling tired and lethargic it is likely that your body is struggling to fight the infection.
We perceive antibiotics are 'bad' because we are over-using them we are losing the ability to fight these infections on our own. Hence the references to an increase in eczema and asthma in children.
HTH

And as Wigwam says they aint to friendly to your 'good' bacteria either.

Thanks all. It's been nearly ten years since I had anti-biotics but I think you're right, it's time to go to the chemist. This is no fun at all.

Clary, abs are buggers for causing thrush. If I have to take them I take acidophilus (from Holland and Barrett) at the same time. Annoyingly enough I've been on abs this week for a tooth infection and have taken the acidophilis too ... and still got thrush under my armpits.

If you want to treat the thrush, Difflucan or Canesten Once are tablets you can take, and you can get Canesten cream to ease the soreness. And try and take a pro-biotic next time you have to take the abs.

Take them, and take a probiotic too. Definitely. Poor you. Hope you feel better soon.

thanks for that wwb

Just one more thing ...
I'm breastfeeding. I forgot to mention this at the doctors. Is it still OK to take the ABs?

spidermama, hope you feel better soon

you didnt tell the doc you were bf? i would ask the pharmacist you got the px at, or read the leaflet with the ab's

if they are not ok for bf, im sure the dr could px you a similar but different kind iyswim

Thanks NP.

I don't know what type you're taking, but the leaflet inside the Amoxycillin that I'm taking says

"Very small amounts of Penicillin may be found in the breast-milk of a mother taking Penicillin. This may rarely alter the normal bacteria in the gut of the breast-fed child, and may rarely cause stomach upset or allergic reactions. Penicillin may also affect test results used to determine the cause of fever in a breast-fed child. The benefits to the mother generally outweigh the risks to the breast-fed child".

be careful spidermama .. I've just been through the worst 5 weeks of my life thanks to a chest infection .. didn't get anti-b's in the first 2 weeks and ended up on 4 courses of anti-b's

the last 2 courses were referred to as 'chemical bleach' but I didn't care I just wanted to be able to breathe