Doctor Q&A: Are antibiotics secretly killing me?

Hi Doctor Renee I have seen you say try and not take antibiotics many times but my doctor seems to give them to me every time I go. Why don’t you like them?

Hi Doctor Renee I have seen you say try and not take antibiotics many times but my doctor seems to give them to me every time I go. Why don’t you like them?

It’s not that I ‘don’t like’ antibiotics, it’s that I don’t like the side effects and I don’t want to take antibiotics and live with the side effects if I don’t have to. I also feel that often when we give antibiotics to adults and children we don’t need them, we are treating the virus, then there is no antibiotic component, everything we get are the lower sides. up!

So, to explain what these results are:

The gut microbiome

This is one of the most important parts of our immune system. Eighty percent of our immune cells are in our gut and healthy gut bacteria help build the immune system. When you take antibiotics, you wipe out your gut microbiome for up to two years! Why do that if you don’t have to and put yourself on the back foot when it comes to dealing with future viral and bacterial infections?

Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash

One in five people will experience side effects that include one of these side effects, among others. Why have side effects if there is no need?

Opposition

Whenever an antibiotic is used, there is a chance that it will kill some of the bacteria but leave more difficult ones behind. This allows the bacteria in question to become stronger against the antibiotic until eventually the antibiotic becomes ineffective against the bacteria it was intended to kill. This has seen the emergence of ‘superbugs’ that kill people. In 2019, 2.1 million people worldwide died from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The fewer antibiotics we use as a society and as individuals, the less likely this is to happen. If we continue to overuse antibiotics we will reach a time when mowing the garden will kill. No one wants to go back to those dark days.

One of the most common reasons for which I am asked for antibiotics by a patient is a cold / cough / cold that has lasted a week or more. The first problem with this is that most people don’t realize that a cold will take 10-14 days to resolve and a persistent cough can last for six to six weeks. eight normally. What I do when someone insists on antibiotics, and there is no clear clinical indication for it, is to give them a chest X-ray – if there is a lower respiratory infection with X -ray then antibiotics are needed. I tested this during a winter cold and less than five percent of patients who asked for antibiotics actually needed them! This is because most colds and coughs, even though they seem bad, are viruses, and there is nothing that antibiotics can do against the virus.

I hope that explains my position and I promise to practice what I teach.

Hi Dr. Renée, what do you recommend to speed up the recovery of the stomach problem. Is there anything I need? There’s one that’s been around at the moment and I actually got hold of it. Thank you

There is definitely a stomach bug or two going on at that time and the symptoms can vary from nausea and loss of appetite to vomiting and diarrhea. The first thing to say is that if you have severe stomach pain and fever with vomiting, always talk to your doctor; you don’t want to miss appendicitis!

However, if you are sure it is a viral infection (for example if other people around you have it) then there are things you can do to help speed up the process to heal or help you.

Firstly, I always advise people to cut dairy out of their diet completely for a few weeks (and remember that dairy is in many processed foods including biscuits). The reason for this is that when our gut is irritated by the bacteria that cause the stomach bug, you can get temporary lactose intolerance and if you eat milk it can make things worse. So, get the milk out, let the bowels heal and bring it back in slowly. If symptoms appear, take it out for a few more weeks and repeat.

Make a soothing home remedy to help soothe an irritated stomach lining and replace electrolytes Cut a four inch piece of peeled ginger into thin slices and soak in 1 liter of water for 15 minutes. Sieve and allow to cool. Add the juice of three lemons and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Drink one to two cups a day, cold or warm.

This should be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Take a good probiotic to promote the replenishment of your good bacteria and neutralize the bad. I always recommend Symprove, that’s what I take.

Introduce foods slowly, eat them little and often and keep things simple. Go for good quality, fresh, home-cooked meals and avoid high-fat snacks.

It’s a simple method but it should help and continuing with a pro-biotic should help you avoid the next bug!

Hi Renée, three months ago I had a hip replacement. I can’t wait to go again. What exercises do you recommend for me to get back in shape? thank you

Recovering from major surgery can take time and effort, especially when dealing with a joint such as the hip that is critical for movement and supports most of the body’s weight. Recovery is also highly dependent on you, the patient, and will vary with age and fitness and health conditions and the type of surgery you had.

You should have had physiotherapy after the operation and some exercises to do at home. These will be tailored to you and the type of surgery you have had so it is not possible for me to recommend a specific exercise. However, I can provide pointers.

You say you have three months but you return weeks before three months, pain and swelling should decrease and walking should improve. Your physiotherapy will continue to focus on building strength, endurance and balance. The best activities now are walking, swimming and light exercise.

In three months, most people have a significant improvement in walking and reduced pain and should be able to resume normal activities. This should include vigorous exercise and sports, but if you haven’t, don’t push it. Physiotherapy focuses, if continued, should be on maintaining strength, flexibility and improving joint function. It is important that you gradually incorporate daily activities such as driving, work, and household chores as your doctor advises, and follow their guidelines about what and when.

But if you are not at or close to this point, do not despair, as I said, progress will vary greatly from person to person and it may take a year to return to normal . However, if you have not had a physio or are not sure what exercises to do, please contact your surgery team and ask for help.

There is also a great video here with pre and post surgery exercises that can be helpful but not painful and ask your surgical team for advice.

Good luck.