Becoming More Informed On Antibiotic Usage Can Be Life-Altering!

I totally support the use of antibiotics, just not in farming practices, except for the occasional emergency. But, the danger of antibiotic use exists. That being said, unless you have been living in the jungles of Papa New Guinea for the past 90 years or so, you know that the use of antibiotics has saved millions of lives! Heck, my grandfather, who I never had the pleasure of meeting, met his demise in the early 1930’s from septicemia after having an abscessed tooth pulled! The poor guy was ready to reap the rewards of a great fortune he had amassed at the ripe old age of 42 in the late 1920’s.  Maybe he had bad karma or something like that, because what would have been a simple procedure today, killed the poor bastard!  You are probably frighteningly aware of the lurking epidemic that will undoubtedly create a major culling of our species in the not too distant future. One needs to be aware of the dangers of antibiotics.

My job is simple really,  I hope that my clients leave my office feeling better and in more control of their existence. So, I give exercises and supplement recommendations that oftentimes accelerates their journey back to the tennis courts, the roadways, the weight room, the playing fields and office chairs that are often their nemesis. I wanted to share with you some information that I believe is relevant for those of you who practice the healing arts.  So, this article’s whole purpose isn’t about the value of antibiotics, but the dangers of some antibiotic usage.

I had a client who came into my office with some very uncomfortable muscle and nerve issues. her condition was impacting  her ability to play tennis and to sleep. Her life was miserable. After a few sessions with me, a skilled MD, and an acupuncturist, it occurred to the MD that something was awry beyond the typical pain presentation. The client may have been adversely effected by the use of a type of antibiotic known as Fluoroquinolones. Fluoroquinolones like Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox are the 6 or more that are manufactured today.  I have used two of the the aforementioned antibiotics, to battle a horrible bronchial infection that lasted over 6 weeks and eventually landed me in the hospital for a day.  I am thankful for the Fluoroquinolones family of antibiotics! 100 years ago I wouldn’t have made it to my 60th birthday. But, here is the reason for writing this post.  What you are not told and SHOULD BE by your M.D. is they can have a dreadful side effect and I am hoping that my client is not dealing with the side effects of their usage. Because that would really be frightening. Fluoroquinolones are the most used type of antibiotics in the United States. Over 26 million people received prescriptions each year. What most people don’t know is that these drugs are marketed as safe, but can cause permanent nerve damage, leaving  your client, your loved one or someone you know being disabled for the rest of their lives! Yes, as always this powerful class of antibiotics are overprescribed. Just google it, and you will see medical professionals and scientist supporting this claim. It is considered a “big gun” and often used when something much less powerful is needed. Even the FDA in 2013, released a Safety Communication warning about over-prescribing them and said current warnings were not clear enough. Specifically, the agency said “the potential rapid onset and risk of permanent damage were not adequately described,” and the “permanent damage among patients exposed to these medications cannot be calculated.” Oops!

So, what is the risk that needs to be weighed? Big ones! Fluoroquinolones are known to cause nerve damage that is often irreparable. Then we have the known side effect of tendon ruptures, and the achilles is one of the most frequent ruptures. Big time game changer! Another set of tendons that are often affected are the rotator cuff tendons. Forget about using your arms to do much of anything if those babies go south on you! In many cases, doctors  have to prescribe strong drugs including pain killers and antidepressants.  These bring a plethora of their own lists of side effects. Opioid pain killers can also leave some people severly addicted. Surgery to kill problematic nerves and stop pain is only considered after everything is exhausted and only work when a single nerve is affected. Yikes!  Peripheral neuropathy is a game changer.

If you are faced with certain challenges like plague, anthrax, bronchitis and pneumonia you know the possible downside and can make an intelligent choice. At the time when I suffered from that horrible bronchitis, I didn’t know of the potential side effects, so I consider myself lucky on two counts. I am still embodied with no permanent damage to my nerves or tendons. So, if you are taking these class of drugs, or you know a loved one or someone in your practice that is considering taking Fluoroquinolones here is a list of the warning symptoms