Contrary to the opinion of the conventional medical establishment, there is no free lunch when it comes to antibiotics. Doctors, for the most part, are still handing out prescriptions like candy to their patients despite the continuing and growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
There is now a strain of tuberculosis (TB), the scourge of the last century, that is completely resistant to all antibiotics. Doctors have nicknamed this TB strain “TDR” for Totally Drug-Resistant. As of January 2012, a dozen patients in India were infected with this TB superbug.
The problem with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections continues to expand with babies and children representing a large chunk of the cases. I’ve been contacted by more than one young mother recently who was beyond desperate to resolve an MRSA infection in her child – an infection which was resisting all conventional treatments like antibiotics.
Beyond the problem of antibiotic resistance, however, are the long term effects of even a single round of antibiotics. The expectation in the health community that you can just fix the damage with probiotics and/or fermented foods and that gut flora magically returns to normal seems to be far from accurate.
Evidence is now emerging from multiple sources that gut flora may actually be permanently altered by drugs or, at the very least, the damage persists for several years.
Gut Damage from Antibiotics Persists for Long Periods of Time
The Journal Microbiology reports that the generally acknowledged precept that use of antibiotics only causes disruption of the gut flora for a few weeks is highly flawed.
Gut flora does not quickly return to normal after a round of antibiotics.
Even a short course of antibiotics can lead to resistant bacterial populations taking up residence in the gut that persists for up to 4 years – maybe even longer.
As a result, researchers are urging prudence and restraint in the use of antibiotics in order to prevent treatment failure for patients that have resistant bacterial populations still residing in their intestines from previous courses of antibiotics.
What this means is that taking antibiotics today for an illness that is not life-threatening may, in fact, lead to a growth of superbugs in your gut that could actually threaten your life down the road and prevent antibiotics from working for you when you desperately need it.
Could Damage to Gut Flora Be Permanent?
Dr. Martin Blaser MD of New York University’s Langone Medical Center who writes in the August 2011 edition of Nature, has this to say about damage to gut flora from antibiotics:
Early evidence from my lab and others hints that, sometimes, our friendly flora never fully recover. These long-term changes to the beneficial bacteria within people’s bodies may even increase our susceptibility to infections and disease. Overuse of antibiotics could be fueling the dramatic increase in conditions such as obesity, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies and asthma, which have more than doubled in many populations.
As evidence, Blaser goes on to say that infections with H. pylori, the bacterial cause of ulcers, has plummeted in recent years. H. pylori, as it turns out, is very susceptible to the same broad-spectrum antibiotics used to treat children’s ear infections and colds which are doled out without much thought at most pediatrician offices.
Shockingly, the majority of children routinely receive up to 20 courses of antibiotics before the age of 18. In addition, between one third and one-half of pregnant women receive antibiotics during pregnancy. The high C-section rate also negatively affects the composition of gut flora of these children. They completely miss out on exposure to Mom’s friendly bacteria as they travel through the birth canal.
This is a lot of antibiotic exposure for our younger generations and the implications for those children who don’t acquire H. pylori due to excessive antibiotics appear to be dramatic with a higher risk for both allergies and asthma. This may be the case even when attempts to repair the gut after a course is completed are followed.
Blaser’s research group has also observed that lack of H. pylori in the human body affects the production of ghrelin and leptin, 2 hormones that play a factor in weight gain.
Preservation of the MicroBiome
The composition of a person’s microbiome, not only in the gut but also on the skin and everywhere in the body, has huge implications for long term health. Altering this balance with antibiotics not only negatively affects the variety of bacterial species present but also promotes the retention of resistant bacteria in the gut for up to 4 years and perhaps far longer.
Preservation of your personal microbiome is critical and affects not only your health but the health of your children as parents bequeath their microbiome to their offspring.
Blaser observes that:
“Each generation … could be beginning life with a smaller endowment of ancient microbes than the last.”
If Dr. Blaser and the other researchers are correct, it seems that people need to guard their microbiome against the assault of antibiotics in the same manner that they protect their home and possessions with locks on the doors.
Bottom line?
If your illness is not life-threatening, skip the antibiotics even for something like strep which even WebMD admits will almost always resolve without drugs or complications. The risk to your future health is just too great otherwise.
Sources and More Information
Long-Term Impacts of Antibiotic Exposure on the Human Intestinal Microbiota
Short-term antibiotic treatment has differing long-term impacts on the human throat and gut microbiome
Stop the Killing of Beneficial Bacteria
Are Antibiotics Always Necessary for Strep Throat?
The 11 Best Natural Antibiotics and How to Use Them
How to Kick Strep Throat Faster and Better Without Antibiotics
When my youngest son was born he had a temp of 102 degrees which went away quickly after delivery and never came back. Thankfully, we had written in our birthing plan that our son would not be given any injections, medication of any sort, or have any medical procedure performed on him without our consent. Because the pediatrician was VERY persistent (to the point of being ugly about it) on giving him antibiotics BEFORE they had tested him for the cause. When we refused repeatedly, they became very angry and acted like we were horrible parents. Of course his tests turned out fine and he is doing wonderful, no problems whatsoever. All this to say, not only are antibiotics dangerous, but doctors go WAY overboard with them. And ,sadly, the medical community at large refuses to even explore natural treatments.
My 10 year old is having oral surgery on Friday and they want to put her on antibiotics as a preventive measure against infection after the surgery. I do not want to comply. Would you agree with me on this that it is unnecessary? Anything you would recommend her take to serve as a natural replacement? Garlic? She is taking fermented cod liver oil.
Thanks.
Great info, but yes, definitely discouraging. I have had to give my daughter antibiotics 3 times in her life (she’s 9 now), and hate to think I have damaged her forever. I am a very “crunchy” mama, but these times were when infection was out of control and none of my natural methods had worked.
So, I’m wondering – what now? A very useful adjunct to this article would be something that gives a little hope as well – like lots of suggestions for returning the body and flora to balance, as much as possible. List of ideas? Or links to other articles on that topic? Thanks!
I was always told to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The probiotics in the yogurt are supposed to restore the “Good bacteria” while the bad & good are being destroyed by the antibiotics. How do you feel about this suggestion?
I’m new to this entire thought process, so,please be nice 🙂
My 8 year old son has been on many rounds of antibiotics in his lifetime due to sinus infections and bronchitis. He has a twin sister who has probably had antibiotics twice ever. They are raised the same way, so it’s always just been “the way he is”. He has asthma and many allergies.
Several times in his life he has had problems with his bowel movements. But usually a course of Miralax gets things moving. This time, however, nothing is helping, everything is just causing miserable stomach cramps. His large intestine in completely full of feces and hasn’t changed in two months. His pediatrician has referred us to a gastroenterologist. It was not until I ran across this article that I realized its probably his lifetime of antibiotics causing the problem.
If you have any suggestions for help, I would appreciate them greatly. He’s miserable and I don’t know how to help.
Thanks
Erin, I’m so sorry you and your son are dealing with this problem. Have you tried enemas? They would only be a short-term solution. You don’t want to become dependent on them, but they can usually help relieve constipation, in my experience. If your doctor did not suggest them and instruct you how to do enemas at home, I would think that was a huge oversight. After getting relief with enemas, I would then work on his diet. That might mean delving into information on the GAPS diet, which is designed to heal the gut and eliminate the results of leaky gut, which can include allergies and many other health issues. The GAPS diet can be restrictive at first, but you gradually add back many foods. And it includes probiotics to re-establish the friendly flora.
I’d make sure he drinks ample water, too.
In any case, that is what I’d do. Since he is in such discomfort, you might need advice or help at first from a health professional if you decide to try enemas.
Erin, if I were you I would make sure he has an enema or colonic irrigation soon to address the immediate problem. You could find a natural health practitioner to do this. Then work to heal his gut dysbiosis that has resulted from multiple rounds of antibiotics. There is another thing that may sound off-putting but is being embraced and heralded by many as a wonder treatment and that is fecal transplants (usually from a healthy family member) to repopulate the intestinal tract.
Thank you for your responses so much. Did more reading on this site. I’m taking him to a chiropractor tomorrow to see if he can get some relief. We’ve never been, but it can’t hurt to try. I will inquire about the enema or irrigation too. I’m reading up on the good bacteria, etc, to try and figure out where to start. Again, thanks for your responses!
Erin, here is one of many articles about antibiotics, gut flora and the GAPS diet from Dr. Mercola:
Judith,
Thank you…the link is not here. Could you try again?
Thanks 🙂
I thought I included the link. Trying again!
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/10/antibiotic-dangers.aspx
Sarah, I have been reading your emails and watching your wonderful videos for years. I am not a fan of WebMD or antibiotics, but in my usual “check the primary source” i followed your link to WebMD after reading your “Even WebMD states that antibiotics aren’t really needed for strep after all.” You quoted WebMD as saying “Strep throat will go away in 3 to 7 days with or without treatment. Doctors usually treat strep throat with antibiotics even though they may not make you well faster.” The link you gave (“Source: WebMD”) is http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/strep-throat-topic-overview. Sarah, I couldn’t find that language in my search of the WebMD webpages on strep throat. Can you answer with a link to the webpage from which you took the quote?
I am a registered nurse and have been told that untreated strep throat can lead to heart damage
. I have a degenerative Mitral Valve and have had to have heart surgery and many other procedures since I was 42 years old. I believe that my heart problem stemmed from what probably was strep as a child. It was diagnosed as the “red measles” at the time. Therefore, I would be concerned about not treating strep. What are you thoughts on this?
It’s possible the Mitral valve problem is related to a undiagnosed or undertreated thyroid disorder http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/19991130/heart-valve-defect-common-patients-thyroid-disease
I’ve had my thyroid checked. No problem there. No one else in my family has had a myxomatous Mitral Valve either. That’s why I suspect it was untreated strep.
I am going to start the Body Ecology Diet this week. I am 31 and have been on more than one course of antibiotics in my life and have definitely had digestive issues with them. I think there is always hope even for someone with severe digestive issues or even if they’ve been on antibiotics for years. It just takes work unfortunately.
Excellent article! I am going to share with my clients. Despite my advice some of them still take the poison when they have the sniffles not realizing the long term damage they are doing. And some of them even give these to their poor children! Alas, those are usually the same ones that are feeding them bagels and donuts for breakfast.