Antibiotics are medications that are supposed to help our body fight off infections, but are they causing harm during this process as well? As antibiotics are fighting off bad bacteria in our body they can also kill the good bacteria in our microbiota. This can be bad because our microbiota is what helps keep us healthy and helps us fight off infections.
How antibiotics are damaging our microbiota
In 2008 a study was done on 3 healthy individuals. The individuals were all given an antibiotic to see what the effects were on the microbiota. The study concluded that the antibiotic killed some good bacteria as well thus reducing the diversity of their microbiota. Some of the good bacteria killed did show back up, but some did not. The microbiota has a big role in our immune system so when it is interrupted (like with antibiotics) it can result in the development of autoimmune diseases and allergies.
A study with mice showed that when a mother has a disturbed microbiota and passes it on to her child, her child develops that same microbiota which can lead to gut inflammation.
Long story short: don’t take antibiotics unless they are needed! Antibiotics are not something that you can just play around with and use irresponsibly. Antibiotics were made as life changing drugs and I think people need to realize that antibiotics are miraculous drugs that should be taken seriously. Hopefully when people see that antibiotics do have some bad effects (on your microbiome, etc.) they will start to take them more conservatively.
Other side effects that can arise from taking antibiotics
Many antibiotics cause common side effects like nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea. This side effects are common because any foreign medication you put in your body is going to cause your body to react.
Other more severe side effects can arise from abusing antibiotics, or taking very strong antibiotics. This sequelea can include increased risk for infection and an opportunity for bad bacteria to take over. Taking Clindamycin for example often leads to C. diff infections. C. diff is a natural bacteria in our body but when you take antibiotics that kill the good bacteria in our gut, this can cause an environment to let C.diff take over.
As I said in my last blog, prolonged antibiotic use can lead to the production of antibiotic resistant bacteria. But, not only do people prolong their use of antibiotics but they also keep their old antibiotics, use someone else’s, or don’t finish their prescription. Bad side effects can also come from these methods of abusing antibiotics. For example, if Tetracycline is taken after it is expired it can cause kidney damage. Or, if you don’t finish your prescription, antibiotic resistant bacteria can take over and cause an infection that doctors can’t cure.
So, take antibiotics like your doctor instructs you to! If you follow your doctors orders it can lead to less side effects and less production of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Allyson's Mcro blog 