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Antibiotics now

Interesting study, but the first thing I thought of when I read it was mentioned in the article:

"But an alternative explanation could be that people with as-yet undiagnosed diabetes may be more prone to infection, and therefore use more antibiotics, say the scientists."

When you need antibiotics, you need them, and that's all there is to it. They are not something we can opt out of.
 
I had a sore toe. Pink, but no broken skin, from my sneakers. I was told by practice nurse (a) to take antibiotics (b) that I could lose my toe. I went to the podiatry clinic, didn't need antibiotics and still have my toe *rolls eyes*
 
Celeriac said:
I had a sore toe. Pink, but no broken skin, from my sneakers. I was told by practice nurse (a) to take antibiotics (b) that I could lose my toe. I went to the podiatry clinic, didn't need antibiotics and still have my toe *rolls eyes*
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She may have been thinking cellulitis, which I've had, and which can be very dangerous. I would rather have a HCP be cautious and notice when something is wrong than have one who ignored things.
 
My doctor prescribed antibiotics this morning as i have a chest infection ..i seem to get these every year at this time :(
 
CatLadyNZ said:
She may have been thinking cellulitis, which I've had, and which can be very dangerous. I would rather have a HCP be cautious and notice when something is wrong than have one who ignored things.
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I've had cellulitis in my leg, very very painful and my leg went various shades of purple and blue. Intensive antibiotic therapy cleared it eventually. If I had no antibiotics I would have been looking at an amputation (or death through sepsis).
 
CatLadyNZ said:
Interesting study, but the first thing I thought of when I read it was mentioned in the article:

"But an alternative explanation could be that people with as-yet undiagnosed diabetes may be more prone to infection, and therefore use more antibiotics, say the scientists."

When you need antibiotics, you need them, and that's all there is to it. They are not something we can opt out of.
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Well I had recurrent chest/throat infections in the ten years? before diagnosis. I wasn't given antibiotics. I was always left to suffer and get over it myself (it takes about a month), so I reckon the line you have quoted is the real truth behind the story.

I have a chest infection now and feel really ill with it, but I have been to the doctor feeling like this so many times before and just been advised to take paracetamol (I don't because I prefer to ride out a temperature as I find I get better more quickly if I don't artificially bring it down) and keep in the warm. So I'm keeping in the warm. The last thing I need is a trip to the surgery to be told, like on countless occasions before, that I will get better eventually without the tablets.
 
zand said:
Well I had recurrent chest/throat infections in the ten years? before diagnosis. I wasn't given antibiotics. I was always left to suffer and get over it myself (it takes about a month), so I reckon the line you have quoted is the real truth behind the story.

I have a chest infection now and feel really ill with it, but I have been to the doctor feeling like this so many times before and just been advised to take paracetamol (I don't because I prefer to ride out a temperature as I find I get better more quickly if I don't artificially bring it down) and keep in the warm. So I'm keeping in the warm. The last thing I need is a trip to the surgery to be told, like on countless occasions before, that I will get better eventually without the tablets.
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It's a tricky one isn't it? I've had countless chest/throat infections over the years and they seem to start out as a virus, which runs it's course and ABs are not needed... but sometimes they can turn into a secondary bacterial infection, and those ones do need ABs! It's just really hard for a doctor to distinguish between the two. They can take a throat swab or a sputum sample but then it takes time to culture it and by then you're feeling better. I think if you have other conditions like asthma or COPD, or you are over 65, then I think ABs should probably be prescribed. The suffering of a bacterial chest infection is just the pits, in my experience
 
CatLadyNZ said:
It's a tricky one isn't it? I've had countless chest/throat infections over the years and they seem to start out as a virus, which runs it's course and ABs are not needed... but sometimes they can turn into a secondary bacterial infection, and those ones do need ABs! It's just really hard for a doctor to distinguish between the two. They can take a throat swab or a sputum sample but then it takes time to culture it and by then you're feeling better. I think if you have other conditions like asthma or COPD, or you are over 65, then I think ABs should probably be prescribed. The suffering of a bacterial chest infection is just the pits, in my experience
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Thanks so much for saying this. I cried with relief that at last someone actually understands how grotty I feel. I am not over 65, but I was diagnosed as asthmatic 25 years ago.
 
zand said:
Thanks so much for saying this. I cried with relief that at last someone actually understands how grotty I feel. I am not over 65, but I was diagnosed as asthmatic 25 years ago.
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Aw, hugs. Hope you are feeling better soon.

If it's any help, I have found that pholcodine, a cough suppressant, really helps me with a chest infection. As does increasing ventolin and using a spacer with it. You could run this past your G.P. to see if he is agreement.

Given your asthma, I'm surprised by your GP's stance. A different doctor might use ABs more readily in your case. Hard to know.
 
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Diabetics usually have a compromised immune system and pathogens just love all that extra glucose and see us as fine meals so that they can multiply even faster in diabetics. If you need antibiotics and are diabetic then take them.
 
Looks like another case of causation and correlation being confused with one another.
 
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