The Dr. B Health Blog

A study with azithromycin (you all know the famous Z Pak or one of the brand names Zithromax) showed a slightly higher rate of death among adult patients taking the drug compared to those on other antibiotics. (There have been other studies suggesting dangers to children as well by the way.)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA said it was aware of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, comparing Zithromax to Bayer's Cipro and Johnson & Johnson's Levaquin.(Neither of these drugs are without serious side effects as well by the way.) Pfizer's Zithromax showed a slightly higher rate of death due to heart complications- sudden death that may be associated with an altered heart rhythm.

All drugs can and do have serious side effects. Sometimes they are necessary evils. Most doctors prescribe medications and certainly antibiotics far too quickly. I have a bunch of patients that say they need antibiotics because they have been sick “for a while” or their previous doctor would always prescribe it when_________________________ (fill in the blank- “I had a sinus infection in the Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter”; “I had a sore throat like this one every year around this time”; blah, blah, blah…..). When I speak about the possibility of drug resistance and that we could be contributing to resistant strains, they typically could care less in that it is too abstract and they do not believe that this will directly affect them! Now if they (you?) demand an antibiotic- know that one might suddenly drop dead from the antibiotic that probably was not really needed anyway. I will duke it out with a viral sore throat using salt water gargle and some tea and honey rather than take an antibiotic that could kill me and will not treat the virus anyway. You? Here’s the prescription pad.........................................

Widely used antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life, according to a University of British Columbia study. The study shows that certain antibiotics that affect intestinal bacteria also had a profound impact on allergic asthma. That is why I always recommend probiotics (friendly germs) to try as best we can to counteract the really bad effect of over prescribed antibiotics. We also know that kids who live in rural areas (stepping on cow pies, not washing their hands in the pasture, etc.) have more bacterial exposure seem to have less asthma and eczema. So, the next time you leave pissed off at pediatrician because s/he would not prescribe an antibiotic for your kid’s cold, think again. Typically, more antibiotics is not better medicine. How about some nice chicken soup, cuddling with daddy and mommy and reading your kid a book until  his/her immune system does its job? What a novel idea !!!!!!!!!

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