Five Dangerous Myths About Antibiotics

After the anthrax attacks of 2001, thousands of Americans took the antibiotic Cipro (ciprofloxacin) prophylactically in fear that they had been exposed to the deadly anthrax bacterium.

Unfortunately, while fewer than one in 5,000 had actually been exposed to the disease, about one in five users of the antibiotic suffered serious side effects, including hives, swelling of the throat, and difficulty breathing.

Even though many people think that antibiotics are harmless, these potent infection fighters actually can endanger your health and the health of your family if they are not used properly. Here are the top five myths about antibiotics and why not having the facts can cause you harm.

Myth number 1. It's a good idea to stock up on antibiotics in case there is a shortage when you get sick.

The number one fear of survivals is an outbreak of bird flu. Although there undoubtedly would be uses for antibiotics during a bird flu epidemic, antibiotics would do nothing to treat that particular viral infection. Moreover, storing antibiotics past their expiration date causes unpredictable variations in their potency. An antibiotic like Cipro you have had sitting on a shelf at room temperature for 2 or 3 years may be less potent or so much more potent that it costs deadly drug interactions. Antibiotics that are used after their expiration date may even cause kidney or liver damage.

Myth number 2. Antibiotics will help you get over colds or flu.

The only microorganisms antibiotics kill are bacteria (and not every antibiotic is effective against every strain of bacteria). Colds and flu are caused by viruses that are unaffected by antibiotics. Doctors used to accede to patient requests and prescribe antibiotics anyway, but nowadays the problem of antibiotic resistance is so great most doctors will refuse to prescribe them when patients present viral symptoms.

Myth number 3. Antibiotic resistance is itself a myth

Unfortunately, the ability of bacteria to gain resistance to antibiotics is very real. Especially when someone takes just part of their prescribed pills, a few bacteria will survive treatment. These virulent bacteria can then exchange their genetic material with weaker bacteria, creating a superstrain that no antibiotic can handle. That's what has happened with MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the devastating skin disease that can be spread in locker rooms, hot tubs, hospitals, and jails.

Myth number 4. It's OK to take antibiotics even if you aren't really sick

Any time you take any drug you risk side effects. If you are taking an antibiotic prescribed for someone else that's been on the shelf for an extended period of time, you are risking serious side effects. And if you try to use antibiotics when are not infected with disease-causing bacteria, you (1) kill the symbiotic bacteria that digest fiber and manufacture B vitamins and vitamin K in your colon and (2) potentially create a strain of bacteria that previously was benign.

Myth number 5. It's OK to stop antibiotics as soon as you feel better

If you stop taking antibiotics before you have finished your prescription, you may feel OK for the short term but risk a much more serious infection in the long term. If you take just enough antibiotic to kill 99 per cent of your infection, you will likely have a 99 per cent reduction in symptoms. The problem is, that last 1 per cent of bacteria will have survived the first few days of treatment, and can pass on its offspring so that they too can survive the first few days of treatment. Next time, you or someone you infect will not get relief as quickly from antibiotic therapy, and maybe not at all.

It is not easy for scientists to create newer, stronger antibiotics. Only by using antibiotics carefully and completely can we keep them effective against new infections in the future.

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