That’s on top of the report that antibiotics in general increase the risk of breast cancer.
Azithromycin (marketed as Zithromax) is most often prescribed to treat bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, middle ear infections, and even certain sexually transmitted diseases. It can produce skin rashes, itching, swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, and rapid, pounding, or irregular heartbeats. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
A study published last Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that the antibiotic may boost the risk of death by 250 percent. The analysis found there were 47 more deaths per million in those taking azithromycin compared to those on amoxicillin (an antibiotic safer on the heart).
Azithromycin belongs to a class of antibiotics called macrolides. A 2008 study published in the British Medical Journal found that when macrolides are combined with cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, the result can be a debilitating muscle weakness called statin-induced myopathy.
This is not the only instance where antibiotics carry great risk. A 2004 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the use of any kind of antibiotics is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The more antibiotics the women in the study used, the higher their risk of breast cancer.
Antibiotics are indiscriminate bactericides: they kill the good bacteria that support digestive health and other systems along with the bad bacteria present in an infection. This is why it is important to take a probiotic sometime after using an antibiotic. Probiotics deliver good bacteria directly to the digestive tract without increasing infectious bacteria; they can also reduce the risk of diarrhea, a common side effect of antibiotics.
Like much of allopathic medicine, antibiotics work in opposition to the body’s natural immune system rather than in concert with it, creating new health problems while attempting to treat the original one. This is ironic since the first antibiotics were found in nature, but they were then modified in order to make them new-to-nature and thus patentable.
As we have pointed out in other articles, today’s antibiotics also create resistant supergerms, some of which threaten uncontrollable pandemic. Drug companies, meanwhile, are reluctant to create new antibiotics because of their potential toxicity, the resulting difficulty in getting them approved, and the fact that they are not taken on an ongoing basis like statins and acid blockers and other real money-makers. In this environment, natural antibiotics such as silver and manuka honey, which do not create resistance, are of critical importance, but not being patentable, are spurned both by drug companies and the FDA.
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I am on 500 mg. of azithromycin daily for the super bug, pseudamonas in my lungs. In addition I have been on much stronger IV antibiotics off and on for four years as well as Cipro taken orally. Nothing really works but it does surpress it. I take probiotics and a homeopathic remedy for yeast infections. I am terribly concerned and frightened and miserable. I have no other options that I am aware of. I would like to hear from someone who is well informed scientifically as well as about other options. I hate, absolutely hate the medications which make be feel worse. This is especially true of the IV antibiotics, mainly Tobramycin, Cefipine, and Zozyn. Any opinions out there?
Many thanks.
Ann I don’t know where you live but If I were you I would look into a more herbal or natural way of helping your condition. Try to find a Naturpathic Doctor in your area and an herbal store. There are alot of options if you can find the right person to help you. Also do your own research in finding other options for you. I pray for you to have better health and the wisdom to find the right expert in healing you.
Just wondering if you have changed your diet along with the yeast infection treatments. I believe you have to eliminate ALL sugars including all breads/yeasts/fruits while you take antiyeast/antifungal treatments. “The yeast connection” by carolyn dean follows a four week diet. Thinking that maybe the antibiotics only temporarily relieve your symptoms because the drug knocks out the bacterial, but you might be getting a rebound yeast overgrowth as soon as the bacteria is no longer holding the yeast in check.
Hi,
I jhave found that regular nutritional body cleansings help a lot to feel better and improve general health.
Let me know if you wish to learn more about this.
Cheers
Diana
live in Vancouver, BC – where can I purchase colloidal silver (Dr. Jonathan V. Wright’s recomendation) and manuka honey?
thank you
I am a person who cannot use any penicilian or sulfa product and have to rely on the “mycin” products, having allergies that frequently turn into sinusitis or sinus infections and ear infections. I have many allergies which have not been diagnosed and no money for the extensive testing. Since this has been going on for a good part of 50 years, I am concerned about using these “mycin” drugs. I try to eat a healthy diet however multiple pharmceutical products have been found to have caused another problem that no doctor had ever concerned himself with. . .side affects: “rapid weight gain”. I am ticked off that the big Pharm Companies have not figured out that the use of these drugs just might be detrimental to one’s health while they rake in multimillions of dollars and then fight those with nutritional herbal products that strengthen the human body to help it throw off those allergies. Those companies along with their huge payments to the FDA to thwart herbal companies from promoting healthier ways make the herbal products too expensive for me to purchase. From my standpoint, those who are keeping the “God given herbs” from us who need them should be ashamed for they are destroying our health for the almighty dollar! Greed to the max! Now you are saying that I’m in danger from having to use “mycin” drugs! Double shame on the FDA & Pharm companies. (Note the “harm” in Pharm).
Deanna, Try NAC. N acetyl cysteine. Amino acid. Powerful antioxidant. Flushes all your mucous membranes. Also, boil water, urn it off, drop in some oregano or rosemary and steam your sinuses w a towel over your head. Be careful not to get a team burn! If that doesn’t xwork, see a DC or ND for an argyrol treatment. Icky but works.
Deanna, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are also really effective with all types of sinus and respiratory problems. I would start on the NAC that Drew suggested and find a local acupuncturist. My sinusitis patients not only get relief during an infection but experience fewer infections and allergy reactions with regular maintenence treatment.
Another antibiotic being pushed by dentists is Clindamycin. After taking it for about a week, I noticed my left leg feeling stiff in the knee area. When I took a good look, I realized my leg was swollen in the knee area extending upwards. It took me a day to make the connection after which I ceased taking the Clindamycin. That reaction was included in the printed information which also stated that the side effects could reoccur_which has already happened several times less severely than the first time. When I informed the dental office, their reaction indicated that other patients had run into similar trouble with this dangerous drug.
I know honey is good stuff and I’ll have to investigate manuka honey. Silver is a centuries age use in which colloidal silver seems to help me as a maintenance / preventitive.
Just listening to ads makes me extremely hesitant to use any pharmaceutical when the potential side effects vs treatment are taken into account. God and mother nature have provided us with nearly everything we really need.
I followed up on the FDA re a drug submitted for approval to treat sinusitus. This was during the Bush administration and approval was put on a “rush” basis. I had never heard of rush before. The drug was approved after 90 days. I questioned the FDA as to how effective the drug was against certain types of sinusitus. They told me to refer to the phharma company. No objectivity or long term testing. The FDA has been become too political
Thank you for sharing this important information.
The way man made medicine has been forcefully demanded that doctors prescribe to patients and the damaging effects IT THESE creates is NO less than a conspiracy destroy as in world war II or any other dictatorship. All is done for $$$ and power. The only difference is the name and the pretense to heal.
No doctor should be fallowing passively these great tragedies.
Pia
Hmmm.
Somehow, another artificial compound does not seem to have a safe, good fit into the natural human body. As always, when you have a “product” (human body) your natural ingredients will make for better health, repair, etc.
Obviously the analogy isn’t intended to apply to non-biological situations.
Recently, having had pneumonia, I had to enter hospital and in this ‘Pills For All Ills’ way of thinking by the medical profession I was given antibiotics. The result is that my achilles tendon is damaged and I now hobble about despite being able to enjoy my daily walks of up to 10 miles before this. Five doctors have confirmed to me of the harm AZITHROMYCIN based antibiotics can cause. Google the word and read about one of the thousands of harmful chemical drugs which are being prescribed daily.
I was in hosp for 28 days with MRSA. They gave me zyvox but that made me lose the will to live, didn’t want to eat, drink, etc., lost 25 pounds. Then found out I was allergic to cephlataxin(sp?). Megadoses of vancomycin saved me and my leg, although I became allergic to it after a while, so they sent me home with oral cephalexin. I replaced my intestinal flora using yogurt, kefir, raw saurkraut, probiotics, etc., take royal jelly and propolis daily, and sublingual silver (along with a plethora of other vitamins and minerals). But now I’m wondering just what all those antibiotics really did to me!
Can any one give me more information on the African bees’ propolis and the need and how to use it. I have COPD plus a chronic infection in my sinuses which when inflamed leak the Muccus into my lungs thus causing me a lung infection. I also acquired side effects of too much COSTECOSTEROID inhaled for olmost for 14 years so now I ended up with ARTHRETIC PSORISIS AND A WEAKENED HErt and high blood pressure. Until the age of 62 I had never ever entered a dr’s office or have been hospitalized except when I had my three babies and did even want to stay. Left 3 days later each time. I eat organic as often as I can find it in the grocery store I also take a whole bunch of supplements including 2 different types of brobiotics. But now I am 77 and still strong and excercise as often as I can. Managed not have pain and I have to say without the help of Dr Mercola’s news health letter I am not ur I would b live today. Never mind a mass found in my left lung. I know God or an assigned Nigel is watching over me.