Antibiotics

[gleegan]

Hi,

I have been struggling with a sinus infection for about 5 weeks. I am very against taking antibiotics when not necessary (or any medication - I haven't taken as much as an advil in 4 years, partly because I just need to be so careful about what I ingest; I get digestively sick so easily). Anyway, the pain has become so intolerable that I have now started on antibiotics. I also was told by the doctor to get Mucinex. Weirdly enough, I have not been able to swallow pills for years now, which is frustrating, but I just can't seem to do it, so I have to get the kids liquid kind, full of sugar. To complicate things more, besides the fact that I may be allergic to other things in that medication (such as gluten and soy), I have avoided refined sugar like the plague as I had a yeast overgrowth for a while and still struggle with leaky gut. Things had been going ok for me, but I know this is going to screw my digestive tract for months - or I greatly fear it will. My question is this, should I double up on probiotics? Or is there no point because the antibiotics and sugar are going to just annihilate any good bacteria I put in my system? If anyone has any ideas for at least minimizing the destruction of the flora balance of my gut, I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.

[Wolicki]

Double your dose of probiotics and try to eat lots of probiotic foods like yogurt, saurkraut and kombucha. Hopefully that will be enough. When I only double on probiotics, I have trouble with antibiotics. The more probiotics you can get in your system, the better!

[gleegan]

Double your dose of probiotics and try to eat lots of probiotic foods like yogurt, saurkraut and kombucha. Hopefully that will be enough. When I only double on probiotics, I have trouble with antibiotics. The more probiotics you can get in your system, the better!

Thanks, Wolicki! I actually drink kombucha everyday, so I am convinced of its benefits. I'm glad to know that the antibiotics won't completely cancel out the probiotics - thanks for your help.

[rosetapper23]

A friend of mine from Russia, who recently moved here to the U.S., told me last week that when she went to an American doctor to get antibiotics for an infection, she was amazed to learn that probiotics weren't also prescribed by the doctor. She asked me, "Don't your doctors know medicine??" There's your answer....

[mushroom]

The last time I was prescribed antibiotics in the U.S., I said aren't you going to give me some probiotics to go along with those? He looked at me in amazement, but did so!

[gleegan]

The last time I was prescribed antibiotics in the U.S., I said aren't you going to give me some probiotics to go along with those? He looked at me in amazement, but did so!

Thanks rosetapper and mushroom. I guess there's a reason that I didn't even BOTHER asking the doctor about probiotics but felt I would get the advice of people on this forum, who seem to know more about this kind of thing! Sad because the doctors should know much more, but good that there's such a forum to turn to

[ElseB]

Take Acidophilus pills.

Strangely enough, it was a sinus infection that led me to Celiac Disease. Had a sinus infection, took antibiotics (but not acidophilus), got C.Difficile, which led to even stronger antibiotics (Flagyl - nasty stuff), which all caused so much stress on my body that the silent Celiac suddenly appeared!

Now any time I have to take antibiotics I take acidophilus pills religiously.

[gleegan]

Take Acidophilus pills.

Strangely enough, it was a sinus infection that led me to Celiac Disease. Had a sinus infection, took antibiotics (but not acidophilus), got C.Difficile, which led to even stronger antibiotics (Flagyl - nasty stuff), which all caused so much stress on my body that the silent Celiac suddenly appeared!

Now any time I have to take antibiotics I take acidophilus pills religiously.

That's awful that you got Celiac from a sinus infection. Though, now that I've had one, I can understand why - it's so debilitating and exhausting! That's great advice - thanks! I will make sure to start taking acidophilus pills right away...

[cassP]

Hi,

I have been struggling with a sinus infection for about 5 weeks. I am very against taking antibiotics when not necessary (or any medication - I haven't taken as much as an advil in 4 years, partly because I just need to be so careful about what I ingest; I get digestively sick so easily). Anyway, the pain has become so intolerable that I have now started on antibiotics. I also was told by the doctor to get Mucinex. Weirdly enough, I have not been able to swallow pills for years now, which is frustrating, but I just can't seem to do it, so I have to get the kids liquid kind, full of sugar. To complicate things more, besides the fact that I may be allergic to other things in that medication (such as gluten and soy), I have avoided refined sugar like the plague as I had a yeast overgrowth for a while and still struggle with leaky gut. Things had been going ok for me, but I know this is going to screw my digestive tract for months - or I greatly fear it will. My question is this, should I double up on probiotics? Or is there no point because the antibiotics and sugar are going to just annihilate any good bacteria I put in my system? If anyone has any ideas for at least minimizing the destruction of the flora balance of my gut, I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks for reading.

i hate antibiotics as well- they mess me up big time.. so unless im on my death bed- i stick to ionized silver &/or GSE (grapefruit seed extract)- they're both natural antibiotics, antifungal, antimicrobial, and somewhat antiinflammatory

so far, i have successfully treated myself (using GSE) in killing H.Pylori, a sore throat, and a UTI.

google it, and research. i get my stuff at whole foods.

i first learned about GSE from one of my LMT teachers- he got rid of an intestinal infection with it. some people take 1 dose a day all the time as a preventive measure.

**just make sure you always follow the instructions, GSE MUST be diluted properly- or its too potent

[Real1]

A friend of mine from Russia, who recently moved here to the U.S., told me last week that when she went to an American doctor to get antibiotics for an infection, she was amazed to learn that probiotics weren't also prescribed by the doctor. She asked me, "Don't your doctors know medicine??" There's your answer....

Apparently I must be going to one of those American doctors that don't know medicine. I recently had an ear infection and got terribly ill with full blown digestive distress for a number of days. Just now feeling a little better. I have heard of eating yogurt...but I didn't know there was a "probiotics" type pill or remedy. What is exactly are "proobiotics"?

[cassP]

Apparently I must be going to one of those American doctors that don't know medicine. I recently had an ear infection and got terribly ill with full blown digestive distress for a number of days. Just now feeling a little better. I have heard of eating yogurt...but I didn't know there was a "probiotics" type pill or remedy. What is exactly are "proobiotics"?

probiotics are the good bacteria that your digestive tract needs- you can get some by eating yogurt- but there's tons of probiotic supplements out there too...

unfortunately for me: taking probiotics is just not enough to fight the antibiotics- thats why ive looked to alternative routes

[StephHappens]

Are sinus infections and Celiac related? I keep having recurring sinus problems and infections. It started 4 years ago right at the time I 1) had a baby 2)started my first year of teaching in an old dusty building. At first, I thought it was just the combination of germ infested high schoolers and me being a new teacher with an unseasoned immune system. I kept getting worse and extremely fatigued. After 3 years, my NP said I had allergies and gave me Singulair and Fluticasone nose spray. But, it continues. I asked my doctor to run a test to determine if I had allergies and he called and said my blood work came back positive for Celiac. Didn't even know he was running that test. Went to gastro, had biopsy, Celiac confirmed. As I sit here now, I have a sinus infection and just got antibiotics. I am beginning to think the Celiac was discovered on accident.

How many of you who have Celiac also have sinus infections? I love the school I teach at, but I feel like the 65 year old building is making me sick. Or, is it the Celiac? Anyone have any insight?

Thanks!

[mushroom]

My husband was plagued with allergies and sinus infections constantly before he went gluten free three years ago. Now prior to going gluten free he did go through a densensitization course for grasses so he doesn't get the sinus allergies he used to get, but if he does get a cold virus he no longer gets the automatic sinus infection that went with it. For many of us things that routinely happened to us no longer happen once we're gluten free. I used to have an almost continual UTI. Now I only get one when I have to take antibiotics for something else (I have to have antibiotic cover for dental work because of a knee replacement, e.g.), and then I have to take another antibiotic to get rid of the UTI My older sister (celiac) no longer gets UTI's, but my middle sister (defiantly non-celiac ) gets them constantly, as did our mother (the no-doubt bearer of the gene!).

[gleegan]

Are sinus infections and Celiac related?

That's an interesting question, StephHappens (I love that moniker, by the way). I hadn't really thought of that. This is the first one I've ever had (well, maybe the second, but the first was very mild) and I've had celiac symptoms for over ten years (gluten free for 4 years). I work in a building that feels very toxic in many ways - no circulation, we can't open the windows, etc. And I live in a wall to wall carpeted apartment with cats, so I have put it down to those two environments, but I'd love to know what other people think. Sorry that you've been suffering with these dreaded sinus infections. I never thought they sounded like a big deal, but now that I've had one, all I can say is, it's a whole new kind of pain and discomfort that I don't want to get ever again. Do you think you might have chronic sinus infections? Apparently some people develop a condition where they get them all the time, which would obviously suck. Have you tried using neti pots or irrigating the nasal passages?