
Alternatives to Antibiotics: Why and How (2017) - vo2maxer
https://nam.edu/alternatives-to-antibiotics-why-and-how/
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TheFiend7
The real killer is the extreme use of antibiotics in livestock en masse for
disease prevention. Increasing the antibiotic pressure on bacteria in
livestock and therefore accelerating the potential of a drug resistant
bacteria.

We need to be concerned of another major zoonotic disease.

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ropiwqefjnpoa
I get a winter sinus infection followed by a throat infection every year.
Antibiotics was the only way to end it or I would end up bed-ridden. But the
antibiotics really upset my gut.

For the past two years, once I start getting sick, I take high dosages of
oregano and thyme essential oil mixed in olive oil, about 100 drops over a
whole day. Two or three days of this and it never fully develops.

Oregano and Thyme oil should burn like hot sauce if it's not diluted.

[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23484421](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23484421)

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mechhacker
I used to get sinus infections yearly and get antibiotics.

I changed one thing: I stopped blowing my nose.

That forces the infection deeper into your sinuses and Eustachian tubes.

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pmoriarty
I think excessive nose blowing can invite infections because a dry nose lacks
the mucus which acts as a protective barrier. Nose blowing in moderation is
fine, though, in my experience.

Nose picking can also lead to infection, because you're essentially
inoculating yourself with whatever pathogens happen to be on your finger.

Aside from avoiding these, the things that have made the most dramatic
difference for me is taking Vitamin D and getting flu shots.

Now I virtually never get sick, whereas in the past I'd pretty regularly get
multiple colds and occasionally the flu pretty much every year.

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mechhacker
I definitely recommend Vitamin D as well. It's one of the only supplements
that I use.

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dpflan
I read a recent article [1.] about the state of the antibiotics companies. It
was interesting and revealed how over-prescription, fear of over-prescription,
and market economics have governed the fate of promising new drugs.

[1.] [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/health/antibiotics-new-
re...](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/health/antibiotics-new-
resistance.html)

I like the idea of bacteriophage therapy and would like to see this field
researched more in the U.S. Here is an article about the limits on wider use
of bacteriophage therapy:
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3821673/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3821673/)

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Spooky23
The current philosophy is bizarre. You get NPs and PAs who pretend to have
never heard of secondary infections, refuse to prescribe antibiotics because
virus, then you’re back in a week and they magically discover bacteria.

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vo2maxer
Diagnosing an infection is inexact in most outpatient settings. The healthcare
provider takes into account a number of factors based on the history and
physical exam. A rapid antigen test as is available for streptococcal
pharyngitis makes it straightforward. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for
many infectious conditions which end up being treated empirically. For
example, most upper respiratory infections’ etiology is viral in both adults
and children. It’s very reasonable to prescribe medication for symptomatic
relief and reassure the patient that should discomfort continue or worsen,
antibiotics may be considered. Even though this should be the standard of
care, many physicians and extenders still overprescribe antibiotics mostly to
move the visit along or satisfy the patient. A good explanation with evidence
takes longer than just acquiescing to the demand.

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EEor
I had a chronic low-grade sinus infection for 3 years. It was miserable.
Constant post-nasal drip, clogged ears, clicking, popping, etc. Oregano Oil
and snorting Lactobacillus sakei is the only thing that cured things.

