Dawn Of The Superbugs

Episode 102

Another great show was had by all. We chatted with Dr. John Chen, Ph.D., Pharm.D.,OMD ,L.Ac. John is a recognized authority on Western Pharmacology and Chinese Herbal Medicine and in 2004, was awarded the distinction of Author of the Year by AAOM (American Association of Oriental Medicine) for his publication of Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology.

For practitioners, like myself, this book is an absolute necessity in the clinic. John is currently the President of Art of Medicine Press, and a consultant of Evergreen Herbs. He can be contacted at 17431 East Gale Ave. City of Industry, CA 91748

We discussed the #1 reason why people visit their doctors (for colds and flus), the current problems associated with excessive antibiotic use and we looked at some herbal alternatives. We also looked at news stories on just this issue. Let's recap some of the info and in my next entry I will go into detail about some excellent herbal alternatives.

A Little Background

According to Dr. William Agger, MD., director and chief of infectious disease at Gundersen Lutheren Medical Center in La Crosse, WI, (land of the cheese heads) 30 million pounds of antibiotics are used in the US each year.

Of that only 2 million pounds are used for specific animal infections. Most of the rest is used for animal husbandry, preventing disease and promoting growth. Low levels of antibiotics are measurable in many of our foods and in various waterways around the world, much of it from animal farms.

About 3 million pounds of antibiotics are used every year on humans. (That's roughly 10 teaspoons of pure antibiotics for every man, woman and child.)

Almost half the patients with upper respiratory infections receive antibiotics from their doctors. (And, as John pointed out, these infections are self-limiting; that is, they will resolve on their own with or without the drugs.)

Antibitoics Do Not Treat Viral Infections

However, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) states that 90% of upper respiratory infections (including children's ear infections) should not be treated with antibiotics. Why not? You ask. Because antibiotics do not treat viral infections. And these 90% are caused by viruses.

The only common cause of sore throat that requires antibiotics is Group A beta-hemoltic streptococci (known as strep throat), this actually accounts for about 10% of sore throats. This can be determined by an ordinary throat culture.

It is estimated that 78% of the time patients are being prescribed antibiotics for sore throats for a total of 4.2 million unnecessary prescriptions from 1989 to 1999.

The CDC warns that more than 20 million prescriptions for antibiotics written each year in physician's offices are inappropriate. That's all, just 20,000,000.

So what is the result of all this exuberance, other than major profits for the makers of antibiotics? I'm glad you asked. This results in an ever growing population of drug resistant bugs. In other words, when we really do need to use antibiotics, they don't work.

Stories In The News That Illustrate This

From Rueter's Health:

Drug-Resistant Bugs on Rise Outside Hospital

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drug-resistant bacteria are infecting more people in community settings, such as prisons and public housing, not just in hospitals where such "superbugs" can run rampant, researchers said on Monday.

Over a five-year period, researchers at a Chicago hospital found a seven-fold increase in drug-resistant staph infections that had been contracted outside of any hospital.

Generally, such infections have been confined to vulnerable patients in hospitals. But over the past decade the problem has emerged in community settings around the world.

Drug-resistant infections caught in U.S. hospitals kill 90,000 people annually and cost $4.5 billion, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The problem has also been documented in Canada and Britain.

Most scientists have blamed overuse of antibiotics for creating drug-resistant bacteria, which evolve to evade treatment. Hospital workers who neglect simple hand-washing can spread the infection.

This one came from the Department of Infectious Diseases, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleve Clin J Med. 2001; 68(6):496-7, 501-2, 504 (ISSN: 0891-1150)

Physicians should be cautious in prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics, particularly vancomycin and the fluoroquinolones, because widespread use of these drugs is promoting antibiotic resistance. Resistance is now found in many organisms, including staphylococci, enterococci, streptococci, pneumococci, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Some resistant strains can be treated with alternative narrower-spectrum antibiotics. In addition, five newly licensed antibiotics are available, but they should be used judiciously because of their side effects, high cost, and ability to promote additional resistance.

Side Effects of Powerful New Generation Antibiotics

Wondering what those side effects might be? I'm glad you asked. They include: ear and kidney damage which is usually irreversible, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a systemic skin disease that produces fevers and lesions of the mucous membranes), damage to the developing fetus, anaphylaxis (a potentially life threatening allergic reaction), and more.

In addition, these types of antibiotics can have devastating effects on your immune system because they kill the good bacteria that we rely on. In fact, in the show John mentioned these specifically and recommended avoiding them unless you really, really, need them.

 Let Me Introduce You To My Best Defensive Technology

In the end, no one is saying that we shouldn't take antibiotics. Just that they shouldn't be taken (or prescribed) every time you have a sore throat or a sinus infection. This is the biological equivalent of giving our best defensive technology to our enemies, and the consequences of legions of super bugs is really rather frightening. Don't go there.

Instead, as John emphasized, look first to how you can strengthen your immune system, then look at other alternatives to antibiotics and lastly, use them judiciously when you have an infection which actually calls for them.

Check out this article on herbal alternatives to antibiotics.