Why does dairy make antibiotics less effective? | Live Science

October 22, 2024October 21, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

You may have heard that some foods and drinks, such as grapefruit and alcohol, shouldn’t be consumed with certain medications. But did you know that dairy products can make some drugs less effective?

This effect is particularly problematic for certain classes of antibiotics, which are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics taken by mouth — in a pill or liquid form, for example — need to be absorbed into the bloodstream to work effectively. But when taken with dairy products, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, some antibiotics are not absorbed as they should be.

For instance, one study found that the absorption of an antibiotic called demeclocycline (brand name Declomycin) into the bloodstream dropped by a staggering 83% when taken with milk, compared with water and a dairy-free meal. Demeclocycline is used to treat bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, like pneumonia. Another study showed that when ciprofloxacin is taken with milk, levels of the drug in the bloodstream are about 30% to 36% lower than when it is taken with water. This antibiotic is used to treat a range of illnesses, from pneumonia to gonorrhea.

Dangerous ‘superbugs’ are a growing threat, and antibiotics can’t stop their rise. What can? | Live Science

November 10, 2023November 9, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The bacteria may have entered her flesh along with shrapnel from the bomb detonated in Brussels Airport in 2016. Or perhaps the microbes hitched a ride on the surgical instruments used to treat her wounds. Either way, the “superbug” refused to be vanquished, despite years of antibiotic treatment.

The woman had survived a terrorist attack but was held hostage by drug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterial strain often picked up by surgery patients in hospitals. Only by combining antibiotics with a new, experimental treatment did doctors finally rid her of the superbug.

Devastating drug-resistant bacterial infections like this one are all too common, and they represent an ever-growing threat to global health. In 2019, antibiotic-resistant bacteria directly killed roughly 1.27 million people worldwide and contributed to an additional 3.68 million deaths. In the U.S. alone, drug-resistant bacteria and fungi together cause an estimated 2.8 million infections and 35,000 deaths each year.

Why You May Not Have to Finish All Your Antibiotics | Live Science

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you have ever taken an antibiotic, you likely know the drill: Finish the entire course of treatment, even if you are feeling better, or else you risk a relapse.

Worse, by not finishing, you might contribute to the dangerous rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The advice to always finish your antibiotics has long been considered medical dogma, and can be seen today on the websites of the World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other leading health authorities.

There’s A 30% Chance You Don’t Need That Antibiotic | Forbes

May 4, 2016 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The last time I needed antibiotics, I toughed it out for days before seeing a doctor, by which point my pain had gotten so bad I couldn’t sleep through the night. The reason? I didn’t want to be a vector for the next superbug. By the time I did get medical help, the doctor reassured me in the worst way possible: “Honey, it’s too late for that,” she said. “You are not going to be the reason for the next superbug.”

The cause of the next superbug will probably not be a single individual trying desperately to avoid that outcome. It’ll be our whole antibiotic-loving healthcare system: According to a new report, around 30% of antibiotics prescribed are actually unnecessary and just make the whole situation worse.