Some people will believe anything

bathsheba_c

Um, if I had holes in my intestines from taking antibiotics, I would be worried about more than just PROCESSED FOODS(OMG EVERYONE PANIC!!!!!) leaking into my body.

andreanicole686

Geez, people like this annoy me!

snoopytwins

None of this matters since the world is ending in 9 days, people!!!

(lol)

^^^ This.

rml_16

i have worked pediatric oncology ( kids with cancer) at CHOP ( um, top ranked peds hospital), general peds, maternal child, mother baby, and in a 60 bed level 3 NICU.

different strokes for different folks. not to mention, some people don't really educate themselves, by choice.

You're right. You know more than all of them. I will never take an antibiotic again. :flowerforyou:

Hey you started the post. She is someone in the medical field who was kind enough to respond. No need to be snarky. It seems like you don't want to have a discussion you simply want people to agree with you.

I don't see what the problem is with the FB post. It is so important to take probiotics right as you are finishing antibiotics and after for this very reason. But I do agree with you here, I hate it when people use FB to write novels. I usually hide their posts from my feed when people are long winded like this.

She has made some pretty incredible claims based on being a nurse. I responded that the MANY medical professionals I know well and am related to do not agree with her and she responded by claiming they are not as educated as she is.

I don't think I was the snarky one.

I am aware that antibiotics have side effects and they should not be given out when not needed. However, the alarmist attitude of the OP and this nurse are not very helpful.

And, to be honest, I question the honesty of someone who claims to have as many children as she has who supposedly go to school with OTHER children and "never get sick." The odds of that being true are astronomical.

IronSmasher

Can we go back to the original topic? Was it inappropriate use of scare tactics by completely unqualified people through misrepresentation of useful medicine in order to sell some diet and exercise plans?

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

And, to be honest, I question the honesty of someone who claims to have as many children as she has who supposedly go to school with OTHER children and "never get sick." The odds of that being true are astronomical.

Yup.

LMT2012

Sulpha drugs and antibiotics ARE miracles. Over prescribing and MISUSE in the form of not taking them completely or properly is the problem. We may have already reached the tipping point with super bugs that are not responding to the usual drugs.
Wash your hands more often people.

SherryR1971

There are people who believe they are the second coming of Christ, that the Earth is flat, that the moon landing was faked, etc. Just smile friendly like and slowly back away . . .

My aunt believes the moon landing was faked and does not waste any opportunity to tell us about it, either!!

rml_16

Can we go back to the original topic? Was it inappropriate use of scare tactics by completely unqualified people through misrepresentation of useful medicine in order to sell some diet and exercise plans?

And, yes, this was my point to begin with. Thank you. :-)

melanogaster

Antibiotics are useful, no doubt, when they are used properly.

The problem is that now they are so prevalent in our food supply and being over prescribed by doctors that we are seeing very scary things like MRSA and VRE.

This, this, a thousand times this!

Use antibiotics responsibly, skip the triclosan in your household products, but be aware that as long as you're eating factory-farmed meat, milk, and even fish - you're getting a steady drip of antibiotics in your food. There's now growing evidence that when excess antibiotics are excreted into manure, and the manure is spread on fields with food crops, the crops will absorb some portion of the antibiotics - and so even a vegetarian diet can include a steady (albeit smaller) stream of antibiotics. The FDA is working to reduce antibiotics use in livestock to therapeutic use only, but there's a long way to go before it gets fixed.

reasnableblonde

I have a friend whose food conspiracy paranoia is growing increasingly fervent on Facebook. She also never hesitates to try and sell her miracle weight-loss shakes. I have her muted so I don't have to read it.

rml_16

I'd also like to emphasize the part of what I quoted that claims antibiotics directly lead to cancer. Yes, they have side effects. Yes, they should be used only when needed.

But the conclusion that using them at all will cause you to get cancer? That's my BIGGEST problem with the post and it absolutely is telling people not to use them at all. What other conclusion could you draw from that???

bushidowoman

What causes you to dismiss your friend's post as a scare tactic? Do you have some good solid information to refute any *specific* points in her post? If so, please share them with us. Genuinely curious.

(I'm another nurse--intensive care--who chooses to not use antibiotics for myself or my family unless we are knocking on death's door. So far, we've been able to take care of illnesses and infections without them for many years now...and have avoided the side effects like diarrhea and yeast infections that goes along with their use.)

dayone987

What causes you to dismiss your friend's post as a scare tactic? Do you have some good solid information to refute any *specific* points in her post? If so, please share them with us. Genuinely curious.

(I'm another nurse--intensive care--who chooses to not use antibiotics for myself or my family unless we are knocking on death's door. So far, we've been able to take care of illnesses and infections without them for many years now...and have avoided the side effects like diarrhea and yeast infections that goes along with their use.)

As the OP stated, it's the direct link to cancer that's mostly in dispute. In this case the onus is on the FB friend who states that abx causes cancer to provide good solid information.

As well, my family doesn't use a lot of antibiotics but don't wait until we're in death's door to seek appropriate medical attention.
I also work in the health care field and have see people with chronic hearing loss from untreated ear infections and with chronic kidney disease from untreated strep and bladder infections.

rml_16

I also work in the health care field and have see people with chronic hearing loss from untreated ear infections and with chronic kidney disease from untreated strep and bladder infections.

My grandfather has deafness from that. They didn't have the option when he was little and he's had to wear hearing aids most of his life.

As for the side effects, while they certainly happen, no one in my family has every experienced them. So it's not like every single person who takes an antibiotic ends up with daihrrea and yeast infections. I'm 36 and have never had a yeast infection.

ldrosophila

Antibiotics are of the devil. I say we outlaw them all we were doing so much better during medievil times when are immune systems were tougher having to fend off that measly little bacteria that caused the Black Death. Septic blood caused from a toe infection sminfection tis but a flesh wound! I promise that anything that sounds like scarey latin I will not use anymore. Yay all natural!

Erienneb

I think anti biotics, like other medications such as immunizations, are necessary. Are there down sides? Of course, but would you rather have a bacterial infection that messes you up long term and could turn bad, or take anti biotics and have to watch your immune system more closely for a week? The problem isn't the medication, it's the over use of medication.

For example, I've been allergic to the cillin based drugs forever. I almost died when I was 2 and took it. I had chronic ear infections that were leading to a point where, if left untreated, I would suffer hearing loss. Every time I got an ear infection it was important to treat. I was on the sulfer drugs for years. Last year I had a bug bite that got infected with all kinds of nasty (I worked in a gym where I was exposed to lots of disease) and had to be treated. I've developed an allergy to sulfer drugs now because I've been taking them for 20 years. I've never had an issue with my immune system as a result, I rarely get sick, and have no other health problems. But seriously, every time I've been on anti biotics it wasn't an option to not take them.

ldrosophila

LOL that was funny in an ironic way...

Some one on here said they avoid antibiotics like the plague, and of course we all know millions of us do not die from bubonic plague because of antibiotics. LOL that was just silly made me laugh.

*Damn spelling

m_wilh

First of all, it's been all over the news in the past few years about the OVERUSE of antibiotics and the strains of bacteria becoming more resistant to them. This is happening because it has become more common for doctors to prescribe antibiotics when none are needed. I can't tell you how many times I've been to a regular medical doctor for me or one of my children and they couldn't tell me what the problem was but wrote a prescription anyway. I now to go to a holistic doctor which has helped me much better than the traditional medical establishment. Doctors now adays aren't trained to find the root of the problem, only to treat the symptoms.

Second, if her post bothered you so much (which honestly, I agree with most of what she said) then why don't you tell her instead of putting it all over MFP for the rest of us to read and talk about behind her back. Some FB friend you are!

Liadora11

So we are talking about whether it was morally right of her to post her comment, rather than whether her information was correct?

I would say yes, it's her FB so she can post what she likes. She didn't break any rules, she just shared what she believes to be true whilst plugging her new business. (and who wouldn't try and plug their own budding bussiness at any opportunity anyway!)

rml_16

So we are talking about whether it was morally right of her to post her comment, rather than whether her information was correct?

I would say yes, it's her FB so she can post what she likes. She didn't break any rules, she just shared what she believes to be true whilst plugging her new business. (and who wouldn't try and plug their own budding bussiness at any opportunity anyway!)

I never said she couldn't or shouldn't post it. But based on this and other things she's posting, her only clients will be people who believe everything they read on the Internet.