37
votes
Accepted
Why should I avoid milk when on antibiotics?
Products high in calcium and magnesium should not be taken at the same time as antibiotics of the tetracycline (tetracycline, doxicycline, etc.) class, and milk should also be avoided with the ...
- 8,852
11
votes
Why does my antibiotic make my urine yellow?
The color, odor and consistency of urine can be differ and can reveal what you've been eating, how much drinking and what diseases you have, so change of the color is usually something completely ...
- 4,695
8
votes
How does a MRSA test work?
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is suspected in the face of any acute staph infection that does not respond to normal antibiotics. Even staph that is more resistant to other ...
- 181
8
votes
Why should we finish antibiotic treatments in order to prevent antibiotics resistance?
Mayo Clinic on the example of tuberculosis:
Stopping treatment too soon or skipping doses can allow the bacteria
that are still alive to become resistant to those drugs, leading to tuberculosis
...
- 15.7k
6
votes
Accepted
How was penicillin discovered, and was the use of it immediately realised?
The discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming was accidental.
In 1927 he had been investigating the properties of staphylococci and when he returned to his laboratory after few weeks (which ...
- 4,695
6
votes
Why should I avoid milk when on antibiotics?
This is most commonly a precaution to prevent Mal-absorption. Milk has copious amounts of calcium which bond with the antibiotic in the gut. Once the tetracycline (antibiotic) bonds, it creates a ...
- 324
6
votes
Why can chronic prostatitis not be cured simply with antibiotics?
There are multiple types of prostatitis:
Source: Krieger JN, Nyberg, Jr L, Nickel JC. NIH Consensus Definition and Classification of Prostatitis. JAMA. 1999;282(3):236–237. doi:10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-...
- 6,722
6
votes
Is there solid evidence, that antibiotics cause allergies?
The possible link between antibiotics and increased allergy and asthma incidence was mentioned at the 2004 annual meeting of American Society for Microbiology (New Scientist, 2004). They said that ...
- 15.7k
5
votes
Why stomach ulcer need more than one antibiotic at the same time?
The aim of taking two antibiotics at the same is to prevent an overgrowth of the H. pylori strains that could be resistant to a single antibiotic. The antibiotic choice depends on the individual ...
- 15.7k
5
votes
How far should I go to avoid antiboitics?
How refreshing to see someone with this attitude! Kudos.
Doctors have been so long accustomed - and accosted - to prescribe unnecessary antibiotics (you wouldn't believe some of my experiences***) ...
- 8,852
5
votes
Why does my antibiotic make my urine yellow?
The anti-biotic could possibly be having an antidiuretic effect. This reduces the amount of water in urine, and so the natural yellow hue is intensified.
There is a definition of an antidiuretic at ...
- 1,513
5
votes
Breakthrough bleeding and antibiotics
You should not skip any pills when taking oral contracptives. Breakthrough bleeding is not uncommon, especially early on, and the pill is still effective at preventing pregnancy. You should, however, ...
- 8,852
5
votes
Effect of antibiotics on breastfed infant
Breast milk is known to provide many benefits to the newborn and developing infant.
According to 'Bioactive Proteins in Human Milk: Health, Nutrition, and Implications to Infant Formulas.’:
...
- 958
5
votes
Accepted
Effect of antibiotics on breastfed infant
It would appear that breast feeding allows the infant gut flora to rapidly normalize after the course of antibiotics whereas this can be a problem for artificially fed infants who can suffer with post ...
- 13.2k
5
votes
Demodex control with antibiotics: why and how?
The Demodex mite is part of normal skin flora but is often implicated in conditions like rosacea, folliculitis and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids).
Erythromycin is an effective treatment. ...
- 2,341
5
votes
What to do if someone mistakenly ingests food contraindicated by medication requirements?
Dietary restrictions on medication are for a variety of reasons:
Interactions that prevent absorption/action - this could include foods that somehow bind with the active ingredient of the drug and ...
- 12.9k
5
votes
What to do if someone mistakenly ingests food contraindicated by medication requirements?
Doxycycline is a chelating agent. As such it will form a metallo-tetracycline complex in the gut which is basically not absorbed. So, you don't get the benefit of the tetracycline. So, you should ...
- 13.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Is there any test to identify bacteria?
First, I will explain what tests DO tell you the bacteria, and how they are used. Secondly, I will explain why clinicians rarely do that for respiratory infections.
To test for bacteria, a sample ...
- 5,704
4
votes
Should mixtures of antibiotics become standard practice to curb antibiotic resistance?
The issue is that antibiotics are not without side effects and the use of most antibiotics carry a risk for developing Clostridium Difficile. If you take more than one class of antibiotic, your risk ...
- 13.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Does taking antibiotics make you immune to virus?
Antibiotics have no effect on viruses.
Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses like colds, flu,
most sore throats, and bronchitis.
https://www.cdc.gov/features/getsmart/
- 9,564
4
votes
Accepted
What is the safety margin on duration of an antibiotics (levofloxacin) treatment?
Unfortunately, what you read about chemical interactions of levofloxacin with polyvalent cations is correct - the medicine binds to the cation to form a coordination complex in the gastrointestinal ...
- 2,823
4
votes
What to do if someone mistakenly ingests food contraindicated by medication requirements?
Bryan is correct.
As for references as Chris Rogers requests, there are many, given the plethora of texts and papers on the subject. One good text is:
Ritter, J., Flower, R. J., Henderson, G., ...
4
votes
Why do doxycycline pills also contain lactose?
Lactose is a disaccharide sugar found in milk. Many tablets contain lactose. It is not an active ingredient but simply a filler and is chosen because it has excellent compressibility properties and is ...
- 2,341
4
votes
Do antibiotic-resistant bacteria present greater danger than related strains prior to development of antibiotics?
Is it possible that antibiotic-resistant bacteria become stronger, that is harder for the immune system to combat?
Short answer: It depends on the species of bacteria, immune status of an individual,...
- 15.7k
4
votes
Accepted
When taking antibiotics, does every single germ have to die?
No, you do not have to kill every single (targeted) germ. Often antibiotics are bacteriostatic which means they do not kill the germs but stop them from reproducing. Your immune system then does the ...
- 131
4
votes
Accepted
Why is Tobramycin prescribed for ear infections?
Summary
Tobramycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic. All aminoglycoside antibiotics carry a risk of irreversible ototoxicity. The risk is reduced when applied topically, but not eliminated. Even ...
- 3,178
4
votes
Why is erythromycin eye ointment required for newborns even if the mother doesn't have any STDs?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) continues to recommend prophylaxis for all infants:
If gonorrhea is prevalent in the region and prenatal treatment cannot be ensured, or where required by law,...
- 2,901
3
votes
Can using moisturiser make acne worse?
It is absolutely possible for moisturizer to make acne worse. You've probably heard the term "non-comedogenic" in advertisements for various skin products, and that means that the product is not ...
- 31
3
votes
Accepted
Effect of milk on effectiveness of oral tetracycline
Calcium-rich food interferes with absorption of tetracycline considerably:
Milk and other dairy products, antacids containing polyvalent cations, as well as various iron salts ingested ...
- 7,001
3
votes
Accepted
Even topical tetracycline causes teeth discoloration?
Unlikely.
Tetracycline topical is generally well tolerated. Side effects
reported with systemic administered tetracycline such as
gastrointestinal complaints, vaginitis, hematologic ...
- 2,964
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible