# Antibiotics: How much is too much?



## Patman75

FYIhttp://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news...cs.128e669.htmlFRISCO - A game of catch for 12-year-old Ali Tays is a major league accomplishment. For two years, she spent most of her time on the couch. She was so sick, she missed 22 days of school last year. "My stomach hurt more than a stomach virus," Ali recalled. "I didn't want to play, get up; I was just like emotionless, just like lifeless almost - it was really hard." Ali's problems, doctors now know, started years ago with the very medicines her mother thought were helping her daughter. "They always started in October and they went until March," said Jeanne Tays of the many rounds of antibiotics her daughter has been prescribed. "And then the doctors would tell us it was sinuses, if it wasn't strep throat. So she's had lots and lots of antibiotics over the years." Every year, millions of families face colds, sore throats, and viruses. Many automatically expect a prescription for antibiotics on a visit to the doctor. The Tays did. Antibiotics, in fact, are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in modern medicine. They cure disease by killing bad bacteria. But they can also kill the good germs. "It can leave yourself open to a variety of problems that can take over the space and take over the food that that the bacteria used to be eating, like fungus," said Dr. Matt Chalmers, a clinical chiropractic nutrition specialist. Dr. Chalmers practices alternative medicine, but he is not against antibiotics. He believes they can be excellent when used properly. He is, however, seeing a growing number of patients with infections linked to their overuse - and he's not talking about antibiotic resistance, another major problem. "About 30 to 40 percent of the time, we see fungus issues," Dr. Chalmers said. "The other times we see parasitic infections take over. And every time, we see people that have run out of energy." WFAA-TV "I haven't felt this good for as long as I can remember," Ali said. Candida is one of the most common fungal infections. It can grow outside or inside the body. Symptoms of candida infection include, stomach or digestion problems, foggy brain, fatigue, and intense cravings for sugar. Tinea, another common fungal infection, often grows on the scalp. Ali Tays had both, and recovery took weeks of targeted therapy. "As a mom, it makes you feel really bad, because you know, we just do the best we can, and "It was just really really heartbreaking," said Jeanne Tays. "As a mom, it makes you feel really bad, because - you know - we just do the best we can." Ali is now healthy and active again. "I play softball now, I'm able to go out and be a normal 12-year-old," she said. "I haven't felt this good for as long as I can remember." But Ali and her mother will think twice before taking an antibiotic that may not be absolutely necessary. E-mail [email protected]


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