Do antibiotics make you sick?

Antibiotics, ahoy! These little pills have been saving lives since the 1940s. But along with all the good they do, there’s a sense of unease-a feeling that maybe we shouldn’t be taking so many drugs all willy-nilly. And some people swear that every time they pop an antibiotic pill, they end up sicker than when they started. So what gives? Do antibiotics make you sick or not? Let’s dive in and find out.

What are Antibiotics?

Before we can talk about whether antibiotics make you sick or not (and why), we need to know just exactly what these things are. Basically, antibiotics are medications (you don’t say!) designed to kill bacteria that might be causing harm inside your body. They come in a variety of forms-penicillin is one well-known type-but each works by going after different types of germs (ewww).

When it comes to using them properly-as with any medication-it’s essential to listen carefully to your doctor’s instructions: Take the full course recommended (seriously-QUIT QUITTING YOUR ANTIBIOTICS AFTER DAY TWO) even if you’re feeling better before it ends; don’t share prescription meds with anyone else (gross – this isn’t middle school); don’t take leftover drugs from past infections depending on current symptoms.

Understanding Bacteria

Remember how I mentioned earlier that antibiotics work by killing bacteria? To understand how these meds work-and answer our original question-we need to get into a little biology lesson.

Our bodies play host (”YAY! I always wanted little friends who live inside me!”)to loads of different microscopic creatures-including billions upon billions of bacteria. Most strains living among us aren’t harmful-in fact, plenty actually help keep us healthy-even happy (insert smiling emoji). Some friendly flora live in our digestive systems, for example (making sense now why gut health is trending) to help digest food and keep things moving smoothly down there. But others can cause infections once they start reproducing like crazy or get into the wrong place-like in the bloodstream, skin or urinary tract-and antibiotics are called upon when that happens.

Antibiotics have been a game-changer when it comes to fighting off bacterial illnesses-millions of lives saved since their discovery-but bacteria aren’t so simple to deal with; flexible creatures always adapting – evolving quickly.. And that’s where some of the confusing bits come in about whether taking them can sometimes make patients feel worse. Here are some factors you might consider before starting an antibiotic treatment:

What Factors Affect Whether Antibiotics Will Make You Sick?

Resistance Training:

One oft-cited issue contributing (Lift those little weights, Germs)to this ”getting sicker before better” feeling has to do with drug resistance. Think body weight training routine for germs! If you remember back to biology class-or any mention at all from current media debates-antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains have become big public health concern over the last decade-plus causing serious treatment problems in cases such as tuberculosis and staph infections.

The reasons behind rise of superbugs include everything from over-prescribing of drugs by physicians and veterinarians (yes, pets can carry similar bacteria strains too) including agricultural animal populations use without full awareness potential hazards (and no don’t blame anti-vaxxers on this one). Those often stoppable bugs then mutate until even strongest course antibacterial medications lose efficacy…then we’re all screwed (gosh darn it).

So yes, one reason someone may not feel great while taking an antibiotic could be due-to increased likelihood-bodies trying harder (cough sweating out push-ups cough)to fight ongoing infection involving these more resistant pathogens than would normally have been the case a generation ago.

Killing both FRIEND and FOE:

Another check-mate situation for sick people due to antibiotics directly affects not just bacteria – good, bad, or super-bad- but other microorganisms in our bodies too… that make us feel un-showered at Coachella. As we mentioned earlier, those helpful microbes living peacefully within all of our systems are diverse and essential to overall system function (a very Star Trek vibe as we’re all interconnected & such); sometimes taking/finishing course of antibiotics is like an indiscriminate dropping of napalm (tooting about town with no regards). All bacterias gets burned equally while they still may help their hosts digestion or immune response sputter out. Not ideal for aforementioned ”feeling better’ sensation.

No Such Thing As Perfect Medication

There’s also the possibility your body experiences unusual symptoms because treating infection clinically feels more like painting by numbers (ugh sounds boring) than high art precision medicine science; Doctor plays poker with limited decks after visual assessment from certain antibiotic menu options available based on patient history/anatomy/diagnosis. And everyone doesn’t have same adverse side reactions/risk factors/internal flora needs, so mixes can lead different outcomes for feeling ill indeed post-treatment or narrowly avoided terrifying end-game scenarios…

Simply put: Medicine isn’t perfect(it’s called ”medical practice” afterall)unintended consequences happen regardless how many plus signs show up next to desired outcome boxes on medical flowcharts.

So there you go-commonly cited reasons antibiotics might make someone feel crummy even when these drugs could ultimately prove life-saving:

  • Increased drug-resistant infections.
  • Elimination of beneficial microorganisms.
  • Adverse interactions between medications and internal biology/personal factors.

How Can You Avoid Feeling Sick When Taking Antibiotics?

Thankfully there MAY be some actions one can take before begin treatment which can help reduce likelihood of adverse reactions or prolonged illness in some cases:

Brussel Sprouts and Blueberries:

Okay, okay, not those specifically…but you get the point: Your diet matters when it comes to battling bacteria. A balanced intake more fibers, carbohydrates (complex carbs)and micronutrients rich food sources is generally agreed upon (not another green leafy vegetable fad plz)as beneficial way of preparing body for any potential unwanted bodily renter ejections. It’s still being debated whether taking oral probiotic supplements before(kills good guys there too though), during (tossing & turning like a human roulette game)or after treatment with antibiotics helps increase survival rates higher than placebo group (another medical shrug emoji).

Conclusion

So do antibiotics make people sick? That answer probably depends on who you ask-even after breaking down many possible causes/contributing factors. There are no guarantees that consuming any kind medication will always work perfectly or lead desired health outcome; Antibiotics MOSTLY extraordinarily helpful-but as important players fighting infections within our systems are dauntingly complicated biological creations spinning out intricately-laid strategies which have been honed over vast stretches evolutionary time [‘woah dude, biology is gnarly!’]

Thus advised as always mindfulness whenever take prescription medications-by knowing reasons behind pros/cons allows us to approach this type health choices with greater understanding appreciation balancing short-term solutions/comforts with long-term risks/rewards.

Takeaway message: Pop an antibiotic pill ONLY if you REALLLYYYY need it! And NOW we know how to keep potentially-bad bugs happy gym members instead of antagonizing them into causing sickness until outlast their stamina at least. Cheers bacteria – we’re all supporting your goals…(ugh nevermind)…

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