Why Does It Seem to Work for My Cold
Posted over a year ago
For about at least 6 times now, every time I know I am coming down with the flu or at the start of the flu, I take the Azithromycin 5-Day pak and my cold seem to be under control within 1 - 2 days. Before, the flu will last around 6 - 10 days. But, I am reading the label which says that "This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (e.g. common cold, flu). So, I would like to know why it seems to work for me to stop an on-coming flu. ... more »
For about at least 6 times now, every time I know I am coming down with the flu or at the start of the flu, I take the Azithromycin 5-Day pak and my cold seem to be under control within 1 - 2 days. Before, the flu will last around 6 - 10 days. But, I am reading the label which says that "This antibiotic treats only bacterial infections. It will not work for viral infections (e.g. common cold, flu). So, I would like to know why it seems to work for me to stop an on-coming flu.
Thanks
Burpiecicerchi - First of all who keeps giving you the Z-Pack for a simple cold? It;s true antibiotics don't work for viruses in fact nothing can cure a viruse. That's why Aids has been so horrific and hard to treat because antibiotics only kill bacteria. I'm thinking that when you get these colds and you take the Z-pack (Azithromycin) that it is just a coincidence becasue a true cold will only last 2-5 days. So, you could be just assuming that it's the pills. The only time a doctor SHOULD give us any type of antibiotic for a cold or flu is after you've had it for about 2 weeks and it's not going away, OR if you are getting sicker, then the doctor will assume that a secondary infection from a bacteria set in. I blame the doctors for all of these super-bugs which are antibiotic resistence because many doctors didn't want to lose their patients so they would oblige them by giving them what they asked for and that is usally antibiotics. I know that 40 to 50 years ago doctors never imagined that this day would come and I am sure that they didn't think by giving people all of these antibiotics for things that they don't work for would cause such horrible deadly problems today. It was hard for me once to comprehend the idea that what other people did with antibiotics could affect me intil a few years ago. Meaning that if one person has a bacterial infection and he gets antibiotics for it and only takes half of them what happens is the bugs start to die but the ones that didn't die yet become immuned to the antibiotics and they flee from that persons body and go on to the next person which is called a host. This has been going on since they discovered antibiotics which was in I think the 40's or 50's which is really freaky if you think about it. Anyhow, the last time they came up with a new antibiotic was in 1989 I believe, so we are getting very close to being in an age of pre-antibiotic illnesses. Meaning that one day people will die from bacterial Pneumonia and everything else. People died from a tooth infection back then. Just think how many times you and your loved ones have taken antibiotics for one thing or another. Well back then which wasn't long ago at all you and they would have died. That's scarry. So next time you get a cold and go to the doctor ask him or her why they are giving it to you so easily for a virus and see what they say. Good luck.
Futuregramma - You could have some bacteria in your system that is asymptomatic (no symptoms) but is keeping your immune system optimal, at just the right level for health, not too much, not too little *while you are healthy.* You get the virus, your immune system has to focus on that. It does, you feel yucky: it's not the germs that make you feel bad for the most part, it's your reaction to them (or their by products).
When you take the antibiotic, you knock out your healthy-state-optimizing bacteria, freeing up your immunity to work on the virus. The problem is, every time you do that, you jeopardize your healthy-state. You may be setting yourself up for auto-immune disorders, resistant bacteria, and some might chime in with a host of other imbalances that could lead to just about any disease involving your immune system (from cancer & heart disease to itchy skin nastiness). We have more strains of organisms living in us than anyone has ever come close to counting, much less naming. Unless it's life-threatening, don't mess with that balance, or twenty years down the line, or fewer, you'll really regret it.
It could very well be some of those bacteria are helping to trigger your symptoms that actually help you kill the virus. It sounds to me like it keeps coming back. It could be that you never really get rid of it because you're not letting your body do what it needs to do.
And yes, you're mucking up the micro-organisms the rest of us have to deal with, too, and no one has any idea how much.
The other part I'm concerned about is that you really can't know for sure if it's you or the antibiotic that is relieving your symptoms. There just isn't a way to know for sure without cultures.
Phlegm is your friend. It's powered by enzymes and antibodies set up to fight germs. Let it do its job. If it bothers you too much, use a nettie pot and make sure you floss & brush twice a day.
Futuregramma - You could have some bacteria in your system that is asymptomatic (no symptoms) but is keeping your immune system optimal, at just the right level for health, not too much, not too little *while you are healthy.* You get the virus, your immune system has to focus on that. It does, you feel yucky: it's not the germs that make you feel bad for the most part, it's your reaction to them (or their by products).
When you take the antibiotic, you knock out your healthy-state-optimizing bacteria, freeing up your immunity to work on the virus. The problem is, every time you do that, you jeopardize your healthy-state. You may be setting yourself up for auto-immune disorders, resistant bacteria, and some might chime in with a host of other imbalances that could lead to just about any disease involving your immune system (from cancer & heart disease to itchy skin nastiness). We have more strains of organisms living in us than anyone has ever come close to counting, much less naming. Unless it's life-threatening, don't mess with that balance, or twenty years down the line, or fewer, you'll really regret it.
It could very well be some of those bacteria are helping to trigger your symptoms that actually help you kill the virus. It sounds to me like it keeps coming back. It could be that you never really get rid of it because you're not letting your body do what it needs to do.
And yes, you're mucking up the micro-organisms the rest of us have to deal with, too, and no one has any idea how much.
The other part I'm concerned about is that you really can't know for sure if it's you or the antibiotic that is relieving your symptoms. There just isn't a way to know for sure without cultures.
Phlegm is your friend. It's powered by enzymes and antibodies set up to fight germs. Let it do its job. If it bothers you too much, use a nettie pot and make sure you floss & brush twice a day.
Futuregramma - You could have some bacteria in your system that is asymptomatic (no symptoms) but is keeping your immune system optimal, at just the right level for health, not too much, not too little *while you are healthy.* You get the virus, your immune system has to focus on that. It does, you feel yucky: it's not the germs that make you feel bad for the most part, it's your reaction to them (or their by products).
When you take the antibiotic, you knock out your healthy-state-optimizing bacteria, freeing up your immunity to work on the virus. The problem is, every time you do that, you jeopardize your healthy-state. You may be setting yourself up for auto-immune disorders, resistant bacteria, and some might chime in with a host of other imbalances that could lead to just about any disease involving your immune system (from cancer & heart disease to itchy skin nastiness). We have more strains of organisms living in us than anyone has ever come close to counting, much less naming. Unless it's life-threatening, don't mess with that balance, or twenty years down the line, or fewer, you'll really regret it.
It could very well be some of those bacteria are helping to trigger your symptoms that actually help you kill the virus. It sounds to me like it keeps coming back. It could be that you never really get rid of it because you're not letting your body do what it needs to do.
And yes, you're mucking up the micro-organisms the rest of us have to deal with, too, and no one has any idea how much.
The other part I'm concerned about is that you really can't know for sure if it's you or the antibiotic that is relieving your symptoms. There just isn't a way to know for sure without cultures.
Phlegm is your friend. It's powered by enzymes and antibodies set up to fight germs. Let it do its job. If it bothers you too much, use a nettie pot and make sure you floss & brush twice a day.
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