The Raw Facts About Complications From Ongoing Antibiotic Treatment

by Nottingham Vet School

MRSA is methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus, a mutated form of staph bacteria that is able to endure the curative abilities of medication such as antibiotics. The mutation was caused both by misuse and overuse of antibiotics resulting in a strain of the bacteria able to proliferate and eventually create infections and complications unabated.

Initially, it was penicillin that was able to cure staph infections but as time passed on, together with the misuse and overuse, the bacteria was able to develop resistance against penicillin. Then there was methicillin to which the bacteria was also able to develop a resistance. Now, one of the few antibiotics able to counteract the effects of MRSA is vancomycin but there are the complications from ongoing antibiotic treatment.

The Effects of Antibiotic Treatment

There is a growing misconception as to antibiotics in general. Antibiotics, by themselves, do not cure infection. These types of medication do not kill the bacteria or contaminant. It does not have the ability to identify dangerous and foreign elements in the body and take action to neutralize them. The body’s immune system is the one with both the capacity and ability to do this. What the antibiotic does though is supports the body’s own immune system to be better able the increased activity of viral antigens or bacteria in the body. The antibiotic stimulates the creation of more immune agents in the body to enable it to combat and effectively kill off the bacterial infection.

Thus the misuse and overuse of antibiotics creates an occasion that the body has a higher tolerance for antibiotic agents. With the greater amount of antibiotic medication present, the body adjusts itself to accommodate the chemical change. As one stops taking antibiotics, the bacteria that was not destroyed is able to flourish, assimilating itself to the environment of higher tolerance to the chemicals brought about by the antibiotic overuse or misuse. This is one of the complications from ongoing antibiotic treatment and how antibiotic resistant bacteria are created, like the dreaded MRSA.   The Complications Identified   The greatest complication from ongoing antibiotic treatment has been identified, that is the creation of “superbugs”. Here are some other complications from ongoing antibiotic treatment.  

Contraction of clostridium difficile, or C-Diff. This new bacteria is well known in the community as a result of antibiotic therapy. Often it presents itself as a form of intestinal flu resulting in diarrhea that is hard to cure.
Some types of antibiotics, such as Vancomycin is effective against staph infection but there is already growing concern that the drug creates Vancomycin resistant intestinal flora which creates infections of the gastrointestinal tract.
The use of the antibiotic Linezolid or Zyvox has been found to have a significant effect on the bone marrow. The drug, when used long term, has been seen to cause anemia, low white blood cell count, low platelet counts or even lead to a decreased production of the cell products of the bone marrow.

To better understand what you are up against in MRSA and in order to find out the complications from ongoing antibiotic treatments prescribed you.