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geejay
06-11-2008, 10:45 PM
:eek: do you take anti-biotics?

upto 7 years ago i worked in a horticultral business for 20 years,chemicals and fungicides were very much part of that life,so was the flu and being sick,anti-boitics and several courses to stem the flu,got worse year after year.Now 7 years later,away from that enviroment and practising organic horticulture,no flu,no colds,fit as,magic. :) :) :)

Mrs HMS
06-11-2008, 11:46 PM
No I don't take anitbiotics and my kids have never had them (7 and 5), we've never been sick enough to warrant them.

When I was at uni I read a study that said AB's in children under 10 make as little as 12 hours difference to the course of an illness.

My theory is if the immune system is not compromised your body will fight off almost anything. Only if the immune system fails or is unable to do it's job should antibiotics be used.

I strongly believe that the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial cleaning agents is helping to create the ever increasing strains of "super" bugs that are resistent to everything....Darwin's theory of evolution in practice....the weak bacteria that are susceptable to AB's die off but those that through gene mutation (there y'are Lifestyle) are resistent, live to fight (and breed) another day.

OK climbing down off my soapbox now :wave-hi:

Islandhead
07-11-2008, 12:55 AM
Influenza is a virus, anti biotics will have no effect. Anti biotics should only be taken for bacterial infections, and even then as a last resort, giving the bodies own immune system a chance to attack the bacteria.

Islandhead
07-11-2008, 01:04 AM
And I completely agree with Joanne. Our past reliance on antibiotics and the fact we are obsessed with living in a germ free environment (a lot due to the media/advertisers kills 99.9% of germs etc) not only created these superbugs that we can't zap with medicine(Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis springs to mind) but we have also weakened our own immune systems.

In the fight of germs vs humanity... we are shooting ourselves in the foot!

mowjoman
07-11-2008, 06:43 AM
Yep I'm with you Mrs HMS.
Not totally anti....biotics :p they have there place, however you know when you've got a good GP when you take your kids to the doc and he/she says let there system sort it out...too many reach for the script pad.
My wife, kids and myself very rarely catch a cold and yet another member of our family is obsesive compulsive CLEAN FREAK. Her kiddies always sniffling etc. We never engoouraged our kids to eat mud pies but they've always been encouraged to make them. :russ:

lifestyle
07-11-2008, 08:21 AM
I typically get a cold in March and August each year. I'm more of a Pro-Biotic user but will take anti-biotics if needed (But not for the flu).

A bit of mould never hurt anyone its natures bacteria ;) :wave-hi:

However i wouldn't take them unless i had a serious infection, after surgery and the like.