How can I Avoid Upset Stomach from Antibiotics?

This is not a response to the article, but to the anonymous post No. 4. Your claim that antibiotics are extremely dangerous, not fantastic, is just as hyperbolic and misleading as the article you are trying to refute.

From a historical perspective, antibiotics are, indeed, fantastic. All the points you raise about antibiotic-resistant bacteria and about antibiotics upsetting the body's natural balance are valid and completely true. Yet when you say antibiotics are extremely dangerous, I have to disagree. You know what else is dangerous? Sepsis. And that is far more likely to kill you than antibiotics.

It is difficult to overstate the historical importance of antibiotics. Take the bubonic plague, which once wiped out a third of Europe's population, or syphilis, which was a once-rampant and incurable disease. Take botulism, anthrax, tuberculosis... the list could go on and on. The fact is, antibiotics treat infections that could otherwise be fatal. It was, along with vaccinations and sterilization before surgery, one of the most important advances in modern medicine.

Without antibiotics, even minor surgery would be a crapshoot. I'm not saying that antibiotics aren't overprescribed (they are) or that there is no such thing as antibiotic resistant bacteria (there are, most definitely), but antibiotics were an amazing advance in medical science, rendering many diseases that were once fatal into minor annoyances. It is very fashionable to dismiss antibiotics because of their negative effects, but please bear in mind the value of their positive effects as well.

Um, this is a very misleading article. there are countless studies providing proof that antibiotics are extremely dangerous drugs, not fantastic. You claimed they effectively kill bacteria and clear up infection, but that's like saying chemotherapy is the best option for cancer and is fantastic. In a way, they both disrupt their targeted environment by mostly being unable to control what they kill. This is the main reason they're both dangerous and should only be used if a100 percent life saving necessity.

Personally, as far as chemo goes, it as a treatment that should never be considered an option and whenever I receive a positive cancer reading, I'll absolutely reject chemo altogether, but that's another topic on its own. The reason I bring up chemo is because they're both linked to forms of worse side effects than benefits. They both kill the surrounding healthy inhabitants (chemo kills healthy cells and antibiotics kill healthy gut and surrounding area bacteria). Neither have nor ever will be able to control the population targeting – only the "bad" corrupting the environment allowing a worse spread of infection.

Antibiotics, alongside chemo, should only be taken if needed, not whenever. Sites such as this one promote bad information to those who don't fully look into studies available. The true risk of side effects comes with all unnatural treatment options (modern medicine/pills/drugs) which is why it's important to discuss which antibiotics you take if you should ever choose to put yourself in a position of danger by taking these courses of drugs. You also run the risk of allowing your system to get used to treatments, but these drugs are most famous for their adaptability, which risks treatment failure. This is a topic not explained by health professionals, so be sure to discuss all options with your family doctor/health care provider at the time of care before choosing antibiotics. There may be another way.

My last point, if I failed at drilling how dangerous this option is into your head, touches on my secondary warning. There has been a great deal of study on major breakouts involving a form of CER called NDM-1. It's pretty much antibiotic-resistant. There is one select very nasty bacteria called C. Diff. You hear about it as being the most popular form of resistant strains breaking out in such places as hospitals. At least one period every year is infected by this one strain in hospitals. It is caused by a bacteria that has built up resistance to antibiotics.

So please do your research or better yet, second guess the information sites offered by your own personal research. Explore treatment options with you doctor and think of these drugs as non-safe or in the same class as chemo. There are more cons than pros. Ask your pharmacist about the prevention of side effects that come along with taking drugs instead of self exploration on sites. Your pharmacist and GP doctor can help customize a personal plan to fit your needs, and always ask questions.

about the antibiotics being in your meat or dairy, all antibiotics used in animals have withdrawal dates, meaning that if a dairy cow is treated, her milk cannot be used for x number of days depending on the drug used. The same goes for those going to slaughter. There is a both meat and milk withdrawal for medications used in livestock.

@Catapult, long term use of antibiotics can also be a factor. I have a friend whose mother refuses to throw antibiotics away, and has some in her house from ten years ago. Not only are these pills not safe, continuing to take them when not necessary can challenge your digestion in ways it should not be challenged.

One of the other causes of an increase in problems with antibiotics in recent years is the overuse of them, not only in prescriptions but in foods. Many animal products, dairy as well as meat, come from animals treated with antibiotics to help them grow and prevent disease. If you do have trouble with antibiotics, it might be a good idea to also look at the animal products in your diet and try to lessen your intake or even remove those which may come from factory farms that use antibiotics.