We are surrounded by increasingly aggressive bacteria, which by now we do not always manage to kill with “normal” antibiotics. Result? A second round of drugs and, in the most unfortunate cases, hospitalization and even more invasive treatment. But supergerms are also a product of our mistakes, because they arise from the abuse we make of these medicines, which created the so-called phenomenon of resistant bacteria, that is, immune to the attack of molecules that once were sufficient to eradicate them.
The whole scientific world is studying this phenomenon because resistant strains are dangerously increasing, following the increase in the use of antibiotics (plus 30% in 10 years). The novelty is that we will win this war not so much by developing new (and expensive) drugs, but by learning to manage without abuse and errors those that we already have.
This was underlined by the Report The State Of The World’s Antibiotics published by the Center for Dymìnamics, Economics and Policy of Washington (CDDEP). The research mapped the rate of antibiotic resistance for 12 types of germs very common in 39 countries, and the use of these drugs in 69 countries over the past 10 years.
Result: according to experts, 80% of global resources must be concentrated on the management of antibiotics, and no more than 20% on the development of new molecules. In short, the solution is to limit its excessive and improper use.
Sometimes demonized, but indispensable in fighting many pathologies, antibiotics like Amoxicillin are precious drugs, if used in the right way. Amoxicillin is a particular drug that absolutely cannot be used once, but needs regular intake. Stopping the antibiotic nullifies its healing powers and also creates new classes of drug-resistant germs.
The drug’s job is to attack the DNA of the pathogenic microorganism and break it up. To achieve this, the antibiotic needs a few days and must be taken in several regular doses. When a cure is not concluded, Amoxicillin interrupts the intervention on the enemy DNA and this – also thanks to the action of free radicals created by the medicine itself – regenerates, transforms and becomes more aggressive.
When Amoxicillin is needed
Each antibiotic has a spectrum of action consisting of those bacteria that react positively to the drug. There are also wide-ranging ones, with an action that extends to most bacteria: an example is Agumentin, based on amoxicillin.
Antibiotics are used to treat diseases caused by over 200 species of pathogenic bacteria. Among the best known pathologies that are treated with antibiotics: cystitis, tonsillitis with plaques and fever, pneumonia, some types of otitis. They are also recommended preventively by dentists and surgeons in cases of surgery, to avoid post-operative complications.
When antibiotics are not needed
Antibiotics are useless in cases of viral infections. The flu, for example, or even a cold. Some types of antibiotics are then avoided during pregnancy. Finally, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the use of certain types of antibiotics (for example, fluoroquinolones) in patients with cardiological problems, because they can have a cardiotoxic effect.
How to take Amoxicillin and for how long
The length of Amoxicillin therapy is variable: for a minimum of 5 days up to a maximum of 14 days, always on prescription. The correct intake of the drug is very important for the therapy to be effective. If you stop treatment first – perhaps because you start to feel better – you don’t give the drug time to eradicate the bacterium responsible for inflammation, which in the meantime will continue to spread its harmful effects in the body.
The time taken to take antibiotics is also essential: you can go no more than an hour from the scheduled time, depending on whether the dosage includes an 8 or 12 hour break between one tablet and another.
Side effects
Like any drug, Amoxicillin can also give rise to mild or moderate side effects. A separate discussion for those who are allergic to that particular molecule and who will therefore have to find an alternative to antibiotic treatment.
The side effects often depend on the type of antibiotic taken. The most common Amoxicillin adverse reactions are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. For this reason, their intake is often associated with gastroprotectors, which protect the walls of the stomach, and with lactic ferments that restore the intestinal bacterial flora, of which the antibiotic causes depletion.
Another side effect is given by the so-called superinfections, that is when another bacterial infection overlaps and adds up due to the side effects of antibiotics (such as the candida that is given by fungi). As for photosensitivity it is only related to tetracyclines: in these cases, it is good to avoid exposing yourself to the sun in order not to run the risk of appearing unsightly spots.
Overdose
Prolonged use of Amoxicillin therapy, beyond the time established by the doctor, can cause greater evidence of the side effects of the drug. If, on the other hand, abuse means the use of antibiotics when it is not necessary, the risks become more serious, and can provoke the resistance of the bacterium to the antibiotic. This means that a specific antibiotic molecule, if abused, will no longer be effective against that bacterium, as this will develop resistance, becoming ‘powerful and invincible’.