Antibiotics 101: Why Misuse Can Lead to Health Issues and Resistance

As one of the mainstay medications to manage different types of infections, antibiotics have helped millions of people recover from diseases which were once thought to be deadly and incurable. Statistically speaking, antibiotics added 23 years to the average human lifespan!₁ From the discovery of penicillin (the first antibiotic) to the present day, different types have been developed to target broad infections and specific disease conditions. However, the effects of antibiotics to the body aren’t all that good and could even have long-lasting disruptions to your healthy microbiota. This disruption eventually leads to an imbalance, putting you at risk of developing health problems from your environment and the very cells that are made to protect your body from harm!

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How Antibiotics Work

​Antibiotics help your body fight off different types of infections by either preventing the growth of bacteria or killing them off until they are reduced into small amounts, assisting the cells of your immune system to do its wonders of killing the foreign or opportunistic pathogen. This job is done through preventing the reproduction of the bacteria or disrupting cellular processes or functions within the bacterial cell.₂ The effects of a specific antibiotic may depend on its concentration levels within your body or the duration of its use.₂ Additionally, antibiotics are not made equally. Some are effective in managing infections found in certain areas of the body, while others impact the entire body and may be inappropriate for organ-specific conditions.
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The Growing Global Health Crisis

The increasing misuse of antibiotics has led to the alarming phenomenon of antibiotic resistance, wherein antibiotics previously used to manage certain infections are now ineffective as the bacteria has developed immunity against the medication’s effects. The growing antibiotic resistance becomes a threat to optimal health and undoubtedly increases healthcare costs. Bearing in mind that antibiotics are not to be used for viral infections, following the recommended dose and duration of your antibiotics as prescribed by your healthcare provider, not sharing your antibiotics to other people, and sharing your understanding about proper antibiotics use to your friends and loved ones are simple yet impactful ways to prevent the growing resistance to antibiotics, which were originally developed to protect our bodies instead of causing unwanted harm. Ultimately, exploring natural options that will help treat or augment antibiotic treatment of infections with your naturopathic doctors will not only minimize the problem with antibiotic resistance, but also ensure that your health decisions nurture your holistic well-being.

Adverse Effects of Antibiotic Use

• Drug fever – the inflammatory response of the body is triggered after taking the medication. These symptoms disappear after the use of the medication is discontinued.
• Drug-induced rash – a hypersensitivity reaction that manifests on the skin and can either present on specific parts of the body or the whole body itself.
• Photosensitivity – sensitivity to light exposure occurs due to photodegradation and the molecule’s ability to create free oxygen radicals, which can be damaging to the cell and trigger inflammation.​

​Effects on the Intestinal Microbiota

Just like how they are specialized to manage specific health conditions, each antibiotic has a unique effect on your intestinal microbiota. However, since the  concentration and amount of time the drug has been present in the body matter, antibiotics used in combination consequently have longer and stronger effects. As a recap, the different species that make up your intestinal microbiota work together to maintain the integrity of your gut and regulate optimal body function. When this balance is disrupted, your body becomes vulnerable to different disease conditions and opportunistic infections. 

Unfortunately, antibiotics are infamous for disrupting the healthy diversity and abundance of the intestinal microbiome. The effects of antibiotic use to your body’ normal microbiota may be few or massive, damaging several species or triggering a widespread imbalance due to massive loss of dozens of species. This imbalance can lead to other, normally helpful, species overpowering their neighbors and creating new issues. An example of this is a yeast infection that occurs after antibiotic treatment of a urinary tract infection. 

Interestingly, the gut microbiota of children who were given antibiotics during their first three years of life are less diverse and stable.₃ This can greatly affect the body’s ability to protect itself from infection, irritation, and potent drugs growing up. Additionally, children who have been given antibiotics during the first year of life are more likely to have asthma, allergic reactions, and attention problems.₄

The Gut-Brain Axis

Antibiotics may affect the body in different ways, aside from their antibacterial activities. Interestingly, these medications can affect your mental well-being through the gut-brain axis. The microbiota in your gut sends signals to the vagus nerve, affecting your stress response and mental well-being. Generally, the effects of antibiotics on your mental well-being may vary and could either be good or bad. Isoniazid, which is the first known antidepressant, is actually an antibiotic! It is no longer used as an antidepressant because it is so damaging to the liver, but, since the medication has positive effects on noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin levels in the brain, isoniazid paved the way for specialized antidepressant drugs to be developed.₄

Ironically, antibiotics can also negatively affect your mental well-being. Tryptophan, which is used to make the happy hormone serotonin, can be either absorbed from the diet or produced by microbes in the gut.₄ When the healthy environment of your gut becomes haywire as a consequence of antibiotic use, the production of your happy hormone may be affected, eventually affecting your mood, productivity, and emotional well-being.
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The Naturopathic Approach

When using antibiotics to combat infections, maintaining the balance of your intestinal microbiota should be a top priority. Taking probiotics, getting healthy sleep, and following intuitive eating practices ensure your body’s balance is maintained while it fights off infections and protects itself everyday. In exploring the best options for your gut and immune health, talking with your naturopathic medicine advisors is the first step you should take. Discover the naturopathic approach for your optimal health today!

 
REFERENCES:
1.        Hutchings MI, Truman AW, Wilkinson B. Antibiotics: past, present and future. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2019;51:72-80. doi:10.1016/j.mib.2019.10.008
2.        Patel P, Wermuth HR, Calhoun C, Hall GA. Antibiotics. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; May 26, 2023.
3.        Yassour M, Vatanen T, Siljander H, et al. Natural history of the infant gut microbiome and impact of antibiotic treatment on bacterial strain diversity and stability. Sci Transl Med. 2016;8(343):343ra81. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aad0917
4.        Dinan K, Dinan T. Antibiotics and mental health: The good, the bad and the ugly. J Intern Med. 2022;292(6):858-869. doi:10.1111/joim.13543