NHS - interesting message

[MysticTree]

Popped in to doctor to have them take a quick look at my nose but due to an emergency I had to wait 50 minutes. While I was waiting there were at least 6 adverts on the waiting room tv telling people not to ask for antibiotics. There were rather cute animated animals getting well without antibiotics. There is a Pan-European thrust at the moment trying to educate people towards not using them so much :)

[streetsurfer]

That's terrific! Would be nice if it was so over here.

[Aleesha Sattva]

It is in Canada. :)

[DebB]

Yep, I agree with streetsurfer. Total opposite here. I still cannot believe all the commercials for prescription drugs. They even list all the horrid / life threatening side effects. I wish they'd ban Rx commercials. (As if...)

[streetsurfer]

.................

[MysticTree]

The NHS has interesting rules when it comes to advertising. Basically, if a product is advertised then you can't get it on free prescription. You could get the generic but not the branded version. One of the things I liked about the animals advert was that it was recommending fluids instead of antibiotics (it also mentioned paracetamol which was less great). All in all a step in the right direction.

[Supa]

I was raised to have a bad antibiotic habit. I would vigilantly put that triple antibiotic ointment on every little cut just like my dad always would when I was a child, not ever really questioning the safety or effectiveness of it as an adult. It was pointed out to me by my dermatologist that I was allergic to something in it. That my skin was inflamed and weeping where I was putting it, which to me I thought was a sign of infections so I would put more on. A viscous cycle that delayed healing instead of promoting it.

I just use a bit of natural soap and water to keep wound clean, use a little unscented lotion to keep the area moisturized, and light bandages to keep it from drying out. Things heal much faster now. If I feel I really need to sterilize a dirty wound I now sparingly use a diluted povidone-iodine solution instead of topical antibiotics.

As for the oral antibiotics, I believe the wiping out of the body's good and bad bacteria by oral antibiotics may leave you more prone to future illness if your body is not recolonized correctly by the good guys. It is not a step to be taken lightly and a healthy recolonization process is not properly addressed by the wider medical community like it should be. There is talk about having fecal gut bacteria samples put into inoculation banks as a child to have on hand later in life to kick start ones native healthy gut community again after it has been compromised by bad bacteria or antibiotics.

[Aleesha Sattva]

Let's keep any politics (or that type of discussion) out of this thread please...

in light,
Admin

[streetsurfer]

There is talk about having fecal gut bacteria samples put into inoculation banks as a child to have on hand later in life to kick start ones native healthy gut community again after it has been compromised by bad bacteria or antibiotics.

In a perfect world that is what our appendix is for. It is our storage bank for bacteria.


Over the summer I was bit by a dog. It made about six or eight punctures on three of my fingers. I went in and cleansed it promptly but within a day it began to get infected, injected(red and swollen), hot to the touch and slight pain. I sliced garlic cloves and placed them over the puntcures held on by a band-aid. I forget how long I left it on but it wasn't overnight. I don't think my wife would have appreciated me in bed with the garlic, lol. I'd say an hour or two is all it was. By the next morning the wounds were no longer red or hot, did not feel tender and had closed up. This is not the first time I have used garlic on a wound, and every time I have used it, it has been with very good results. It's my go to antibiotic now.

[Aleesha Sattva]

We put garlic (sliced up) in olive oil and warm it - just warm it. Let it sit together for an hour and then pour it (without garlic) into a jar. We use this for ear infections! Clears them up every time!!!

[MysticTree]

Bf has a nasty burn at the moment. Would you use garlic on that? I've always been told not to put oils on burns but maybe that only applies when they are fresh burns.

[Aleesha Sattva]

no way. i would think it would hurt a LOT.

lavender is the only thing i'd consider putting on a burn...

[Arky]

Bf has a nasty burn at the moment. Would you use garlic on that? I've always been told not to put oils on burns but maybe that only applies when they are fresh burns.

Honey, seaweed gel, or comfrey (all topically applied) are a few viable options, but there are so many natural substances supportive of skin healing.


I should warn you, however, that you are extremely unlikely to have these prescribed for you on the NHS! ;-P

[MysticTree]

Honey is prescribed by NHS but only as a brand of dressing as far as I am aware.