I used to be able to say I have not had a cold or been sick in the last 4 years until last week. I attribute this to the fact that I started taking 10,000 units per day of Vitamin D3 at about the same time. I used to get 2-3 really bad colds per year. My Vitamin D blood level before I started supplementing was a meager 10. Normal is between 30-50 and optimal is 80 to achieve maximum health benefits. Well, my good fortune ended last week as I caught my first cold in a long time (and it is a doozy). My head is very congested and I have just felt horrible for the past 10 days. I had a routine appointment with my very allopathic doctor yesterday and mentioned that I had been sick. He looked into my ears and said I had alot of fluid. He said "I am concerned that you MIGHT get an ear infection. I am going to prescribe you an antibiotic."

The world health organization announced today that there is a growing emergence of superbugs (infectious bacteria resistant to antibiotics). My experience at the doctor yesterday is the exact reason for this. The over prescribing of anitbiotics. I have a virus and yes, it MAY develop into an ear infection, but I am not taking anything until it does. First and foremost because I know that antibiotics will destroy my healthy intestinal bacteria. 80% of our immune system is in our gut and healthy bacteria are part of that immunity. Killing these good bacteria can result in long term side effects such as diarrhea and/or constipation. These good bacteria also help us eliminate toxins.

The moral of this story is to not take antibiotics, unless absolutely neccessary and if you do you should take a probiotic to replace the healthy bacteria in your gut. The probiotic should be taken while you are taking the antibiotic, but not at the same time of day. When you are thru with the course of antibiotics, then continue with the probiotic for 30 days. If your child is sick with a virus or cold an antibiotic will not help and can potentially harm. My cold is much better today. My ears are draining and I have not taken the antibiotic.

See also: anitbiotics, probiotics, colds, vitamin D, virus, superbugs