Antibiotics side effects

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stevew
stevew Member Posts: 25
edited 7. Apr 2015, 09:47 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi All.
I have read recently that a few people have found remarkable improvements after taking certain antibiotics. I know what they are for and how they work and that they should not have any impact on OA but hey ho I will try anything once if it helps. Any views or experience on this would be welcome
Regards
Steve W

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  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Hi
    I don't know anything about antibiotics helping arthritis....anything is possible :?
    I do know that they can lose their effect if taken too much. My kids are in their 30's now and when they were little it was the stage when a Lot of doctors prescribed antibiotics at a drop of a hat....even if it was a viral infection not a bacterial one. I used to refuse them if it wasn't necessary
    I do know how you feel .....we're all much the same I think....try anything if we think it will help
    Love
    Hileena
  • theresak
    theresak Member Posts: 1,998
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I don't see how antibiotics can help people who have OA, which is a degenerative disease of the joints.

    You may have heard something about antibiotics being thought to be helpful in people who have RA, which is an autoimmune disease, ie one in which the immune system attacks its own joints etc. The drugs we take to combat this are immuno-suppressants. They dampen down our immune system to stop it attacking.

    When we have an infection, we have to stop taking them, so that the immune system can fight the infection. Because the IS is fighting an infection, it leaves the joints alone, which is why an RA sufferer may feel their RA is less troublesome while on an antibiotic.
  • OdamL
    OdamL Bots Posts: 11
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    As per my little knowledge, I don’t find anywhere why and how antibiotics would help in OA. Yes, antibiotics can be of limited help in case of RA and septic arthritis (eg. Minocycline) due to its effects on the immune system and the ability to inhibit enzymes that break down cartilage and connective tissue. Many times, leaky gut is considered as one of the causative factor for RA. This could be one possible way why arthritic people find better after taking antibiotics. However, they are not used as first line of treatment and one must need to tailor treatment individually. Even there is a little research done for use of antibiotics in reactive arthritis that occurs in response to an infection.

    I found very informative information in this aspect on below link:
    http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-today-magazine/157-summer-2012/q-and-a-antibiotics.aspx

    Odam.
  • As5567
    As5567 Member Posts: 665
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    Never heard this but it is an interesting one.

    Even if it were found to be helpful I highly doubt it will ever be a long term fix. Antibiotics would be just like steroids......they do a lot of damage on the inside over a long period of time, if steroids didn't come with all of the horrible side effects at higher doses it really would be a wonder drug for anyone with inflammatory arthritis.

    Drugs and treatments are always evolving and new stuff is always coming out, its just the waiting game that we all have to play at
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    This is a known phenomenon for those with an auto-immue arthritis. I don't think the same applies to osteoarthritis because that has a different route. There have been some debates about using antibiotics as a treatment for auto-immune arthritis - I know that when I take them I usually feel much better in myself, possibly due to a combination of the drug and my stopping my immune-suppressing meds. The latter do not affect my OA but they do control my auto-immune version. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • LignumVitae
    LignumVitae Member Posts: 1,972
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    I'm another one in the dark on this one but as an autoimmuner I do try to avoid antibiotics where possible - the recent reports regarding the rise of antibiotic resistant drugs scares me into thinking we should all avoid them. Where have you heard about antibiotics and OA? I'm intrigued as to how it would work so would like to read more.
    Hey little fighter, things will get brighter
  • trepolpen
    trepolpen Member Posts: 504
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
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    hi Steve W

    Antibiotics have been used to treat RA as a DMARD , sulfasalazine is a type of antibiotic with a anti-inflamatory affect that was developed to treat RA

    most Antibiotics work as a immunosuppression , cant see how it would help with OA but know they are trying Methotrexate with some people with inflammatory OA
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