Dearest ducklings,

Today it was back to the doctor’s to be told what the technician had already revealed: kidney infection and kidney stones. Anyone who has had a kidney infection will know that they can be dangerous and leave scarring on the kidneys if left untreated. No one wants damage to such essential organs! So, my doctor, like any good physician, prescribed antibiotics.

Now, I have a long and bad history with antibiotics. To their credit, they did save my life. About nine years ago, I had a sinus infection so severe that I ended up in the hospital with them believing I had meningitis. I couldn’t walk, had a high fever, and couldn’t even keep water down. They even told my parents that I could die. I wasn’t told, and I was in such a haze, I only recall they gave me morphine, did a spinal tap, and then put me on IV with fluids, anti-nausea medication and antibiotics in the mix. Three days later I was sent home with a prescription of a very strong antibiotic at a high dosage called Cefuroxime, commonly known as Ceftin. That’s when my troubles with antibiotics began.

For those of you who are wondering how a sinus infection could progress to this point: in my past, I lived with people who would smoke weed and cigarettes in my the house we lived in. I am allergic to the THC in weed, and sensitive to chemicals in cigarettes, and so developed severe allergy symptoms. They were not the kind of people who were considerate of anyone else, and continued smoking in the house in which I lived as well. Several times I went to the hospital in Campbellford–the place I was living at that point–and was always dismissed. They told me I was stressed, had a bug, had allergies…no further testing was done. I would hope the hospital there has changed for the better. Another person might have sued for malpractice. I was there often enough for someone to have thought to give an MRI or CT Scan. It would have shown immediately that I had a severe sinus infection. Then I just woke up one morning unable to keep anything down or get up. I was visiting someone at the time. An ambulance was called, and I was taken to Milton hospital. They got me into an MRI right away and the infection was so bad that they thought it was meningitis. Back to the antibiotics!

My old family doctor, whom I had for 29 years, kept on prescribing me antibiotics for what was only actually a few times sinus infections. I was never certain what it was, and assumed that it was chronic sinusitis. Only years later did I find out they were simply migraines and allergies. Yet every two to four months for a period of two weeks, I was put on antibiotics. Many times it was Ceftin. As time went on, I would go on the antibiotics and often have to stop because I started feeling strange. I would feel weak, dizzy, distorted and very ill. Though I knew I shouldn’t stop them, after I stopped, I seemed to get better again. It got to the point that I got used to having ‘sinus infections’, going to the doctor, and receiving antibiotics. I was on them far too often and far too long. Most of the time they would have not been needed. Doctors know to prescribe things that they feel match what you have. What they don’t know is how to fix the issues that present when the things they prescribe cause you to have problems they are not trained to deal with. Taking antibiotics too often, or too long, certainly creates problems.

Antibiotics. It means ‘anti-life’. While they can save lives, and treat infections, they can also destroy life. That life is the positive bacteria in our gut and bodies that we need to be healthy. Doctors don’t tell you how to make sure you care for yourself while on and after antibiotics so that this doesn’t happen. So, I’m here, my ducks, to tell you what you should always be doing if you are needing to be on antibiotics!

Many of you will have heard of probiotics. You can find this in yogurt, which is the source most people are familiar with. Less familiarly known is that sauerkraut, especially organic or made at home, contains far more probiotics than even many of the expensive, store bought pills. Kefir, far healthier than yogurt, contains a lot of probiotics. And, as you guessed from what I just mentioned, there are probiotic pills you can buy from your local health food store. Other things containing probiotics include: kombucha, a tea that is fermented and becoming increasingly popular. It can be made from home relatively easily. There is Miso Soup, which is a Japanese soup, also easily made at home. Dark chocolate contains both probiotics and antioxidants. Who doesn’t like chocolate? It seems like a win-win situation with that one! Pickles, a personal favorite of mine, are another probiotic containing food. Kimchi, a spicy, fermented cabbage, is one I have yet to try. Olives in brine contain a lot of probiotics, though they are favored more by some than others. Yours truly loves olives. I admit to liking most foods, though. It’s certainly a good list to get you started!

The probiotic pills I chose was Super 8 Plus. With 25 billion cultures, at a price of $42.99 Canadian and 60 pills per bottle, it was my best bet. Not only does one bottle last me a month at two pills per day, but it was one of the better ones and also at an affordable price for me. I will be taking two of these a day while on my antibiotics, and for a month. Since I need to rebuild my gut flora, I’ll be staying on these and seeing how I fare. Anyone with digestive tract issues or who has been taking antibiotics should certainly consider the benefits of probiotics. If you need a stronger dose due to antibiotics or gut issues, there is a bottle of Super 8 Plus at 61 billion cultures. Yet two a day of the 25 billion should do most people just fine. Much of our health starts with the gut. Any naturopath, nutritionist or homeopath will tell you this. If you are taking antibiotics, please balance out your healthy bacteria and gut by taking probiotics. You wouldn’t want to have your health negatively effected like mine has been by not knowing that you should do so. Whether you use kefir, sauerkraut, or buy the pills, it’s well worth doing.

I will be taking the remedies for a couple of days and seeing if I am improving. If no improvement happens or I worsen, I’ve got these antibiotics, and my bottle of probiotics and kefir, to keep me balanced and where I need to be. It’s 11:22pm here in Ontario, Canada, and yours truly is heading to bed. Good night, my dear readers, and sleep well when you do!

Yours truly,

Tales of Souls