The Dark Side of Antibiotics

Do you know the saying that sometimes you have to feel worse in order to get better? Well, I was told that several times and I have to admit that they are mostly right. Antibiotics or other kind of drugs can make you feel sicker but finally you will feel better. Unfortunately the latter isn’t always the case anymore.

Although antibiotics have been the gold standard for treating bacterial infections since the development of penicillin, they still should be used with caution. Many people are not aware of the fact that frequent, long-term use and misuse (for example not finishing the course) can lead to antibiotic resistance and therefore some people can’t be helped anymore when they are sick. In order to avoid the latter, new antibiotics or strategies are being developed.

A Dutch biotech company is taking machinery from bacteria-killing viruses, called phages, and is using it to target the medically important bug Staphylococcus aureus.

In order to cure the host, newly formed phages degrade components of the bacterial cell wall using enzymes, called endolysins. Once the cell wall is breached, the contents of the cell spill out and consequently, the bacterium dies. A serious advantage is the fact that researchers state that resistance is very unlikely to occur because phages work independently from the host’s metabolism.

Personally, I am not a big fan of antibiotics or medicine in general because I think that sometimes it is just better to rest. Many people already go to the doctor when they just have a cold and then the doctor prescribes them a syrup or another kind of drug. But this way their immune system doesn’t get the chance to “fight” the bacteria themselves leading eventually to a compromised immune system and therefore they will be more susceptible for bacteria.


So people, when you are just having a cold or you are feeling queasy do not immediately take a drug to get better. Instead try to rest, to eat some citrus fruits and to avoid stress, sugar and saturated fats. This will strengthen your immune system.