i tend to feel that you felt much better because the infection was knocked out.
it was probably the infectious process in your body that was pulling you down.
MS doesn't like infections.

however, overuse of antibx's when there is no infection can be dangerous, especially in our society. it allows viruses and bugs to overgrow because now the antibx don't work. that can lead to really serious infections and the use of very powerful antibx's used as a last defense.

an example of that would be the MRSA infection.

I have read that there are antibiotic treatments for MS...long term use of them. I know there is a message board completely dedicated to this topic on www. thisisms . com.

On a side note, I have been on an anti-b since July 6th (bactrim)...and I don't notice any difference in my MS - that is attributable to that med.

~Keri

Understood about MRSA and the implications of overusing ab's. Seems that using most of the meds they'd prescribe for us is bad for us in one way or another but the risk sometimes is outweighed by the reward. Not saying that this is the case with ab's but it's a possibility that would make that risk acceptable to someone very ill but not to a healthy person. And I'm just teasing, because as a nurse I know you know this, but ab's have no affect on allowing viruses to overgrow.

The first part of your post would imply that I've had the infection for two years because I just now am feeling better. I don't think that's the case with the infection I took them for. I would've been really sick the whole time. I suspect (mind you as a neophyte) that there was some other bug that wasn't making me sick but was low grade in the background and making me really tired and slow and the ab's to fight the crud I had knocked it out too.

Actually, KAO, a low grade sinus infection can hang out for quite a while. Sinus infections can be very difficult to treat. While one may have taken antibiotics to fight the infection, many times it takes a few rounds of a couple of ab's to knock it out. Sometimes, that doesn't even work. The infection will still be there even though the patient is feeling better and has not signs of an infection. The bacteria is still growing. Heck, they love that warm moist place it is a perfect environment for them.

However, I have experienced what you are talking about after having a round of ab's. But I have also found that what goes up does come down after a bit. I think it is a combination of just finally feeling better that energizes us, not necessarily the abx but the feeling better. Then we just level out again.

I agree with Judy that regular use of abx can be harmful in the long run. I am allergic to many abx. I certainly would hate to all of sudden have one not work anymore because the bacteria mutated and is resistant to one of the abx I can take. I'm pretty limited in what I can take.

I had a "inflammation" under the cap of my tooth from Oct/06 to Mar/08, and the ONLY time I felt ok was when I was on antibiotics.

My dentist said it was ok to hang onto the tooth until I couldn't tolerate the pain any more (I have very high tolerance ), and I would still have that tooth if I hadn't clued in on my own that "I HAVE INFECTION" somewhere. For some reason I did not comprehend that "inflammation = infection". DUH!!

Because of that infection, I was riddled with other infections; UTI's, bacterial, etc. In fact I was twice tested for MSRA during that period, cause I was so run down.

I have also had sinus infections that would never clear up . . . not in YEARS. That was before my sinus operation about 10 yrs ago, but I lived with sinus problems (and on antibiotics) for about 15 yrs prior. Turned out that I had polyps in my sinus cavities, and the infection was IMPOSSIBLE to clear until they removed the polyps.

The MS was stable during that period too . . .

After the operation for the polyps, I got a UTI that I ignored, and I had no more protection from CONSTANT antibiotics. Sure enough, that set off my first MS attack in 12 yrs!!! (No I was not ever on the CRABs or steroids ...).

I think some of us NEED antibiotics, and others have difficulty with using them. Then again, I don't think we are all suffering from the same affliction necessarily either.

Test your theory over time, Keith.

Cherie

Antibiotics can make MS'ers feel worse if it's not part of a fully worked out protocol. There are reasons for this. The key is to understand the reason they can make your MS worse. My wife is one of those who takes ABX daily in the long term for her MS. Ken