Antibiotic resistant infections

[disjointed]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with antibiotic resistant infections that came close to taking your life.

Is it painful?
Can you think clearly?
How quickly does it result in death with and without treatment?
Anything else I should know?

And the reason why I'm asking. I don't know what it is like to die from an infection(probably will be meningitis). I have a weak immune system and just completed a round of antibiotics for a severe sinus infection that had reached my eye and other places. Without even a day passing the infection has started again in my lungs and in my sinuses and I am thinking this might be the right time to get things in order.

[Grigoris]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with antibiotic resistant infections that came close to taking your life.

Is it painful?
Can you think clearly?
How quickly does it result in death with and without treatment?
Anything else I should know?

And the reason why I'm asking. I don't know what it is like to die from an infection(probably will be meningitis). I have a weak immune system and just completed a round of antibiotics for a severe sinus infection that had reached my eye and other places. Without even a day passing the infection has started again in my lungs and in my sinuses and I am thinking this might be the right time to get things in order.

Why don't you try building up your immune system (at the same time as fighting the infections)? Why not also try homeopathic remedies? I have seen some amazing results with homeopathy.

[futerko]

You can also try zinc, reishi mushrooms, cut down on any drugs/alcohol and avoid excess exercise.

[Johnny Dangerous]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with antibiotic resistant infections that came close to taking your life.

Is it painful?
Can you think clearly?
How quickly does it result in death with and without treatment?
Anything else I should know?

And the reason why I'm asking. I don't know what it is like to die from an infection(probably will be meningitis). I have a weak immune system and just completed a round of antibiotics for a severe sinus infection that had reached my eye and other places. Without even a day passing the infection has started again in my lungs and in my sinuses and I am thinking this might be the right time to get things in order.

I'm pretty sure that right now i'm dealing with antibiotic resistant H Pylori infection (dunno, waiting for a biopsy after a tube down the throat- yikes), which is slowly grinding up my stomach and esophagus. I've also had really bad pneumonia once, took about 3 months to recover any semblance of normalcy after antibiotics.

I used to get chronic sinus infections, I started using these a few years ago: http://www.nosedrops.com/

Unfortunately, they are sold out atm, I don't know if someone else offers a similar product, but with these I have avoided antiobiotics providing I use them the minute I feel an infection coming on, religiously. In a lot of cases chronic sinusitis can contribute or cause chronic bronchitis etc. A daily neti pot rinse also helps alot.

Only other thing i've used in lieu of allopathic treatments with alot of success is an elimination/anti-inflammatory diet, if you have dairy, stop completely for instance, and at least see what the effect is. For me, any amount of regular dairy consumptions ups my chances of inflamed, messed up sinuses. It seems to me that changing my diet has a huge effect on how my body responds to things.

Unless you have severe pneumonia and don't get treated or something (you'd likely be sick enough you wouldn't be posting here, trust me) a sinus infection is not going to kill you, but it will make you miserable, and of course having any kind of long term infection lowers your immune response, makes you tired, in pain etc. It's hard to think clearly at all when you are preoccupied with being sick, which you will be by default with chronic problems that interfere with your life - all IME of course.

I don't know the solution, I just try to practice and go on, i've been sick for 6 months or something now and it's driving me crazy.

[Simon E.]

Many people have an odd idea concerning the immune system. Much of it is to do with the gut and its operation. For that reason a good way to boost the immune system is by probiotics.
Not the little yoghurt drinks though. Capsules from health food stores are much more powerful.
Another useful supplement is zinc, also from health food stores.
Zinc is essential for the immune system and modern farming methods tend to cause soil to be depleted of zinc and other micro nutrients..

[DGA]

I'm pretty sure that right now i'm dealing with antibiotic resistant H Pylori infection (dunno, waiting for a biopsy after a tube down the throat- yikes), which is slowly grinding up my stomach and esophagus. I've also had really bad pneumonia once, took about 3 months to recover any semblance of normalcy after antibiotics.

I had this four or five years ago. The antibiotics they gave me to deal with it (a triple whammy) were not so easy to handle. The side effects involved intense body odor... ??? The internal bleeding was bad enough that I'd become anemic. Anyway, I did get better after six months of oatmeal and yogurt. I wish you a speedy and not at all smelly recovery.

[disjointed]

I retain a certain amount of optimism and will try different things to resolve my health problems.
I will die eventually and considering the series of flesh, bone, and respiratory infections I've had recently I can postulate a death by an infection complication is likely.

I don't want to neglect this opportunity to plan for death by focusing exclusively on schemes to live forever.

[Johnny Dangerous]

I'm pretty sure that right now i'm dealing with antibiotic resistant H Pylori infection (dunno, waiting for a biopsy after a tube down the throat- yikes), which is slowly grinding up my stomach and esophagus. I've also had really bad pneumonia once, took about 3 months to recover any semblance of normalcy after antibiotics.

I had this four or five years ago. The antibiotics they gave me to deal with it (a triple whammy) were not so easy to handle. The side effects involved intense body odor... ??? The internal bleeding was bad enough that I'd become anemic. Anyway, I did get better after six months of oatmeal and yogurt. I wish you a speedy and not at all smelly recovery.

Ha, thanks man...I think the first round of antibiotics didn't work, i felt better then it slowly returned, so the next bit of treatment is the scope, then biopsy (which was really fun of course), and if it's still there..even more intense antibiotics! Anyway yeah, definitely a long term thing, and I can tell the the first treatment ground up my gut some.

Disjointed..so you are trying to prepare for death, preserve health, or both?

I wouldn't bother trying to find what cause of death is likely, there are all kinds of things that i'll bet are (if nothing else) statistically more likely to kill you. I don't know what other kinds of infections you've had, but sinus and lung infections are incredibly common. You probably can't see your karma well enough to know what's going to kill you, unless there's something you aren't telling us;)

There are ways to improve your immune function though, Like I said I was amazed at the difference the anti-inflammatory diet made..you have to give up enjoying food basically though, lol.

Also, I don't know how old you are, but I can honestly say that as you approach middle age, you just have to live with the inevitability that your body needs a bit more help to be healthy.

I guess what i'm saying is, for me it's been easy to confuse contemplation of death (in the Buddhist sense), and obsessing of the unknown nature of it...one is healthy, and brings clarity.. the other is just getting caught up in a story, and at least for me ends up in a kind of loop that goes nowhere good.

[Grigoris]

I retain a certain amount of optimism and will try different things to resolve my health problems.
I will die eventually and considering the series of flesh, bone, and respiratory infections I've had recently I can postulate a death by an infection complication is likely.

I don't want to neglect this opportunity to plan for death by focusing exclusively on schemes to live forever.

All of us are going to die eventually, that doesn't mean we shouldn't look after our health. Precious human existence and all that jazz...

[DGA]

Johnny: I had the scope going both directions, biopsies... the colonoscopy prep is time-consuming and loud, I'll leave it at that.

This is apropos of nothing and only meant to give you some cheer. Whenever I see your name come up here at DW, this song gets stuck in my head for a bit:

phpBB [video]

hang in there man.

[Johnny Dangerous]

Thanks man, Ween, yeah.

[Punya]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with antibiotic resistant infections that came close to taking your life.

Is it painful?
Can you think clearly?
How quickly does it result in death with and without treatment?
Anything else I should know?

And the reason why I'm asking. I don't know what it is like to die from an infection(probably will be meningitis). I have a weak immune system and just completed a round of antibiotics for a severe sinus infection that had reached my eye and other places. Without even a day passing the infection has started again in my lungs and in my sinuses and I am thinking this might be the right time to get things in order.

Why don't you try building up your immune system (at the same time as fighting the infections)? Why not also try homeopathic remedies? I have seen some amazing results with homeopathy.

I can also recommend homeopathy http://www.homeopathyoz.org/WhatIsHomoeopathy.html I have a weak immune system too and was treated with strong antibiotics when I picked up an intestinal bug while travelling in India a couple of years ago.The side effects were worse than the original symptoms! I also agree with JD about dietary changes like eliminating dairy and gluten and eating more fresh and raw foods. It's just a matter of finding new foods to enjoy rather than feeling deprived.

[disjointed]

Today I tried a smoothie made of white vinegar and garlic cloves. It wasn't bad. Burned a little going down. I like the aftertaste though.

I'm cutting out a heart burn medicine(famotidine) I've been using several years as it might be behind the weakened immune system among other things. Drinking diluted vinegar seems to be a safer alternative to proton pump inhibitors.

[Adamantine]

I retain a certain amount of optimism and will try different things to resolve my health problems.
I will die eventually and considering the series of flesh, bone, and respiratory infections I've had recently I can postulate a death by an infection complication is likely.

I don't want to neglect this opportunity to plan for death by focusing exclusively on schemes to live forever.

Hi Disjointed.. I applaud your realism re: impermanence. We certainly could go at any time, from all types of causes and you may be right that infection will bring you to that transitional moment.

I would say, practice as much as possible now while you have your wits about you still. But don't avoid all possible methods to extend your life either. Both pursuits are equally important! (In that, the longer you live, the more time you have to practice and the more prepared you may be for the big moment). My own Lama said something like: "For a true yogi, the time of death is a joyous occasion".

All the Best, ~A

[Johnny Dangerous]

Today I tried a smoothie made of white vinegar and garlic cloves. It wasn't bad. Burned a little going down. I like the aftertaste though.

I'm cutting out a heart burn medicine(famotidine) I've been using several years as it might be behind the weakened immune system among other things. Drinking diluted vinegar seems to be a safer alternative to proton pump inhibitors.

This is true if you don't have any actual damage, in terms of stabilizing stomach acid (this is as it was explained to me), if you have structural or other issues though, it might not work..or it might hurt! You should know pretty quick whether it works or not as an acid control thing, that's how it was explained to me at the beginning of my Great Ulcer Journey (tm), before I knew I had ulcers/h. pylori. The standard thing is usually apple cider vinegar though...

Far as I know the only acid blockers known to have some issues are PPI's like Prilosec, Prevacid etc. (which Famotidine is not, it's an h2 blocker I believe), but of course it's always worth getting off meds if you can just due to the hassle and unknowns, IMO. If you need it though, don't damage your esophagus..that crap can lead to much misery later in life. I don't like taking them either, but if it's between that and not having a wrecked esophagus and the later possibility of worse stuff, personally i'll choose taking the meds.

[disjointed]

Yes. esophagus damage is bad. I am actually missing most of my uvula because of acid damage and/or infection. It's kind of a mystery what happened to it.
I used apple cider vinegar for some time, then tried just white vinegar because that's what people used to drink a couple decades ago and it seems to work just as well.
I suspect the insistence of it being ACV is just the product of an online forum marketing scheme by the BRAGG company.

Thanks Adamantine. I have the same view and never worry about practitioners when they die.

[Grigoris]

For Helicobacter infections (leading to ulcers) you may wish to try Mastic gum. It does not help in controlling acid levels but it kill Helicobacter bacteria without any negative side effects. It is quite rare (it only grows (successfully) on the southern part of the island of Chios in Greece) but is not all that expensive. If people have problems finding it, then send me a PM and I will organise to get some to you, as it is quite cheap and easy to find here in Lesbos (since Chios is a neighbouring island).

[Johnny Dangerous]

I suspect the insistence of it being ACV is just the product of an online forum marketing scheme by the BRAGG company.

Thanks Adamantine. I have the same view and never worry about practitioners when they die.

HA! You may be on to something!

Sherab, I may be hitting you up for some mastic gum before long.

[ClearblueSky]

What Simon E mentions about gut balance is definitely important. In addition to the antibiotics you may or may not be taking I'd recommend a good, refrigerated probiotic with at least 50 billion CFU such as: http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/b ... lmpJVMyC7s
And then also a supplement with a lot of natural antibiotics such as: http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/b ... lmouVMyC7s (I actually take this exact one myself).

And it can be very good to your practice to recognize that you will die eventually so the time to find enlightenment is now, but don't give up and start digging that grave now, positive thinking seems like it may have a more powerful effect than science even has a hold on now.

[disjointed]

my lungs are much better today.