A few weeks ago, I lost my beloved cat of 17 years. While we all knew it was coming and that it was a necessary thing, it was a bit of a blow for the whole family. I took it hardest of all...he was my little man, after-all, and it was my decision to finally let him go.
Edward snuggling up with my first born, Ada.
Edward had severe arthritis, and probably cancer. He was losing his hearing and his vision. He could no longer walk with ease and cried when he was not sleeping. When the day came that I could actually get the words out "We have to put him down", I cleared my schedule and, in the hours approaching his appointment, I sat with him. I savoured our last day together. His fur was still smooth and silky. He still looked like a young cat when he was sleeping. He purred and licked my hands. I cried and wondered if I was making the right decision.
He was a very loving little man.
Later that day, he died in my arms.
In the week or so that followed, I was sad, grieving. I missed my boy. I did, however, have to get on with life. I had to be a parent and I had to go to work. So in the evenings, when all was quite, I found comfort in an old habit: T.V & Sugar.
The problem with this, of course, is that once the cause, or justification for the comfort eating has passed, the sugar addiction continues. And with my sadness and increased sugar consumption, my body became susceptible to infection.
I was recently the only member of my family to contract Strep Throat, a bacterial infection that attacks the tongue, throat and tonsils and, if not treated properly, can spread to other parts of the body and cause significant complications. Strep Throat is incredibly painful and very contagious. After only one day of feeling the pain associated with this infection, I raced to the doctor and got myself some antibiotics. I hadn't taken antibiotics in about 20 years, but this felt serious. There was no way I was going to allow my kids or husband or friends to contract this disease, and with treatment, the chance of passing it on drops dramatically.
I was prescribed Amoxicillin, a type of Penicillin that is quite effective for this type of infection. And while it works well, it comes with a slew of unappealing side-effects:
- Watery or bloody diarrhea
- Skin sores, skin rash or itching, joint pain
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (due to liver malfunction)
- Dark coloured urine (due to kidney malfunction)
The list is grim and it goes on and on. Basically, it's important to remember that, while antibiotics are in charge of treating your infection, you are in charge of treating your post-antibiotic body.
Now, these suggestions are relevant for both mid-treatment and post treatment. In fact, extra care mid-treatment will help to speed recovery and prevent some of the most common side-effects.
Avoid Sugar
This one's quite simple. When you're taking antibiotics, you're killing some of your good bacteria too. This leaves room for unsavoury, pathogenic bacteria & yeast to grow and take over. Sugar, alcohol and refined grains directly feed these guys. They also inhibit the immune system, increase inflammation and clog the liver. During and after your illness and treatment, avoid sugar as best you can.
Take Probiotics
Again, it's simple. I was lucky to have the perfect option in my fridge at the time I got the infection: Flora's Super Bifido Plus. This one contains 61 billion viable cells. These probiotics target the large intestine, preventing the extreme dybiosis and diarrhea that is often associated with antibiotic use. This one contains a high percentage of "medicinal human strains" which increases the likelihood of survival and proliferation once ingested. Go with a higher-dose, bifido- heavy probiotic for mid-treatment and a good, well rounded, high dose, bifido/lactobacillus split after that (it should contain at least some human strains). This will ensure a good overall re-population of the gut post treatment.
Note: for mid-treatment probiotic use, take several hours away from your antibiotic.
Saccharomyces Boulardii
Studies have shown that the non-pathogenic yeast, Saccharomyces Boulardii, can help to prevent antibiotic-induced diarrhea as well as the growth and development of C-Difficile that's often associated with back-to back antibiotic intake, or hospital-associated antibiotic use. Take 500mg to 1000mg of S. Boulardii during and after your treatment.
And just like your probiotics, take it away from your antibiotics.
Support the Adrenals
You might be thinking "why not support the immune system?", and you're right, you must support the immune system throughout your infection and treatment. Supporting your adrenals will do just that. While you've been unwell, your adrenals have been working very hard to help fight inflammation and to keep your immune cells working hard. They can easily poop out or start to malfunction, releasing the wrong hormones at the wrong time or in the wrong quantities. In many cases, over worked adrenals can bring on new infections. Take a good quality B complex throughout and after your treatment and consider an adaptogenic herb as well. I particularly like ashwagandha. Ashwagandha acts directly on the adrenals by lowering high cortisol levels (high cortisol inhibits the immune system). It also helps to balance thyroid hormones, balance blood sugar and improve brain function and concentration. It's a great option for helping you get back on your feet after a significant infection. Vitamin C is an obvious one to take to prevent and treat illness, but it also supports the adrenals. Increase your Vitamin C to about 2000mg/ day (or up to bowel tolerance) in divided doses for a few weeks post treatment.
Try to generally manage your stress. This means, if you work, try to take a few extra days off, even if you're feeling better. If you work-out, try to go easy in the week or so following your illness & recovery. If you've got kids, accept help and give yourself a break, if you can.
Get Your Lymphatic System Moving
Yoga, light stretching and walking outdoors are wonderful stress-relieving activities that also get the lymph system moving. Our lymphatic system is in charge of transporting white blood cells throughout the body and ridding the body of toxins and cellular waste. It doesn't move the same way that the circulatory system does, with a tremendously powerful heart to push things along. It moves in an upward motion, relying on muscle and joint pumps which are much smaller and less powerful than the all mighty heart, and so moving, bending, twisting and, certainly walking can help to move things along. Skin brushing and simply drinking water & staying hydrated are great options when you're not up for too much action.
Support the Liver
Medications, including antibiotics, can be quite hard on the liver. There does exist a small possibility of elevated liver enzymes and liver cell injury with the intake of amoxicillin. While a very occasional, short bout of antibiotic intake is generally safe, and often times necessary under certain circumstances, it's a good idea to be aware of the effects and take supportive measures. Warm lemon water, apple cider vinegar and a high quality dandelion tea or tincture are excellent daily supports.
Milk Thistle, beet juice (go with Biota Fermented Beet Juice or ferment your own Beet Kvass) and a high quality greens, algal greens or chlorophyll supplement will support daily detoxification as well. Again, avoid sugar, alcohol and refined grains and focus on leaner proteins, lots of veggies (particularly those from the brassica family - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) and sulphur containing foods like garlic and onions.
If you want to go a bit deeper, consider taking Alpha Lipoic Acid, in the form of R-Lipoic Acid; 300mg/day, after your treatment. Alpha Lipoic Acid can help to regenerate liver cells, reduce liver enzymes and increase the body's production of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that can help to dissolve toxins in the liver.
ALA is a powerful supplement and comes with a few cautions: it can significantly lower your blood sugar levels, it interferes with absorption of biotin, an important B vitamin and can lower thyroid hormones in certain individuals. While it's a really great supplement, don't take this one willy-nilly and go for a quality brand.
Your very best bet, if you've got a long history of antibiotic use, or if you're struggling to recover from an illness and its treatment is to chat with a Nutritionist or Naturopathic doctor to work out an individualized, targeted plan. Often times, symptoms that seem completely unrelated to what you've just been through start to pop up, post treatment, and a solid, well rounded diet and supplement plan can get you back on your feet.
