Antibiotics are good to kill infection.
But there’s a downside. They destroy our complex system of gut flora, weaken the stomach, distort gene expression and impair our immune system.
In addition, if you’re susceptible to skin conditions, they’ll likely exacerbate that too. That’s what happened to me.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: I’m not saying don’t take antibiotics, that would be irresponsible.
What I am saying is under circumstances where you must take them, have an action plan to protect yourself long-term. To save your skin and protect your gut.
This is what I’ll be sharing with you in today’s post.
But before I do, I want to give you some perspective…
THE UPSIDE OF ANTIBIOTICS
A few years ago I was “anti” antibiotics. I’d been to health workshops that explained the drawbacks of these bad boys, and I wanted to avoid them at all cost.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, was brewing my first UTI. Conveniently whilst I was on a weekend away at said health workshop. I started burning up, feeling constipated, and getting light headed. Everyone around me discouraged me from seeing a doctor, and to be honest I thought I’d be fine.
But by the end of the weekend, I was in bad shape. I got on a plane home, exhausted and barely holding myself up, I spent a week in bed so sick and I could barely move. My throat was closing up, I felt freezing and my entire body was in more pain than I’ve ever felt in my entire life.
I could feel every muscle, every tendon and every vein aching in pain – from the top of my head to the tips of my toes – though, I was the most mindful, bodily aware and present person I’d EVER BEEN – I felt everything!
I lay there stoic, wishing the pain away. Too afraid of what a doctor might say. Until the day my boyfriend said to me “I think you’ll be better tomorrow, I can feel it.” This delusion scared me and snapped me out of my own. It made me realise how much I’d been downplaying the entire experience, and It was time to see a doctor.
After two hours shaking in the waiting room huddled over a hot water bottle, I was finally called. My boyfriend at the time assisted me to the office because I was too weak to walk.
My mind was a haze, but I’ll never forget what my doctor said…
“You have ulcers all down your throat…and your temperature is over 40 degrees C!”
I didn’t move a muscle, I didn’t even bat an eyelid.
My doctor exclaimed – “you know you could have brain damage!”
Still, I acted inaptly. I didn’t move a muscle or change the blasé expression my face. My emotions were probably numbed by the constant pain, that I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.
My doctor was concerned by my lack of response and got real candid with me…
“Do you realise you are on the verge of septicemia?! That’s blood poisoning, you could DIE! You need to go to the hospital immediately.”
But being the stubborn idiot I am, I thought… “if I headed to the hospital, won’t I be at higher risk of infection with all the other sick people around?”
“We do not have time to test your strain of infection!” he said. “You need antibiotics NOW, but it’s only a test. If it’s the wrong antibiotic and you get a-n-y worse, you need to rush to hospital immediately! Your heart could stop and that’ll be the end of it. If you went home tonight, without coming here, you would not have woken up. Do you understand?!”
My boyfriend was mortified. I could see the look of guilt wash over his ashen face for not taking me to see someone sooner. But I knew it was my fault for being stoic on the outside and terrified on the inside. I listened to my fear. An irrational fear that was amplified and distorted by the information at an extreme workshop.
Luckily though, I lived. I lived because of the antibiotics.
THE DOWNSIDE OF ANTIBIOTICS
Since then, I’ve gone from having consistently clear skin to having strange skin conditions pop up all over the place.
For six months I had a persistent fungal looking skin condition on the back of my neck.
When that disappeared, some strange dry patches appeared on my face.
When that went, one weekend I broke out into a rash all over my body. So I did a juice fast and it went away.
All the while noticing I was becoming increasingly sensitive to gluten. Whenever I’d eat too much of it…let’s just say, I’d regret it.
Though I suspected these two seemingly unrelated symptoms were related, I was reassured (by my GP) that my gut symptoms and my skin symptoms were completely unrelated. Later, I found out, couldn’t have been further from the truth.
My skin was clear again for a while until it wasn’t.
Clearly weak from the mountains of antibiotics I had to take to save my life, I was now super susceptible to breakouts.
Then came the interstate move, quitting my job, and a break-up. There I was jobless, partnerless and in a new place. Let’s just say, Jess was a wee bit of a stressed mess…
This entire situation wasn’t right. It triggered my already susceptible gut and immune system and I started to break out ever so slightly. But it was on my cheeks this time.
After a couple of months, this pissed me off. It would remain the same until my vanity got the best of me and I wanted a quick fix, so I went to the doctor.
In short, what they gave me exacerbated my symptoms.
But did I learn my lesson? No.
After six months of the same skin, I went back, again. And guess what they gave me?
You guessed it, antibiotics.
It got worse.
Then they gave me more.
It got WAY worse.
Then anti-inflammatories.
It got much, MUCH worse.
Sept 2016
That was not the end of it, but for the sake of getting to the point this lead to the most extreme skin condition, gut intolerances and allergies I’d ever encountered and didn’t know existed. I didn’t know that skin – our protective outer layer, our barrier to the outside world – could be broken, no longer act as a barrier, and wash away.
Yes, if my face got wet, it’s outer layer would wash away. Then it would form a thick scab once it dried, never to heal, but remain stuck in a cycle – break, crack, and re-scab, over and over again. It was painful, bloody and I felt dirty because it could never be washed. When scabs would fall, the skin unveiled was ‘IN YOUR FACE’ red, pun intended. Nurses thought I was a burn victim, and the texture of the parts of my skin I accidentally washed away, are still the texture of burned skin.
Then there were the gut issues…
Allergies that got so extreme I became allergic to literally everything. I couldn’t even drink coconut water without a serious reaction. Though these weren’t the full extent of my issues, I’ll leave it there.
In short, I was scared and horrified.
In my experience, I would never condone or accept the use of antibiotics OR anti-inflammatories for the treatment of skin conditions.
I never want what happened to me, to ever happen to another human being. This is the reason why I got the courage to share my photos and my experience whilst I was still in the midst of it all.
I am an extreme, but not an isolated incident.
After exposing my story I have come across many. Women from all over the world have courageously shared their struggles and stories with me – from the US, Canada, Vietnam, Russia, Australia and the UK. I’ve also come across researchers and medical practitioners who have personally experienced this gut-skin connection and the drawbacks of antibiotics.
It’s real, it’s not okay, but we can do something about it.
*However, if you MUST take them because you’re at risk of infection — if your life is on the line — of course, it’s worth it.
If that is the case, don’t worry – let’s talk damage control, healing and health promotion.
What I’m about to share with you is what I wished I had known a year and a half ago…
MY PROTOCOL AFTER ANTIBIOTICS
A few months ago I got into an accident…
A motorcycle accident…
In Vietnam…
Yeah, I clearly hadn’t had enough drama in my life so decided to add that to the mix.
Long story short I had to take antibiotics, AGAIN.
I had to have surgery and was at high risk of infection, again. So I bit the bullet, sucked it up and took the damn things.
Normally the thought of taking them would give me PTSD, no kidding.
But this time I had a plan. And it worked.
March 2016 to Sept 2017
This it is said plan:
With links to the brands I use.
Liquid zinc (3 drops) + Vitamin C (one veggie cap with the drops of zinc)
2 x a day – once in the morning before food and once at night
Bought at the pharmacy.
Zinc helps to heal and protect the gut lining. Liquid zinc is easy to digest and the vitamin C helps to absorb it, whilst boosting the immune system and speeding up the healing process.
2 x a day – once in the morning before food and once at night
Bought online.
Re-establishing gut flora is an important step. Even if you don’t have symptoms now, they could come later. A broad spectrum soil-based probiotic is your safest bet. In my experience, non-soil-based varieties caused me more damage than good.
Herbal Antimicrobials – Oregano oil – (3 drops) + Fractionated coconut oil (3 drops both in the same veggie capsule)
Ordered online.
2 x a day for a week.
This is to help balance the gut flora and ensure no infection.
Whilst following a completely raw, predominantly fruit-based diet to rest my digestive system and allow it to heal.
The result? A very happy face and a healing gut to go with it. My skin is the best its been in a LONG time. Much better than before the accident!
It’s optional to only eat fruit, but in my opinion transformational. Read more about the benefits here.
Now I’d like to hear from you!
What are your experiences with antibiotics? Is this protocol something you think you could follow? Let me know in the comments below.
xx Jess