Antibiotics again...advice please

[Hillybilly444]

Any advice please on what would be the best broad spectrum antibiotic to keep in stock for someone with a penicillin allergy? Thanks.

[Devonian]

Not really sure that that is the type of advice I would be looking for on a public forum. Surely you want a qualified response from a medical practitioner!

[Hillybilly444]

I try to avoid doctors lol and didn't think it was the sort of question I could pose! "I'm intending to stock up on antibiotics to add to my prepper's stock of emergency medicines and I'm going to buy them from an online pharmacy without a prescription...what would you suggest doc?"

[Devonian]

So instead you would prefer to stock up on prescription meds on the basis of a complete stranger saying yeah, these are great!!

[Hillybilly444]

I'm simply looking for advice from those on here who have medical knowledge (and I believe there are some) which they are prepared to share...then I will conduct my own research from that advice! Isn't that the point of a forum like this? I have no intention of wasting my doctor's time to go and ask a question I doubt she will answer!

[Steveo82]

I couldn't think of a better place to ask about storing antibiotics for SHTF. Use the search panel and you will find loads of info.

[Mobenator]

I would recommend levofloxacin, it's good at killing gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

The best part is it's not a penicillin!




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[Werecat]

I try to avoid doctors lol and didn't think it was the sort of question I could pose! "I'm intending to stock up on antibiotics to add to my prepper's stock of emergency medicines and I'm going to buy them from an online pharmacy without a prescription...what would you suggest doc?"

Why not? If I was your GP, i'd probably write the prescription (after making you swear you'd come to me, and NOT take it in any case besides SHTF scenarios). He can't punish you, and even if he might mark you down as a weirdo , then let him. Worst case he is wise enough to remember you when SHTF and he comes to beg supplies.

I would recommend levofloxacin, it's good at killing gram positive and gram negative bacteria.

Yes that is a good choice. I would upgrade to a 4th level quinolone (levofloxacin is 3rd), like moxifloxacin (Avelox), due to reduced resistence development. It will not cover all bacteriae, some quite commen pathogens (fx. enterococcus faecalis) are naturally less sensitive to flourquinolones. It (and most of the other quinolones) is completely absorbed when taken as tablet, and penetrates well into tissues.

The con's are that a lot (1-10%) of people gets vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pains, headaches or dizziness. Among the rarer adverse effects are hepatic failure and neurological affection. Like all broad spectrum antibiotics there's increased risk of resistance development and fungal infections.

Any advice please on what would be the best broad spectrum antibiotic to keep in stock for someone with a penicillin allergy? Thanks.

I'd advice you to get you penicillin-allergi tested (maybe you already have). There are different degrees (from anaphylaxis to mild rash), and even though you are allergic to penicillin, you are not by default allergic to the rest of the beta-lactam antibiotics.

[lonewolf]

post SHTF most prescription drugs wont last long, especially if you haven't stockpiled any, i'll be going the herbal/natural route as any prescription and over the counter drugs you might find might have gone "off" and make you worse taking them than not, eventually we are all going to have to find natural remedies as all the pharmacuticals are used up.

[Werecat]

post SHTF most prescription drugs wont last long, especially if you haven't stockpiled any, i'll be going the herbal/natural route as any prescription and over the counter drugs you might find might have gone "off" and make you worse taking them than not, eventually we are all going to have to find natural remedies as all the pharmacuticals are used up.

Generally medicine is good beyond expiry dates. Whether this is because pharmacology producers want to make more money or if it is to avoid lawsuits if one batch should come up below accepted standard within the expiry date is up to you. Most antibiotics will not become toxic, as they degrade, only less potent. Some though will become toxic (tetracycline apparently). The only problem is which antibiotics are good and which are bad?

I found this article:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16721796
(i got the full one due to work access, but can't distribute).

Among the best drugs tested were ciprofloxacin, with a mean extension period of 55 months (range 12 - 142). Although i can't say for certain (as it is not one of the drugs tested), logic hints that moxifloxacin could be in the approximate same category.

Or in other words, i would any day rather try ciprofloxacin (or moxifloxacin) that were well beyond expiration date, if i had a severe infection, than dabble in herbs. There's a reason child mortality dropped like a rock with the introduction of antibiotics. They work.
If i had survived beyond 6 years after SHTF, either civilization is on its way back (and most antibiotics are easy to make) or its an extinction level event and were just living on borrowed time. In any case i stock antibiotics, rather than hoping to combat an infection with herbs.