New 'game changing' antibiotics?

[Osem]

The decades-long drought in antibiotic discovery could be over after a breakthrough by US scientists.

Their novel method for growing bacteria has yielded 25 new antibiotics, with one deemed "very promising".

The last new class of antibiotics to make it to clinic was discovered nearly three decades ago.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30657486

The researchers also believe that bacteria are unlikely to develop resistance to teixobactin.

It targets fats which are essential for building the bacterial cell wall, and the scientists argue it would be difficult to evolve resistance.

"Here is an antibiotic that essentially evolved to be free of resistance," said Prof Lewis. "We haven't seen that before.

"It has several independent different tricks that minimise resistance development."

Drug resistance is becoming a major problem so let's hope this lives up to expectations and it can be successfully brought to market in the not too distant future.

[dilli-theclaw]

Fingers crossed. I'm on antibiotics for almost half of the year (and none penicillin ones at that) so new ones would be good

[heero_yuy]

Good news as it's a new type of antibiotic. Let's hope the over-use lessons have been learnt and they're not given out like dolly mixtures for infections that would be naturally cleared up by the bodies own immune system.

[dilli-theclaw]

Over the past few years I can't say as I've seen any reduction in the amount given out (to me) and other people in the clinic where I spend most of my time in hospital.

[Osem]

Thankfully, I can't think of more than a handful of times that either of our lads have been prescribed antibiotics since they were born. I think a lot of people 'insist' their GP's do something and demand antibiotics even when they're not needed or appropriate. I dare say a proportion of doctors give in to the pressure put on them just to get these people out of their surgeries. It's a pity that placebos can't be prescribed for such people really...

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Osem

Thankfully, I can't think of more than a handful of times that either of our lads have been prescribed antibiotics since they were born. I think a lot of people 'insist' their GP's do something and demand antibiotics even when they're not needed or appropriate. I dare say a proportion of doctors give in to the pressure put on them just to get these people out of their surgeries. It's a pity that placebos can't be prescribed for such people really...

It would be better for all concerned but isn't there something in the doctor's oath that precludes this?

I've only had an antibiotic 4 times in my life and three of those were for tooth abscesses but even then the abscess could have been lanced/drained to ease the pain. Antibiotic was the easy route.

BTW the last time the antibiotic ruined my guts and I had to take pro-biotics to sort them out.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

It would be better for all concerned but isn't there something in the doctor's oath that precludes this?

I've only had an antibiotic 4 times in my life and three of those were for tooth abscesses but even then the abscess could have been lanced/drained to ease the pain. Antibiotic was the easy route.

BTW the last time the antibiotic ruined my guts and I had to take pro-biotics to sort them out.

I'm not sure about that but I reckon GP's might be conscious of the possibility of legal action if they prescribed a placebo and it turned out that the patient did have a serious infection and suffered as a result of not having been given antibiotics promptly. As we have with A&E I do think patients have themselves to blame for some of the NHS's ills.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Good news as it's a new type of antibiotic. Let's hope the over-use lessons have been learnt and they're not given out like dolly mixtures for infections that would be naturally cleared up by the bodies own immune system.

l only tell my Doctors to prescribe antibiotics to me as a last resort as they can upset my system quite considerably.

[rhyds]

A few years back I had a tooth extraction go rather badly, and thanks to the dental anaethetic I left the dentists without picking up my antibiotics prescription.

As it turned out everything healed up fine without them so it was no big deal.

The next time I went to the dentist (last year) they gave me a filling, and this time I did pick up my antibiotics. To say I regretted doing so was an understatement. They made me awfully ill (stomach) for two weeks, and I'm still suffering from the fallout months after.

Next time I'll risk the bloody infection!

[heero_yuy]

You should find that some probiotics such as Yakult or multibionta tablets will help sort your guts out. The antibiotics kill off bugs in your guts that are essentail for correct digestion often leaving the less helpful ones alive.

[alanbjames]

I spent almost 3 weeks on antibiotics last summer while in Hospital with Psumonia and i was told that my body was ammuine to one and had to be changed.

[rhyds]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

You should find that some probiotics such as Yakult or multibionta tablets will help sort your guts out. The antibiotics kill off bugs in your guts that are essentail for correct digestion often leaving the less helpful ones alive.

Not to put too fine a point on it the problem wasn't only with my stomach...

I've hardly ever had antibiotics but I put that down to me trying my damnedest in avoiding visiting the doctor's surgery. I have to be really inconvenienced before I'll make an appointment.