Rebecca Smith : a service to British Medicine

There are a lot of coughs and colds around at the moment and so, once again, we are in the middle of the annual great antibiotic fight.

Rebecca Smith, the medical editor of the Daily Telegraph, has poured fuel on the fire of the general public’s eccentric views on medicine with her recent article entitled:

Stop giving antibiotics for colds, doctors told.
(Daily Telegraph)

I approached the article with anger. Rebecca, I am sure you meant well but, for the record, neither you nor Alan Johnson is in a position to “TELL” doctors what they can or cannot prescribe.

Then I came to the comments under the article.

I take it all back. Rebecca Smith has performed a valuable service for, amongst the sensible comments, there is the most glorious torrent of tosh from the lunatic fringe of the general public.

I quote from only a handful (verbatim, no corrections) of the comments. You, dear reader, must decide who is mad and who is sane. I could not possible comment - but would be interested to hear your views:

...GP's just cannot wait for the next moron with a cold to request inappropriate antibiotics. Like me they lie awake in eager anticipation of the tomorrow mornings tsunami of snotty brats & expectorant geriatrics. Actually, I was thinking of filling a wheelbarrow with amoxicillin & leaving it in my waiting room. This would free up more time to spend my undeserved & outrageous pay rise on a very expensive golf course...

...YES, we have created superbugs with the overuse/misuse of antibiotics. we need to allow our immune systems to fight the viruses, then if we have leftover infections, THATS when we go see a doctor about antibiotics. taking antibiotics too often weakens our immune systems. antibiotics are for the bacterial infections left over from fighting viruses. they by themselves do NOTHING to fight viruses...

...Medical scientists including myself have been developing a safe alternative to antibiotics in the form of non-ionic silver-charged water which inactivates most viruses and bacteria. When ingested orally the silver atoms act only as a catalyst in the body (human and animal) and are excreted unchanged since even hydrochloric acid cannot dissolve silver...

...I have rarely given my children antibiotics. We treat colds mostly with raw honey, vitamin C, rest and plenty of water. They are rarely sick. My 12 year old only has missed one day of school so far. My youngest caight pink eye recently, I treated him with a homeopathic remedy and he was back in school after being out only one day and nobody else in the family caught it. My girl had a bladder infection a few months ago and we treated her with cranberry juice and chamomile tea. Everybody id fine...

...It is true a virus won't respond to an antibiotic, but the secondary infections of bacteria WILL, and many times if left untreated by a stubborn doctor will lead to pneumonia and death, usually in immune challenged patients like asthma as I have. AND, yes that did happen to me and I nearly did not escape death. It took 6000 dollars of hi tech antibiotic to finally beat it...

...Good Dr.'s know better than to over-prescribe antibiotics. That's all that needs to be said. Keep the Gov't and corporate bean counters out of health care decisions and life will be better for all of us....

...In a 5 month period of time one child was on a series of 7 anti-biotics. At my pleading before they went there, they agreed to see an alternative/pharmicst/naturapathic doctor. He immediately removed all anti-biotics and steriods, along with all sugar and wheat products. Natural herbs and supplements along with vitamins and a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables and yogart. Fevers disappeared over night and within a few days of the changes the improvement was startaling. Their health has been good now for two years. They continue on the diet and herbs and supplements and allowed a small sugar and wheat back into their diet. No fevers, minor colds, no ear infections or sore throats........no anti-biotics. They now have a pediatric homeopathic MD. I could go on to share the harmful effects on my elderly mother from anti-biotics as well as...

...If you have to take a anti-biotic, take a pro-biotic to balance it out and keep your gut healthy. I take Primal Defense by Garden of Life...

..Its disturbing to read comments from Doctors who blame so called "patient pressure" for the reason they prescribe antibiotics when they don't need them. I can't imagine what kind of spineless coward would fall to such pressure from a patient...

...As usual, Brown's government is trying to blame doctors for MRSA and C. Diff. What they should be blaming is their own policies of hospital overcrowding and flogging off hospital cleaning services to the lowest bidder...

...Whenever I have a cold I dance around a tree three times, look up to the sky and say McBean, McBean, McBean, the cold usually goes within a few days. I recommend this remedy rather than attend your local GP lottery...

...This article overlooks a very serious overuse of antibiotics, and that's the use of massive amounts of them in animal feed and via direct administration...

...Now I know why I had to practically beg a doctor for antibiotics yesterday! After four weeks of investing in self- medication to alleviate every type of cold symptom, plus coughs, sore throats, pains in ears & swollen glands; decided to admit defeat & accept something stronger was required, if this infection was to be 'killed'! A trip to the docs was now called for...... My husband has been suffering for nine weeks with similar probs. The doctor made no attempt to listen to how long I'd been living with 'cold syptoms' or what they were, just say the word 'Cold' & the doc. knows what the system is... Cursary check of ears, throat & temperature, stethoscope on the back & immediately he launched into 'It's a virus etc.' but I was too tired to listen or accept this...

...The level of understanding about antibiotics in the general public is hideously low. Here in America I am constantly asked by lay people for antibiotics to treat viruses and common ailments that antibiotics wouldn't affect. If I refuse, then I'm a "bad, heartless doctor"....

If you want to understand better the pressures family doctors are under during the “bad cold” season, pick the maddest ten comments, and then imagine having to listen to the writer in person for twenty minutes.

Every experienced family doctor in Britain has met all of these correspondents. On a bad day, you might see half a dozen of them.

Now you can share them with us and perhaps then you will understand why doctors can never win.