Doctor Evgeny Komarovsky: antibiotics do not suppress immunity and do not act on viruses taking antibiotics. In a post on Instagram, he listed common misconceptions about these drugs.
In particular, the doctor refuted the widespread belief that antibiotics help fight viruses. “With viral infections, antibiotics do not work, do not help and do not improve anything except the material well-being of manufacturers and sellers of antibacterial drugs,” Komarovsky said.
The doctor also called the opinion that antibiotics negatively affect the immune system as a delusion. “None of the modern antibacterial agents have a depressing effect on the immune system,” the doctor assured and added that the immune system is weakening due to the disease, which was the reason for the prescription of antibiotics.
Komarovsky also warned that antibiotics do not have a preventive effect for viral infections. “Complications still arise, but they are associated with bacteria that survived after the antibiotic was prescribed in vain,” the specialist explained and added that in this case, the drug should be replaced. The doctor also denied the belief that expensive drugs are more effective than more budgetary counterparts. He noted that expensive antibiotics are used only when the disease is caused by a microbe that is resistant to other drugs.
The specialist also dispelled the myth that antifungal drugs should always be taken with antibiotics. He noted that fungal infection is a specific side effect, but the preventive effect of antifungal agents has not been proven. In addition, he clarified that in parallel with antibiotics, it is not always necessary to take medications to restore the intestinal microflora. According to the doctor, this is necessary only with prolonged use of drugs and improper nutrition.
The doctor also warned that you should not give up the drug if it gets worse after taking it. Antibiotics can destroy bacteria and release endotoxins into the blood. The specialist explained that this phenomenon is called “endotoxic reaction”, but it does not mean that the drug is not suitable and needs to be replaced. In such cases, it is necessary to consult a doctor.