I recently did a blog on antibiotics – nature’s way. As I went through my recent hip replacement surgery, I found the topic came up again. And I am taking myself back down this review of “natural substances” vs. “prescription medication” discussion.
Hurray for morphine and all those anesthesia items (synthetics) and the prescriptions that kept me from the pain of this major invasive surgery and recovery in the first days. There is no way any natural remedies could have accomplished that level of insulating me from the pain of the surgery – I agree. And I am so thankful for them as well as the skill of the surgeon who prescribed them.
However, I am still a believer in fitting the remedy to what is needed and best for my body.
What happened? My incision from the surgery was being irritated by some clothing issues post-surgery and post-removal of the primary bandage. I struggled for a while, concerned about watching for infection and openings in the incision. I had followed all recommendations pre-surgery for special cleansing of the area plus I followed religiously the cleanliness afterwards.
Good news was I found an alternative “clothing” that allowed breathing room for the incision to heal while protecting it from the binding clothing issues – yahoo! Healing advanced greatly after that.
But, the surgeon, in an “abundance of caution” as he put it, decided to prescribe an antibiotic. “Just in case” was the rationale. That threw me into my debate.
In all honesty, I watched the wound healing carefully and there were no signs of the redness or streaks of infection. So I had to decide – does the risk offset my concern about the overuse of synthetic antibiotics and the side-effects? Yep, I read those info portions of the paperwork that comes with the bottle of pills and I have in the past had some very harsh responses to synthetic antibiotics. And certainly I had some strong (negative) reactions to the heavy drugs and post-surgery synthetic medications. In fact, I stopped using them as early as possible due to the side effects.
My concern is that I believe there is a risk in fostering antibiotic resistance. Especially when the surgeon is telling me every time I go to the dentist, I need to call him for an antibiotic prescription. What? I had to check that out a bit further.
Sure enough, here is what I found online at a blog by Brian Lett at his site on cataract surgery – “Antibiotics are essential for preventing infections during dental procedures in patients with hip replacements. The artificial hip joint creates a potential entry point for bacteria, and infections in this area can lead to severe complications, including pain, swelling, and the need for additional surgery. Bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream during dental work and potentially reach the hip joint. To minimize this risk, patients with hip replacements are advised to take antibiotics before dental procedures.”
OK. Now I am doing my assessment sleuthing – and I find this by Rebound Orthopedics & Neurosurgery: “Dental procedures (including routine cleanings) in patients with joint replacement remains a topic for debate when considering the timing of dental work and the use of antibiotics. There is a small risk of bacteria from the mouth entering the blood stream after a dental procedure or cleaning, which could cause a joint infection.” They go on to affirm that infection of a joint replacement is a serious issue.
But here is the dilemma. The same article affirms my concern stating “use of antibiotics before dental work is not without risk…[including] antibiotic resistance (the antibiotic no longer works), allergic reaction, and stomach issues.”
This source went on to say their effort to balance these “rare, but serious complications surrounding dental work and use of antibiotics” causes them to recommend a list of things. One was what I agreed to do with my surgeon – put off dental appointments until 3 months after the joint replacement.
Next, they suggest for 2 years after a joint replacement surgery, use the preventative antibiotics prior to dental procedures or cleaning. They only recommend “lifetime” preventative antibiotics if someone is an increased risk for an infection (immunocompromised) because of medical history or medications that are being taken. Whew! That’s my response because I don’t fit that category.
OK, we are narrowing this down a bit and I now have some support for my next discussion with my surgeon. And I am thinking through the risk assessment.
Then I found Dr. Jonathan Cluett, a board-certified in orthopedic surgery, who gave me more support for the direction of my thinking. He said that in the past “antibiotics were given before dental work to prevent prosthetic joint infarction (PJI) in people with a total hip or knee replacement. Evidence has shown that the practice does not help and may only increase the risk of antibiotic resistance. Since 2016, the practice was no longer endorsed.” He is referencing the guidelines of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Dental Association.
Hmmm, has he talked to my surgeon? Or is my surgeon still in the “just in case” category of thinking. And what is my decision when I review the “risk” factors?
And why am I bothering you about this? You may or may not have had a hip or knee replacement. What I hope I am inspiring you to do is to think through, search for information, and evaluate your body and system in light of what you learn. Then work with the surgeon or physician in your life addressing your findings, your concerns, and how you can fit the current knowledge and info you have gained into your personal comfort zone with regard to the “risk” issue.
If you go back and read my blog Antibiotics: Nature’s Way – Candy McCune you will see my preference for natural antibiotics when possible. And that it is my preference to first see if natural antibiotics like Killer Biotic Fx are the answer for me – it is a proprietary complex of immune system enhancing nutrients put into capsule form and sold by the company I trust as to quality. At the first sign of “uh-oh, something’s coming” communicated to me by my body, I start my Killer Biotic routine. I believe it has helped me have a strong immune system – and that is my best defense.
We all have different bodies, different medical history, and different experiences with medications. I am hopeful I have inspired you to both focus on building your immune system up via natural antibiotics and to search for information which helps you have a productive discussion with your medical person so it fits your sense of the risk level with which you are comfortable.
May our mental and physical health benefit all the way around.
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