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First, some think blood tests are
too inaccurate in order to determine whether a patient has mycoplasma
or chlamydia pneumonia. Researchers are currently working to refine
and set standards for these blood tests. In the meantime, the current
blood tests are adequate, unless one wishes to undergo the invasive
procedure of having a (more accurate) bronchscopy performed. In
fact, serology is the basic strategy used in clinical practices
to determine presence of mycoplasma, etc.
Second, thinking six to twelve weeks of antibiotics
is unconventional doesn't make sense, given the fact that people
are often on antibiotics for longer periods of time for other ailments.
We invite people to look up the risks involved in taking Azithromycin
for example, and you'll see that the testing done for approval of
this drug involved people taking it for twelve weeks. Evidence showing
risk wasn't high unless someone had a liver problem.
Third, the argument that antibiotic resistance
is a concern is debatable, considering people with mycoplasma and
c. pneumonia as the cause for their asthma, are often sick and frequently
take various antibiotics many times during the year anyway.
Fourth, the argument that it's too risky to use
this treatment on patients with severe asthma and that more evidence
needs to be gathered before doctors start treating patients with
asthma caused by mycoplasma and c. pneumonia doesn't take into account
the adverse side affects of leaving this bacterial infection in
our system.
By expecting those of us with unresolved mycoplasma
and c. pneumonia bacteria in our bodies to just live with these
bacterial infections dooms us to a severely reduced quality of life.
Plus it ignores the following risks we could be exposed to:
The risks of being on antibiotics several times a year for secondary
infections caused when illness creates a flare up of the bacterial
infection,
The risk of having countless cortisone shots and
prednisone bursts over the years,
Having numerous bouts of bronchitis and pneumonia,
Suffering severe asthma attacks that lead to trips
to the emergency room. In Jim Quinlan's case, his heart had already
stopped and EMT's were able to revive him. Others are not so lucky.
The financial strain of paying for expensive asthma
medicine and from lost wages from being sick so often.
If the risk of being on a twelve week course of Azithromycin
is more dangerous than the above described items, then ask yourself
why longer rounds of antibiotics are being prescribed for less severe
afflictions? Are the doctors prescribing them being reckless?
Finally, the argument that "this is all anecdotal
evidence" is not true. It suggests that the information being provided
consists of personal stories from a handful of people making unscientific
observations, when in fact controlled studies have taken place throughout
the years.
Good doctors use anecdotal evidence all the time. Doctors often
prefer one medication, method of treatment or approach to a problem
"based on what I've heard from my patients". This is anecdotal evidence.
When a doctor prescribes a drug for a longer period of time than
what is considered the norm, because he or she has "seen it takes
this long with most of my patients", they are making this decision
and treating their patients differently than they once did, based
on anecdotal evidence. But again, there have been controlled studies
that link these bacteria to asthma, so the argument that it's all
anecdotal isn't valid.
One more thing to consider
- The long term effects of Atypical Pneumonias
Both Mycoplasma and Chlamydia pneumonias, the primary
atypical pneumonias, are usually mild. Some research is suggesting,
however, that they may have certain adverse long-term effects even
in healthy younger individuals.
Heart Disease and Stroke. Research
has suggested that the Chlamydia (C.) pneumoniae may trigger an
immune response that causes inflammation and damage over time in
the arteries or heart muscle. In a 2000 study, C. pneumoniae was
associated with a thickening in the carotid artery which leads to
the brain. Nevertheless, studies on a causal relationship between
C. pneumonia and heart disease or stroke have been mixed. The most
recent ones have found no strong association between the infection
and heart disease while others downstate a possible link.
Neurologic Diseases. Some research
suggests that C. pneumonia may affect the brain. Researchers have
also detected C. pneumoniae in areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer's
but not in other areas, suggesting that the inflammatory response
may contribute to this dreaded disease.
Another study reported an association between
Chlamydia and multiple sclerosis, another neurologic disease
caused by the inflammatory process. Asthma. Chlamydia pneumoniae,
Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and the respiratory syncytial virus are becoming
important suspects in many cases of severe adult asthma. (Serious
respiratory infections that occur in early childhood, however, probably
do not play a role in asthma that develops in adulthood.)
Supporting Links:
Chlamydia
pneumoniae and Cardiovascular Disease
Atherosclerosis in dialysis patients: does Chlamydia pneumoniae
infection contribute to cardiovascular damage?
Chlamydia pneumoniae Binds to Platelets and Triggers P-Selectin
Expression and Aggregation
How serious is Pneumonia?
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