Hey Leonard.
Doxycycline is a very low antibiotic… used daily by some with acne issues for years.
It was Blogsklonny I am pretty sure that said 100 - 200 mg Doxycycline once weekly was a good idea for elderly in view of cancer prevention and the many nasty things that can grow and live quietly in you. Maybe due to lower immune response with age.
Importantly, doxycycline is a component of an anti-metastatic combination, which includes doxycyclin, aspirin, lisin and mifepristone.
So I got a prescription for as needed use. Take once weekly.
Doxycycline use from a doctor perspective in papers is so low ball (abuse) … it is unlike the major antibiotics use that can have an affect on others and the world is my understanding from my research.
Seems as you know why your taking it that way. Will look at the links tomorrow. (Getting late in my country) But stil, to me, sounds like a horrible idea to take a broad spectrum antibiotic once every week. Or for just 3 days without knowing if it’s a virus or the right kind of bacteria. I ate enormous amounts of probiotics every day for 8 month and stayed clear of sickness during that time despite winter ad two kids… I think you shouldn’t mess with your gut-biome unless necessary.
In Sweden and northern Europe it’s very difficult to get a prescription of antibiotics now a days. While multi resistant bacteria’s are really becoming problematic in countries where they’ve been overly generous with prescriptions. eg. Turkey
From the CDC website… if they can be trusted at all after the Covid-19 cluster fu.k.
CDC: We rely on antibiotics to treat serious, life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and [sepsis]
(Sepsis | CDC), the body’s extreme response to an infection.
Effective antibiotics are also needed for people who are at high risk for developing infections. Some of those at high risk for infections include patients undergoing surgery, patients with end-stage kidney disease, or patients receiving cancer therapy (chemotherapy).
Rapamycin modulates your immune system… so maybe good to have.
As to viruses… does no good.
CDC: Antibiotics DO NOT work on viruses, such as those that cause colds, flu, or COVID-19.
Antibiotics also are not needed for many sinus infections and some ear infections.
Everyone taking Rapa MUST have a broad-spectrum antibiotic on hand with them where ever and whenever!!! I had just taken my 5 mg of Rapa when my lower second molar fractured, requiring surgical extraction the next day. I should have started an antibiotic that day but failed to do so and did not take any for a few days after the oral surgery. Result: two weeks of severe unremitting pain, dead socket bone fragments, etc. Therefore: have stuff on hand always as you never know when - falls and scrapes, broken tooth, etc, etc.
I totally agree that it’s good to have on hand for real emergencies.
Would cortisone tablets also be good for emergencies?
Another option could be to take a break from the Rapa-administration if you are in rural areas or in country’s where healthcare would be very expensive…
Unfortunately there is no single antibiotic that’s a cure all for all bacterial infections. They all have their pros and cons. And they can all have serious adverse effects. But the incidence varies.
However, the one that arguably comes closest to an all purpose antibiotic for adults when factoring in safety and bioavailability is probably doxycycline at 100 mg twice daily (sometimes 200 mg on day one followed by 100 mg daily is enough). It has one of the broadest spectrums of activity. It has good bioavailability. It has a lower incidence of serious adverse effects, often no discernible side effects. And it has the secondary benefit of being an anti-inflammatory agent. It’s a superior antibiotic for gums and skin for this reason. Good penetration + wide spectrum + fights gum inflammation. And even when it’s not listed as a first line antibiotic for certain infections, it’s probably the most frequently listed second line agent. Prolonged sun exposure should be avoided as should lying down after taking it (esophageal irritation).
However, a person taking this medicine already at a low dose once a week (as has been mentioned here) would probably be better off taking something not in the tetracycline class due to possible resistance.
I figured the reason Dr. Green suggested keeping azithromycin on hand was for quick access during the pandemic. In other words, first a quick telemedicine consult to make sure it’s an appropriate antibiotic, and then the go ahead from him to take it. At least that’s what would make sense to me.
Also have Oral Rehydration Therapy available at home, suuuper annoying to get food poisoning or a stomach infection yet not have it. Diarrhea can be deadly if you don’t have it. In fact 1.5 million people die from diarrhea every year.
As a periodontist, doxy was used against gingival inflammation. It was used, NOT as an antibiotic, but as an a low dose (40 mg)anti-inflammatory agent: doxy blocked metalloproteinases. It was called PERIOSTAT. Again, never used as an anti-bacterial but used as an anti-inflammatory. I will risk saying that 100mg doxy weekly is used as an anti-inflammatory and not for it’s bactericidal activity. I will start weekly 100mg doxy very soon for myself.
That’s not true. Yes, it can be used at subantimicrobial dosages for inflamed gums. And it’s frequently used in dogs for this purpose, too. But it most certainly is used as an antibiotic for periodontitis. See the following video:
In addition to local administration, it is also a great antibiotic for systemic administration. See this article titled, “Antibiotics in the management of aggressive periodontitis.” Abinaya Prakasam et al. J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2012 Aug.
This is an excerpt from the paper about systemic administration of doxycycline at antibiotic dosage for treatment of aggressive periodontitis:
"The importance of doxycycline arises from the fact that it has higher availability in gingival crevice when compared to other drugs, 7–20 times more than any other drug.[10] The second most important factor is its dual mechanism of action. As an antibiotic agent, it has more significant action against A. actinomycetemcomitans, warranting its use in aggressive periodontitis.[10]
Also, its actions do not limit to antimicrobial activity, but include the following host modulating properties:
Anticollagenase
Anti-inflammatory
Inhibition of bone resorption
Promotes reattachment
Concept of low dose doxycycline (LDD)
Chemically modified tetracycline (CMT).
Because doxycycline can be given only once daily, it makes it more patient compliant. Compliance is also favored because absorption from the GI tract is only slightly altered. The recommended dosage as an anti-infective agent is 100mg bid on the first day, followed with 100mg once daily for 21 days."
December of '22, ironically the week I placed my first India order for rapamycin, I developed Norco-level dental pain. Figured it was just another one of umpteen cavities. Dentist took a look and said ‘I don’t see a problem.’ But he did comment on some redness. Referred me for a CT scan. I was dismayed, as it meant living with some bad pain for a few more days, and it also meant a walletectomy to pay for the CT scan.
But when I got home, contemplating the comment about redness, I recalled that I had some doxy on hand. I called the dentist and asked if I should try takiing the doxy, and he said OK. I took two a day, and after two days the pain was almost entirely eliminated. I continued taking for a full week, since that seemed to be what I recalled doing in other instances.
First time getting a gum infection. I take it as an indicator of my slowly age-related weakening immune system.
I don’t want to call anyone out or specifically review every post here, but there is a fair amount of misinformation in these posts. Take everything you read here with a grain of salt. Verify before you act.
Although it’s a good idea to have antibiotics on hand just in case, I wouldn’t blame rapamycin for this. This may have had nothing to do with the rapamycin. 5 mg is a relatively low dose, if taken weekly, and as such not likely to result in significant immunosuppression. I am a bit surprised that the dentist didn’t give you antibiotics, regardless of whether he knew anything about your rapamycin intake. I recall when my molars were removed ages ago, I was given antibiotics to take for several days after the procedure, despite me being young and healthy at the time. That was just standard precaution.
