Not infrequently severe side effects with antibiotic use

Serious side effects from commonly prescribed antibiotics
According to health experts, antibiotics are also used against diseases for which they are completely ineffective. But even with diseases that can be treated by such drugs, caution is appropriate. Because some of these agents lead to dangerous side effects.

Antibiotics are prescribed way too often
Although the number of antibiotic resistances continues to rise and is repeatedly called to not use such drugs in large quantities, medics in Germany often prescribe antibiotics only on suspicion. Some of the commonly prescribed antibiotics can cause dangerous side effects. As part of an EU-wide procedure, the risks of some antibiotics should now be reassessed, Stiftung Warentest reports on its website. These are drugs from the group of quinolones that help effectively against certain bacteria.

Antibiotics are often taken for diseases that they do not work against. The frequent use of the drugs promotes resistance. And some of the remedies lead to dangerous side effects. (Image: denisismagilov / fotolia.com)

Physical and mental side effects
According to Stiftung Warentest, quinolones are currently the fourth most widely prescribed antibiotics.

However, these medications can cause serious side effects such as tendon tears, skin and nerve damage, mental health problems such as panic attacks, anxiety, confusion and depression.

Some of these symptoms persist, even if the remedy is discontinued.

Experts have been alerted to this problem for some time. For example, severe warnings for the funds were published in the US in 2016. Now the European Medicines Agency will deal with it.

For simple infections, home remedies are usually sufficient
For a long time, the experts at Warentest have judged the remedies as suitable only for special, serious lung and bladder infections - if the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

With more harmless infections such as bronchitis or sinusitis, simple home remedies can often help.

Important is, among other things, a high fluid intake. Nasal rinses or inhalation are usually also effective.

If antibiotics have to be used, other means of quinolones are preferable, writes Stiftung Warentest. Anyone who nevertheless takes Chinolone and detects side effects, should talk to a doctor about it. (Ad)