Dr. David Brownstein, M.D
Dr. David Brownstein,  editor of Dr. David Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health newsletter, is a board-certified family physician and one of the nation’s foremost practitioners of holistic medicine. Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally to physicians and others about his success with natural hormones and nutritional therapies in his practice. His books include Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do!; Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It; Salt Your Way To Health; The Miracle of Natural Hormones; Overcoming Arthritis, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders; The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet; and The Guide to Healthy Eating. He is the medical director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Mich., where he lives with his wife, Allison, and their teenage daughters, Hailey and Jessica.

Tags: C. difficile | diarrhea | proton pump inhibitors
OPINION

Why Are Infections on the Rise?

David Brownstein, M.D. By Friday, 11 May 2018 04:02 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

C. difficile is a bacteria that causes severe diarrhea and damage to the colon. In the past, it was caused solely by exposure to antibiotics that disrupted normal colon bacteria and allowed C. difficile to overgrow. But that’s not the case anymore.

Today, C. difficile is occurring at epidemic rates.

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a 2011 survey of 10 geographic areas in the U.S. to identify C. difficile infection cases. The researchers estimated that the number of infections in the U.S. was 453,000.

C. difficile was more common in females (26 percent) and whites (72 percent), and 8.65 times more common in people 65 and older.

When I was training to become a doctor, I only saw C. difficile infections in hospitalized patients who had received potent intravenous antibiotics or chemotherapy. I never saw it in an outpatient setting.

However, things changed about 15 years ago, and C. difficile started appearing in outpatient settings. Shortly after that, infections became much more common.

There are two factors responsible for the rise in C. difficile infections. The first is the overuse of potent antibiotics in outpatient settings.

These antibiotics kill the good bacteria, allowing toxic pathogens like C. difficile to overgrow.

The second reason is the overuse of potent acid-blocking drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). These medications inhibit the stomach’s ability to manufacture hydrochloric acid, altering the pH of the stomach and gut and allowing pathogenic bacteria to overgrow.

PPIs were never meant to be used for more than a few weeks. But now patients are routinely prescribed them permanently.

If you take an antibiotic, for any reason, you should supplement with a probiotic during and after taking the antibiotic. Also, limit your exposure to antacid drugs.

More information about this can be found in my book, Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do!

© 2024 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.


Dr-Brownstein
When I was training to become a doctor, I only saw C. difficile infections in hospitalized patients who had received potent intravenous antibiotics or chemotherapy. I never saw it in an outpatient setting.
C. difficile, diarrhea, proton pump inhibitors
313
2018-02-11
Friday, 11 May 2018 04:02 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
Find Your Condition
Get Newsmax Text Alerts
TOP

The information presented on this website is not intended as specific medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical treatment or diagnosis. Read Newsmax Terms and Conditions of Service.

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved