Antibiotic Energetics as Understood in TCM

[tcmgpt13]

The ideal use of antibiotics, for those who are not allergic to them, is for acute infections which generally mean the body is very hot (feverish) when using them. Western medicine has taken this a step farther and also uses them for chronic infections without understanding the effects of such use on the body which tends to push illness into the body. Yet another way to look at antibiotics is by the study of its herbal energetics. In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) the effects of whatever substance is introduced into the body (foods, herbals or medications) is studied for the effects they have on the body's balance of hot and cold, warm and cool, moist and dry, inside symptoms and outside symptoms.

The presence of clear mucus is a pretty good clue that the interior of the body is much too cold. Cold injures spleen function. So in TCM it is a constant juggle to keep the body from becoming too cold inside. Herbs which are too cold are balanced against those which are heating. Individual differences in how each person's body functions influence the choices of herbals used. So it is no surprise I guess that some study has been done by the TCM tradition which has led to the conclusion that antibiotics are cold and bitter.

Here is a TCM paper which discusses at greater length the effects of antibiotic use on the body. In particular the modus operandi section discusses the energetics of antibiotics. The treatment effects section warns of the possible problems of long term antibiotic usage which includes severe internal dampness problems. Nearly everyone has spleen deficiency with age (especially over 50) so long term use of antibiotics can worsen problems with the spleen and lung function. It can also deplete the yang or energy of the body (to simplify this concept). Eventually this may lead to problems of fake heat in the body which overlays the cold symptoms already present. In this situation, even if it looks as if the symptoms are hot, the patient is still very cold inside. It just means that the illness has been pushed even more deeply inside the body.

http://www.praktijkvossen.nl/downloa...r%20Vossen.pdf

There are some suggestions in this article for TCM treatment before, during and after antibiotic use, but generally this is best done with the help of a TCM practitioner as every patient will have a different symptom pattern. It is difficult to have a one size fits all protocol for TCM.

I recently noticed at least two people mentioning clear mucus with antibiotic use so thought to post the TCM explanation for this symptom.

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