Yes, fish antibiotics, aka fish mox, are safe for human use
I’ve received a LOT of questions lately as to the notion of using fish antibiotics (fish mox) for human use as well as livestock antibiotics and other livestock medicine for human use—of course not for everyday, but certainly in an effort to be medically self-reliant if an “end of the world as we know it” scenario occurs. (Yes, there actually are other euphemisms to describe a crisis other than “when the *bleep* hits the fan.” *grin*) Well, the short answer to these queries is NO, livestock medicines are not fit for human use and YES, it’s my opinion that fish antibiotics certainly are acceptable for human use. So…go fish.
Fish Antibiotics for Human Use?
I gotta tell ya, when I was first introduced to the notion of people using medicines intended for animals that are only bred to be slaughtered AND being aware the pharmaceuticals are a self-regulated industry for the most part, I certainly didn’t have a good gut feeling about it. Bottom line, I don’t trust the drug companies as far as I can throw them; so I wasn’t about to trust them to enable me to put something into my body that doesn’t have at least the facade of oversight as human drugs do. But my stubbornness was weakened as there sure were a lot of folks who pushed back on my cautious opinions on the matter. So I finally decided to stop with the educated guessing and got serious with some good old fashioned research. An interview with two medical doctors and one nurse, all of whom actually believe in self-reliance AND alternative medicine really helped me out with this research. Additionally a trip to the library to peruse Physicians Desk Reference along with some very helpful prescription drug identification sites was just what I needed to cut through the clutter of misunderstanding and feel confident in my conclusion.
What are the facts on fish antibiotics?
Fish mox for human use
Most helpful and oh, so generous of their time and expertise were my two friends known as Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy of the Preparedness Radio Network’s “Doom and Bloom Show™” (who have a GREAT new book out: click here) They are indeed long-term medical professionals who “quit their day job” to help others become more independent and effective with their health (still maintaining their licenses, though). They are also avid fish farmers, including raising tropical fish for 15 years (though they have switched from the somewhat useless tropical fish to the oh, so beneficial Tilapia fish pond now.) Poor water supply, lazy aquarium owners, and the raising of fish outside of their indigenous environment actually occasionally makes fish sick . As such, fish antibiotics are necessary.
The thing is though, there’s no such thing as a manufacturer of fish antibiotics. There’s not a pharmaceutical company on the planet that has yet provided valuable real estate space just so that they can manufacture “fish drugs” vs. “human drugs.” So, whether it’s a guppy or a marlin, the pharmaceutical industry—never weary of making a couple extra bucks—has convinced the aquatic pet industry to just use the same antibiotics as us big humans do. Yup, fish antibiotics or aquarium antibiotics are the exact same as the antibiotics you and I might get for a sinus infection. (Do fish get sinus infections too; and if they do, is the “cure” for such an illness usually followed by a yeast infection? at least in female fish? Do the pathogenic L-forms multiply in the fish after using the antibiotics? Hmmm…good questions for later, I suppose.)
Are they really EXACTLY the same? Yes. And how am I so certain? Did Merck or Glaxo-Kline actually confess to me that they charge 10 times more to cure humans than they do fish? No. But the Physicians Desk Reference and drugs.com sure did. (see http://www.drugs.com/imprints.php ) You see, when you’re officially a studious prepper to the point that you’re even interested in this kind of stuff and go to your local pet store to purchase fish antibiotics, you’ll take it home and open it up to see a familiar looking red and pink capsule with its special commercial markings that say “WC731”. Then you go to Drugs.com to look up that particular marking/pill and you’ll see that it’s the EXACT same thing that you have to pay $900 a month for in the form of “health” insurance premiums, along with a $5 co-pay, when you’re ill. And if I didn’t know better, I swear that when I went to the drugs.com website, there was a maniacal laughing sound in the background, mocking me that I had been snookered all these years by taking my written human prescriptions to the pharmacy like a good little sheeple.
How much do fish antibiotics cost?
How Much are Fish Antibiotics?
So, if these fish antibiotics will work well in a serious pinch, what do they cost, where can I get them, and what’s their shelf life? The costs vary dramatically, but the best I found was 100 250 mg. capsules for $4.80 at Chewy.com, generic. (just put that in the search engine and you’ll find that) You’ll need a prescription from your vet, but that’s easy enough. They don’t make you bring your fish into the vet. However, you can also find the more traditional dose of 500 mg., 100 capsules, for at low as $19.99. (again, just put it in the search engine that way and you’ll see it.) Think about that for a moment. A standard medically prescribed antibiotic is 14 capsules per illness, per person. Just one order is a pretty dang good deal.
Shelf-life? Well, stay way from the liquid antibiotics and you’ll fare much better as they lose potency over time—so stocking up now for the “hail storm the size of a talent” event probably won’t do you much good. But, if you stock up on the other kind, the capsules/tablets of fish mox, here’s a little secret—and I DO NOT use that word lightly—Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy were able to share with me an honest to goodness inside scoop. *cue the dramatic murder mystery background music* In the July 2006 edition of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, there was an interesting piece of research that was published. FEMA, under the directive of he Department of Defense conducted an extensive research project (which no doubt cost us millions of dollars on top of those expensive human antibiotics) called “Stability Profiles of Drug Related Products Extended Beyond Labeled Expiration Dates” in which they discovered that the shelf-life of most capsule/tablet antibiotic and other pharmaceuticals had a shelf-life of 2 to 10 years. Now the 2 years may be a deal breaker for you but consider this. They didn’t do the study over the course of two to 10 years, rather it was a project that lasted several months in which they tested drugs that were between 2 and 10 years old and found them to still contain their original potency. Here’s the “secret” part. That study was no longer publicly available–anywhere. BUT…I found it. hee hee. You’re welcome. We’re a full service shop here. hee hee So now you won’t get nasty threatening results such as “you are not authorized to enter this site” when you go searching for the info. You know, warm fuzzy stuff like that. Now, this top secret information was no longer available…unless… you happen to “know a guy.” *wink, wink* I guess FEMA and DOD were not interested in letting the public in on the results of this study. *ahem*
Here’s another interesting facet of this. The motivating reason for this study was because FEMA had stockpiled tens of millions of doses of antibacterial and antiviral medications. I think we’ll put that under the category of “things that make you go ‘hmmmm…”
Where do I find fish antibiotics?
What’s the shelf-life of fish antibiotics
You can obtain these “fish antibiotics” at any pet store or online at a myriad of different places. You don’t need a medical license, or even a business license, for that matter. And for those of you who claim that you can’t afford to get more self-reliant—hello! I just threw you a delicious bone! Go into the aquarium antibiotic business! Hey, you’ll get to use cool word combinations such as “fish mox”! Now, here’s my word of caution—seriously. Those of you who know me know that I am NOT a fan of putting antibiotics in the body. If I can help it I will NEVER swallow another antibiotic voluntarily again. I know way too much of the ramifications it can be to the body. But, I also understand that alternative methods of fighting debilitating bacteria in the body can require a lot of time that some people may run out of in a TEOTWAWKI scenario. So I get it. Some folks could really have no other option other than the pharmaceutical one. Well, now you have a solution. But IF you’re going to use them, you’ve GOT to use them for their intended purposes or you’ll only end up exposing yourself to much more serious bacterial strains.
For those of you who would like to learn more about the non-chemical method of nurturing the body, do some research here on the blog by doing a search on “Medical Preparedness” on the site. Doing so will bring up every article I’ve written that relates to the Principle of Medical Preparedness. And you can always ask questions on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/preparednesspro I also will be on the Doom and Bloom show this Saturday night, May 5th at 7:00 p.m. Mountain/9:00 p.m. Eastern that you can listen to on your computer at the Preparedness Radio Network. We’ll specifically be discussing the science behind essential oils and what to watch out for when using or selecting them.
Dr Bones and Nurse Amy of the Preparedness Radio Network
The fact of the matter is, our medical care is sorely threatened today on so many fronts. Shortages of some of the most common, life or death, kinds of medications. Rising fuel prices making gluttonous manufacturers rise the pharmaceutical prices. Medical professionals prying into our private life in exchange for the privilege of paying them an arm and a leg. In fact, I believe strongly that we’re already experiencing a medical crisis of serious proportions. Getting in gear and ensuring that we are prepared and committed to taking care of ourselves is important today and certainly will be that much more important if we’re hit with any of the common “what if” scenarios. So, think about it. Research it. And then get into action. Oh, and here are several links to the fabulous and exhaustive work that Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy have put into the ins and outs of using fish antibiotics. I’ll let THEM explain to you why we’re not willing to put up a green flag on medications intended for our other pets of livestock. Enjoy! The Case For Fish Antibiotics: Fish Antibiotics in a Collapse Antibiotics and their use in collapse Part 1, Antibiotics and their use in collapse Part 2, Antibiotics and their use in collapse Part 3, Antibiotics and their use in collapse Part 4, The Truth about Expiration Dates, Must-Have Antibiotics, Antifungals, and Antivirals, Doom & Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook-NEW!
Oh, and here’s the necessary disclaimer section:
Considerations and Risks of Fish Antibiotics:
- Purity and Quality Control:
- Human Antibiotics: Manufactured under strict regulations with rigorous quality control to ensure safety, purity, and efficacy.
- Fish Antibiotics: Not subject to the same stringent manufacturing standards, which can lead to contamination, incorrect dosages, and impurities.
- Dosage and Administration:
- Human Antibiotics: Prescribed in specific dosages tailored to the individual’s condition, weight, age, and medical history.
- Fish Antibiotics: Dosage instructions are designed for fish, not humans, leading to potential underdosing or overdosing if used by humans.
- Legal and Ethical Concerns:
- Prescription: In many places, it is illegal to use antibiotics without a prescription from a healthcare professional.
- Self-Medication: Using antibiotics without medical guidance can lead to misuse, increased antibiotic resistance, and potential harm.
- Safety and Efficacy:
- Side Effects: Antibiotics can cause side effects and allergic reactions; medical supervision is crucial to managing these risks.
- Drug Interactions: Antibiotics can interact with other medications, leading to adverse effects. A healthcare provider’s oversight is necessary to ensure safe use.
77 Comments
mom · May 3, 2012 at 5:43 am
I have successfully treated my son’s infrequent topical staph infections (look like poison ivy, sorta) for about 18 months with Ravensara EO that you pointed me to (thanks!). Then my daughter got a scary dive-to-deep-tissue abcess-like staph infection and had to get it surgically drained and was on IV antibiotics. When she came home from the hospital, within a week my son got a topical staph that I managed to beat down with Ravensara. But then within another week, he got another topical staph infection that I could not get under control, even with internal oregano tablets twice a day and Spice for Life topically in addition to the Ravensara. Finally he went to the drs and got put on a sulfa at home. Both of them are on probiotics now, but there is definitely a time and a place for antibiotics.
PS
My medical stash was very helpful, I had gauze, tape, soap, EO, ointments, flushing syringes, gelatin capsules, band aids, etc to walk us through the entire ordeal. I didn’t have to be stingy or run to the store, which was great because this has been a really tight month financially. Thanks– Your advice is so calm and helpful, and preparedness has made my life more peaceful even as I educate myself about scary possibilities!
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 6:25 am
Check out Be Young’s “Staph Pack”. It was put together specifically for staph infections by Dr. Dana as well as a clinic made up of fans of Be Young Essential Oils.
and by the way, WAY TO GO!
Atasteofcreole · May 24, 2012 at 11:39 am
Here’s an article for you:
Third of malaria drugs ‘are fake’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18147085
mom · May 3, 2012 at 5:52 am
(me again)
PPS:
http://www.fishmoxfishflex.com/index.php/fish-antibiotics.html
looks like good deals, free shipping, includes many kinds of antibiotics for those with allergies or trying to build a stash that can attack many illnesses/infections.
Laurie · April 14, 2013 at 10:03 pm
I have been buying from E-bay “aquaticpharmacy”. Excellent, diverse selection of products and great prices. Anyone with doubts about doseages, side-effects and which problem best suited; should check online PDR.com and maybe print out lists for antibiotics. Yes, take as prescribed, for as LONG as prescribed and be mindful at ALL times
Sharon · May 3, 2012 at 7:06 am
Hi Kellene…thankyou for your site! How do you know what kind of a rash you might have without tons of tests etc.? I have one right now that my Natural Health Dr. can’t figure out. It’s on my throat area and all around my eyes!
RED, ITCHY, SWOLLEN! Tried lots of stuff….any guesses?
Thanks again for all you do!
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:43 pm
Well, I”m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but one thing I can tell you is that I LOVE my medical books. They are definitely a great asset.
I also know that any type of rash on the skin is always an indicator that there’s an issue with the liver unless it’s poison ivy/oak. To me that always is a reminder to stay proactive in doing my liver cleanse each day and drink lots of water for optimal health. Sometimes a really stubborn rash that is causing me great irritation will get a Benadryl dose…but that’s just me.
I hope you find some comfort and solutions for this thing soon!
Donna Miller · May 3, 2012 at 10:38 am
We tend to lean toward the colloidal silver option most often. It seems to work well in place of antibiotics for us. We kind of fall into the ‘herby hippie’ category anyway. I’ve not had an antibiotic for almost 10 years and neither have our kids.
Carol Funchesd · May 3, 2012 at 11:52 am
Love me some colloidal silver! I take one dropper a day and have nit seen sick in years. It really is something to the stuff! I hope more preppers will consider having it in their medical supply stash
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:59 pm
yes, and you can make your own colloidal silver too. I’ve written an article about it on here as well. http://preparednesspro.com/do-it-yourself-colloidal-silver/ But I will still be getting some of this on hand so that A) I can help others who are more comfortable with that and B) back-ups to back-ups. 🙂
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:54 pm
yeah, the colloidal silver definitely comes without the same harmful side effects than antibiotics. But I can’t make that decision for folks so I at least try to give info to help based on what they are comfortable with. 🙂 Good on ya, Donna.
R S · December 9, 2012 at 5:24 pm
The links you posted to the outside website to “make your own colloidal silver” are dead links. Do you have the information somewhere besides the links?
Kellene Bishop · December 10, 2012 at 6:44 am
Bummer–I wish that I could get my 10 minutes back that I used to try and find out what you were talking about, but I couldn’t. I don’t even mention an article/link for DIY Colloidal Silver” in this article nor do I do so in the comments. However, since I already had looked up the link to the actual article I wrote and verified that it wasn’t a dead link, I’m able to post it here for you. http://preparednesspro.com/do-it-yourself-colloidal-silver/ In the future, our search bar is your friend. You can put in the topic that you’re looking for in there and it will bring up anything that matches that search. There are over 700 articles published on this blog so there’s plenty to choose from. 🙂
Donnella · May 3, 2012 at 10:43 am
Another great article. You posed a question the other day regarding the determination of where we are most vulnerable and I suppose this is it. I’m amassing a good selection of Be Young oils along with learning how to use them with the Map Constituent Guide Book & the weekly calls but I’m so healthy (Praise God!) that I never even take any over the counter meds. Nevertheless, I may need these in the future for myself of a loved one. Thanks for the heads up.
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:59 pm
Wow healthy AND pretty AND kind. How do you balance it all, Donnella? 🙂
Donnella · May 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Thank you. The answer is: Experience my dear. I’m twenty years older than you!
Elvia Garcia · May 3, 2012 at 11:28 am
hello. I’m wondering about how to know wich antibiotics to use, how we know which ones to use with which sickness?
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:57 pm
The links I’ve provided at the end of the article will really help you with that knowledge. Dr. Bones has put in the time in the books and in a licensed practice to be able to answer those kinds of questions.
Lisa · May 3, 2012 at 12:14 pm
A clove of garlic (a natural antibiotic) works at keeping your body well and fighting off bacteria and viruses. When feeling ill, bump it up to 5. Disclaimer: this is just for entertainment purposes only, as I am NOT a licensed medical professional.
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Lisa, just so you know, if you switched to garlic oil, it would have a more effective potency. One drop of oil is akin to 10-16 ounces at the minimum of the actual botanical or food. So it can really shock the body nicely when a person is desperate enough for such measures. 🙂
Laura · May 3, 2012 at 5:03 pm
eat your good foods 🙂 and welcome aboard the fish antibiotics boat 🙂 garlic oil works well for ear infections (umm…caution however…make sure you dilute it down in olive oil…) and keep that cinnamon, clove and oregeno on hand too 🙂
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 8:03 pm
To be clear, oregano essential oil is a great anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and anti-viral, however, it is dwarfed in its ORAC value by Rosemary which is trumped by Ravensara essential oil.
Also, NEVER dilute essential oils directly in their containers. You will just want to combine a carrier oil such as olive oil, grapeseed or jojoba oil in your hand with the selected essential oil each time you use it. Never purchase essential oils which contain anything other than essential oils as such industry practices corrupt the ability of the valuable constituents to do their job on the body.
Brescon · May 3, 2012 at 11:34 pm
sorry, new to this discussion…what is ORAC value?
Kellene Bishop · May 4, 2012 at 12:44 am
It’s the way of measuring a substance’s antioxidant ability. ORAC stands for Oxygen radical absorbance capacity. The higher the ORAC value, the better it is for your immune system in battling invaders.
berserler · July 12, 2013 at 8:36 am
Unfortunatly , hopefuly the times you will need an antibiotic will be few and far apart. The trouble is, most rely far too much on what the medical community tells them and does no thinking on their own.
Instaed of trying to close off knowledge of such things..open doors and make simple treatments like antibiotics available along with the proper knowledge. Stop rapping people over medications and spread knowledge not ignorance to fatten your bank account. Dont call me stupid or tell me that I dont now anybetter. I DO KNOW BETTER! Why should I have to pay 200 plus to get a sript of pills that cost less than 3 bucks?
Kellene Bishop · July 12, 2013 at 6:20 pm
I would never dream of calling you “stupid or tell you that you don’t know any better” as I believe that your comment(s), choice of words, grammar, and spelling here already speaks for itself as to the state of your intelligence and wisdom.
Deanna · May 4, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Lisa and Kellene make good points about garlic. I wish more people were educated about the use of fresh garlic as an antibiotic. I use garlic ALL the time. I recently started using and love essential oils but for a long time I wouldn’t look into them because the good ones are expensive and if industry falls my supplier is gone, but garlic can be grown or harvested in the wild. It is cheap cheap medicine. 4 cloves of garlic is equivalent to an adult dose of penicillin (minus the side affects) so I would take 4 cloves for each dose of antibiotic I would normally use. My children don’t necessarily want to eat fresh garlic, so I make garlic paste by chopping up the cloves into vaseline and putting it on the largest band-aids I can buy and putting it on the bottom of their feet while they sleep (think reflexology points) but I’m careful to make sure that it only stays on the bottom so as not to aggrivate the skin on the sides and top of the feet. The flu just doesn’t last long here at my house especially when combined with hydrotherapy. In the past 2 months I’ve successfully used garlic paste for toothache, sinus infection, colds, flu, possibly bronchitis and I kid you not, my father in law got relief from weird/but significant symptoms he was having which we thought was the flu. Turned out to be stage 4 lung cancer. regardless, the garlic helped – Cheap medicine and so simple!
Kellene Bishop · May 4, 2012 at 10:07 pm
One aspect to keep in mind though about garlic vs. essential oils–If you purchase the good essential oils and stock up they last forever–no shelf-life issue. Additionally, the constituents in garlic are primarily anti-bacterial and anti-fungal whereas essential oils are powerfully anti-viral as well. One drop of garlic oil is a lot easier to use on a less-than-comfortable “patient” than some of the other methods we might use. Again, it’s just about being ready for the what-ifs in life with back ups to back ups.
Steve · May 3, 2012 at 3:32 pm
Hi Kellene – as always, appreciate your blog! Of course, being a writer for both the natural health and preparedness markets I took it as a personal challenge to find the study you referenced. 🙂
First, you can visit a local library that carries back issues of the publication, in this case as you mentioned, the Journal of Pharmaceutical Science. You’d probably have most luck at a publicly accessible library at a large medical school or teaching hospital, like we have in Dartmouth-Hitchcock up here in NH. That’s a 90-minute drive for me and likely a hassle for most people.
Fortunately, the study actually IS still available online. For whatever reason, the journal doesn’t appear to make it available in downloadable PDF format, but you can “rent” the complete article online through deepdyve.com for 30 days. It is a paid service, BUT you can get a 14-day free trial, read the article, then cancel before payment if this is the only medical article you’re interested in.
Here’s the link to the article:
http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/wiley/stability-profiles-of-drug-products-extended-beyond-labeled-expiration-QMsT85ILrz
At the top right corner of that page is a green “Rent to View Full Text” button – click that and complete the form to read the whole thing. Happy reading!
mom · May 3, 2012 at 3:34 pm
My son got his first staph infection (which I thought was poison ivy) over 3 years ago. I took him in to the dr (that’s how I learned what it was) but since then he’s kept any further infections at bay with colloidal silver. It enters through a cut, scratch, or bug bite, so we made a habit to keep any breaks in his skin clean with the colloidal silver. But when my daughter came home from the hospital she might have brought a yuckier bug than he normally carries home with her. Now he is teaching her how to “stay on top of” any bug bites, etc, and we’ve added bug spray to our stashes.
Jason · May 3, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Great post, the most thorough that I have seen about the fish antibiotics and I have looked at a lot of different forums. There are a lot of opinions, but I’m glad you posted what websites you looked at to verify the text and description on the pills themselves – THANKS
For others interested, I found a 5% off code ( 5D4TG )that works at http://FishMoxFishFlex.com for fish antibiotics
Amy · May 3, 2012 at 6:01 pm
Kellene, one thing really concerns me, maybe others also…my husband is diabetic ( my little dog even has to have a special ‘crystal diet’), not sure how to handle that if the shumer hits the fan and meds are not available. Seems like we’ve tried every diet out there and nothing changes, doctors don’t help. I don’t know how to prepare for it. I would like to be able to feed my dog something that doesn’t cost me $50 a month like Sci. Diet. I told my husband he’ll be living on hard boiled eggs. Does anyone have any ideas?
Donnella · May 3, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Amy, my husband is diabetic also. I believe if he were to stop taking all of his meds he would improve quickly. As far as pet food goes, I do not feed my three fur kids much commercial stuff at all. Chicken breasts are their favorite food and you can get it on sale for less than $2 and stock up. Kellene has a wonderful tutorial on canning meat or you can purchased canned meats at Costco or similar stores. My two cats and one medium size dog eat 1/2 boneless chicken breast each evening. Seriously, I bake 2-4 at at time and they like it warm or cold. Another hint: Kellene wrote about Zaycon Foods. Their boneless chicken breasts are the best I’ve found anywhere.
Lynn · May 3, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Awesome! I am with you on having “another back up”. This information is GREAT! Thanks for doing SO much research.
Jamie · May 3, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I was stunned to find out that Greece is having huge shortages in medication and not just perscription type but things just like Asprin and other OTC drugs.
It’s quite frightning for the folks in Greece. Shows you don’t need an “Event” for things to get bad quickly.
Donna Ferrell · May 3, 2012 at 7:05 pm
I am one of the dreaded health care professionals that Kellene talks about (though I don’t think we are nearly as bad as she thinks we are). I am a nurse practitioner and I have a little bit of caution when it comes to the fish antibiotics. I agree with everything you said but wanted to add to it. Bacteria are like locks, antibiotics like keys. Just like you can’t use any old key to get into your front door lock, you can’t just use any old antibiotic to treat a bacterial infection. So if you are going to use fish antibiotics educate yourself about what they are and what they treat. Here are a few places to start.
1. Most colds and stomach bugs are viruses not bacterial infections, antibiotics WILL NOT work on viral infections. All you are doing with antibiotics in that case is creating antibiotic resistant bacteria in your body that will be harder to kill later when you do get a bacterial infection.
2. Figure out what bacteria can be killed with the antibiotics that you have, how long you should take the medicine, and at what dose. If you take the wrong medicine, the wrong dose, for the wrong length of time it will cause antibiotic resistant bacteria.
3. Get a reference to let you know what kinds of infections are likely to be caused by each bacterium. Bacteria like certain environments, thus the kind that love your skin probably aren’t living in your lungs because of the drastically different type of environment. You can find books, like a physician desk reference, that give good guidance about this.
4. Just like when your doctor gives you antibiotics they are going to kill all of the bacteria that they can, both the good bacteria (all of us need bacteria in order to live, think digestion) as well as the bad stuff. This is what causes the yeast infections Kellene mentioned, these are called opportunistic infections. Essentially when you kill off some of the good bacteria whatever bugs left take advantage of the empty space and take over. Using antibiotics irresponsibly can increase the likelihood of that kind of opportunistic infection. You really don’t want that, so see suggestion #2.
Using antibiotics is something that medical providers take classes on and study for a long time in order to use them correctly and responsibly. If you choose to attempt their use yourself study so that you can be responsible too. Antibiotic irresponsibility will effect more than just you, antibiotic resistant bacteria are hard and expensive to kill. They are the kinds of super bugs that cause lethal infections.
Now doesn’t all that make you want to stock fish antibiotics. 🙂
Kellene Bishop · May 3, 2012 at 7:21 pm
I don’t agree with anything you’ve shared Donna–other than me disliking health care practitioners. I’d like to be clear on that. The fact is, it’s not the practitioners as a whole that I loathe; it’s the FDA, AMA, the National Institute of Health, most of the pharmaceutical industry and most of the health insurance industry. I firmly believe that those organizations, are evil at their very core with a commitment to greed, deception, and unprecedented lust for power. You’d be hard pressed to find corruption in any other “official” organization of the world that’s dirtier than these organizations. Unfortunately, those organizations have created some kind of powerful kool-aid and far too many practitioners don’t realize that they can question it. In spite of all of that rubbing of elbows with this mass corruption, most practitioners still manage to maintain dignity and integrity. That’s a big feat in my book and I have the utmost of respect and gratitude for those practitioners who are committed to caring for their patients in spite of the migraines that they get to deal with.
Donna · May 4, 2012 at 12:29 am
You said “I don’t agree with anything you’ve shared Donna–other than me disliking health care practitioners.” I hope that was a typo, that you meant that you agreed that if people are going to use antibiotics that they should educate themselves about what the antibiotics do and what they treat in order to best use the medicine and to prevent antibiotic resistant bacterial strains.
Even leaving the FDA, AMA, and NIH out of it there is a lot of independent research that backs up the fact that there is no “magic bullets” when it comes to infection; each antibiotic treats only certain bacterial strains and will never kill viruses. There is a great deal of sound research to back this up and show the danger of using antibiotics irresponsibly.
Kellene Bishop · May 4, 2012 at 12:47 am
It wasn’t a typo, but it may not have been clear. I was stating that the only thing I didn’t agree with was your assumption that I seriously dislike health care practitioners.
I also agree with you that antibiotics are among the most irresponsibly prescribed drugs–right up there with cholesterol medicines, pain medications, sleep medications, and osteoporosis meds.
berserler · July 12, 2013 at 8:45 am
How about the rampant danger of OVERPRESCRIPTIION of antibiotics by the medical community that had been going on for decades? Your irresponsible over prescribed antibiotics is so vast compared to the small amount of irresponsible users…(many of these are no doubt your doing)! It does not take alot of intelligence to know that you only need to take antibiotics for s set lenghth of time. If people abuse them it is because YOU shoveled them down the publics throat for so long!
Kellene Bishop · July 12, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Forget “overprescription”…IMO there are only very few circumstances in which antibiotics should be administered at all. I’m totally with your sentiment on that matter, but unfortunately, I have far too many readers who were purchasing options that WEREN’T safe and so I felt like I at least had to educate them on this option that was viable rather than have them mess with other options that certainly aren’t safe. I’ve had one antibiotic in several years because I loathe them and what they do to the body and the immune system so much. (Guess you missed THAT part of the article, eh?) That being said though, I can’t allow your ridiculous assertions to go unchallenged. If you were more than just a one-hit reader of our site, you’d know that I’m a strong believer in alternative health care at all levels whether it’s the flu or cancer. I can not and do not make people do anything. They are free to choose for themselves and at least now they have viable information which is SUPPORTED by medical professionals as indicated by the numerous links that I’ve provided in this article. Just like you’ve made the poor choice in your comment here, that imbecilic choice is on you, and not on me because I chose to properly inform individuals about the viability of fish antibiotics. I take no responsibility for your actions here any more than I take responsibility for the actions of an adult who chooses to address every sniffle or throat tickle with an anti-biotic.
Alex Smith · May 10, 2012 at 2:11 pm
“Using antibiotics is something that medical providers take classes on and study for a long time in order to use them correctly and responsibly.”
What classes and what is a long time?
My guess is that medical professionals (MDs) spend less then 20 hours of class time studying anti-biotic, and this is over a 4 month period (1 semester)
Patti · May 11, 2012 at 4:44 am
Donna,
Thank you for sharing your expertise. You points are valid and appreciated and I agree with them, just as I agree with the info shared by Kellene.
I have stored fish antibiotics for some time, as a rainy day option, but I still see the doctor when I am sick. It is the smart thing to do and it is an opportunity to learn more about how to properly treat myself and my family if there is no doctor available.
Debbie · May 3, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Very very interesting! Just another tool! I love it! Having all the bases covered is what it’s all about! Thanks Kellene! Don’t know how or when you find the time to do all that you do….! Seriously!!!!
Kathleen · May 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm
Another Nurse comment, I have taken care of the sickest patients in the hospital for almost 30 years. So what I recommended the most, is HANDWASHING, can I say it again WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Let just try to stop those infections before you even need to think about antibiotics. Most infections can be prevented by cleaning a wound with plain old water. A little gentle scrubbing with a clean washcloth, bandage if you need it. But if it starts to look bad, get hot, mooshy or have a foul smell, go see a medical professional before it’s really bad. Homemade treatments often work, but a smart person knows when to get professional help. Or I may see you getting that amputation you don’t want,mor hanging that $ thousand dollar antibiotic in you semi permanent IV line.
So one more time WASH YOUR HANdsAnd keep them off your cuts and wounds.
Glenda · May 4, 2012 at 1:22 am
Amy – Re: pet food for your pup. We tried several rather pricey commercial dog foods before being guided to the Raw Food Diet. Do your homework, Google, or whatever. Dr. Mercola on youtube has a great video about what this is and why it works. Ollie doesn’t have the need for dental visits at the vet any more, (raw bones and more raw bones) his food is NOT cooked, in particular bones since they are then brittle and not safe to chew without possible splintering, especially chicken. The only restriction I follow is NO PORK.
Beef, chicken, lamb, elk, venison,buffalo, is just fine and he is thriving. Admittedly the first time I fed him this diet I was really ready to back up to the wall, but went with the program and now he’s healthy and loving it. Dogs have a natural condition in their tummies that allows them to consume raw chicken SAFELY. The acids and enzymes are not like ours so they should be fed accordingly. Good luck!
Glenda · May 4, 2012 at 1:23 am
Amy – I forgot the most IMPORTANT PART! All meats and bones given to my dog have been frozen for 72 hrs prior to consumption. IMPORTANT!
Kathleen · May 4, 2012 at 3:27 am
Oh another thing the PDR physicians Desk Referance, is published by collecting the information the drug companies themselves. Not the best source of drug information. Pharmacist have better books if you want to pay the money for them, that have better information than the PDR. I would not rely on the PDR.
KoryN · May 4, 2012 at 5:32 am
Yup, they are the same stuff as we get from the Doctors. My group and I have been discussing this topic lately and come to the same conclusion as the author.
The one and only down side is that you can not get “all” antibiotics in fish form and the more powerful stuff does begin to get expensive.
Amy · May 4, 2012 at 3:52 pm
Glenda and Donnella, Thanks for yout tip, I’ll try them. My dog is a chihuahua so i’m leery about bones, especially chicken., but I’ll do more research. She had bladder crystals and surgery was over $1000, then the vet said she had to eat this special food (sci diet c/d) and I could buy it there without a Rx or elsewhere with one, they offered no options.
About the diabetes, we have tried many diets, even vege…haven’t seemed to make much difference. I was wondering about the foods labeled TVP and if anyone has had experience with that. If anyone has experience with discontinuing meds, I would be interested in their outcome…we have considered this before but not yet acted on it.
Kellene, question about Oxy Absorbers…are they reusable or do you need a new one every time you open a bag or jar? Not much info out on that. Thanks so much for this blog.
Kellene Bishop · May 4, 2012 at 3:58 pm
I’ve just got to put my two cents in here. I NEVER feed my dogs bone with the exception of “pizza bones”. The risks just aren’t worth it to me.
Kellene Bishop · May 4, 2012 at 4:01 pm
most oxygen absorbers are reusable, but you have to “recharge them” in order to do so. I’d do a search on the internet for that. I rarely use them personally so I wouldn’t be very good to tell ya exactly how it’s done.
I do have a solution about the diabetes though–if it’s type 2. Dr. Steven Whiting has done some amazing things with a combination of
absorbable
nutrition and essential oils. You can private message me if you’d like for that info.
Deanna · May 4, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Great article. I agree with your take on avoiding antibiotics and have spent years studying about herbs and other modalities in natural healing. I think of all people preppers should be more motivated than the general public to take the time and effort required to learn how to take care of the bodies God gave us. This past year alone I’ve successfuly “treated” (for lack of a better word, because I am not a doctor) whooping cough, appendicitis, miscarriage, bowel blockage & regrown my husband’s fingertip, in 2 months, that he self amputated at work and the Dr’s wanted to amputate. I’m not aposed to going to Doctors, but when it comes to health I go to God first, herbs second and Doctors 3rd. The more I learn, the less I need #3 on that list. Let me just encourage those who don’t know any other way than the standard western medicine that you can free yourself from dependance on the above mentioned “evil” institutions who control our healthcare. It takes time and study, but aren’t our lives worth it?
I wanted to put a plug in for a really good short herbal reference book in one of my herbalist courses that I think is perfect for preppers and beginners. It’s called Herbs To the Rescue: Herbal FirstAid Handbook by Kurt King http://www.christopherpublications.com/King_Herbs_Rescue.html
It tells you how to treat a condition if you’re at home or if you’re out in the woods. In the introdution he sums up the purpose of this book by saying, “I wrote this book as a what if? What if there was no electricity? What if food distribution is shut down? What if there is a national disaster? What if you had to survive in the woods? What if you were attacked by an enemy and had to flee?” His book answers these questions. This is by no means an all inclusive book that will teach you everything you want to know. It really is a short 90 page, first aid reference book. He also identifies which 13 herbs he recommends everyone learn to identify in the wild.
Love your blog Kellene!
Chuck · May 5, 2012 at 7:32 pm
Could you please point the way to the 500mg 100capsules for $19.99? I’ve scoured the net and have yet to find anything under $27. And I noticed that Amazon has removed nearly all the fish antibiotic that was being offered just a couple of months ago.
Thanks.
Kellene Bishop · May 5, 2012 at 9:50 pm
all you have to do is put in the words I suggested as your google search and it will come up. Several other readers have posted comments to the same as well. So just check the comments of this blog article.
nancy · May 5, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Kellene .. I’d love to listen to you on the essential oil show tonight. Can you share the website of where I can hear this?
Kellene Bishop · May 5, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Here ya go: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/doctorprepper/2012/05/06/doom-and-bloom-hour
goatlady · May 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Amazon has quit carying fish antibiotics as have most all Vet supply online sites due to the new rules and regulation that just came out from .gov requiring prescriptions for ALL animal antibiotics! That “fishmox” site is great, everything is still in stock, so get it while you can if you are interested.
Kellene Bishop · May 6, 2012 at 8:19 pm
You’ve got your rules and regs just a bit mixed up. the recent legislation was for livestock, a category which fish do not fall into.
Heidee · May 10, 2012 at 1:27 am
What about these following Fish Medications…Are these good for humans to use as well?
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals E.M. Erythromycin Anti-Bacterial Fish Medication4
&
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals T.C. Tetracycline Anti-Bacterial Fish Medication
Kellene Bishop · May 10, 2012 at 2:51 am
Reviewing the links that I provide at the end of the article by Dr Joe will best answer those questions. This article is intended solely as the “cliff notes” of the matter.
Heidee · May 11, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Thank you Kellene I will….And Thank you so much for all the information and knowledge that you share with everyone..its VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
Laurie · May 14, 2012 at 3:03 am
I’m allergic to penicillin. What fish antibiotic would be good for me to store? Thanks
Kellene Bishop · May 14, 2012 at 8:24 am
The links at the bottom of the article will best answer those questions as they are from a certified MD.
Misty · May 15, 2012 at 4:37 am
I am totally dismayed! I would like to share a nursing school story. My first nursing instructor was teaching us how to accept and incorporate our patients natural healing beliefs as long as they did no harm to the patient. She had a patient as a new nurse that believed in hoodoo. She was an obese 30 something diabetic African American (and yes race does matter in some diseases such as diabetes and heart disease). She had cut her foot and did not realize it. She went to the local hoodoo medicine man when she did (was terribly infected with red lines running up her foot) and was given a “natural” remedy. By the time the doctors at the hospital got her, they had to amputate at the hip with her mother repeating over and over “it will grow back Gloria, it will grow back”. The woman never regained conciousness and died a short time later. No, Gloria is not her real name, privacy act ya know. I firmly believe there is a natural remedy for everything, but I also believe that God gave us the wisdom (as in doctors and scientists) to find cures for illness and disease. Please, please I beg of all of you, don’t go lightly and freely into herbs and natural remedies. You could do more harm than good because your body is a delicate, complicated machine in a lot of ways and demands certain balances.
Kellene Bishop · May 15, 2012 at 4:54 am
I agree that pursuing alternative health care is to be done with a great deal of research and knowledge. Just as a reminder, out of all of the articles in which I’ve written about alternative health and wellness care, this is the one in which I interviewed two medical doctors and a nurse.
Also understand that the natural alternatives are the base of the chemical ones we use today. 80% of the world practices alternative health care (and no, hoodoo voodoo is not included in that). The U.S. is the only one that criminalizes a person for wanting to live and function outside of the chemical treatments.
Balance in all things. Spiritual Preparedness first and foremost to guide us in our pursuit of health and wellness that He’s created and made available for us.
Wylie · November 18, 2013 at 10:25 pm
What do you mean by spiritual
What do you mean by spiritual preparedness?
Preparedness Pro · November 18, 2013 at 11:13 pm
See this article: http://www
See this article: http://www.preparednesspro.com/ten-principles-preparedness-1-spiritual
m griffith · June 20, 2012 at 3:30 pm
try “when the effulent hits the airmover”
Lucy · October 7, 2012 at 6:10 pm
My husband is a pharmacist. These are exactly the same medications he puts in pill bottles. He’s even tracked lot numbers. We have ordered these and will use them without hesitation if there’s ever an emergency situation. We have ordered several different kinds to treat both gram negative and gram positive infections.
Phil · February 18, 2013 at 5:05 pm
I’ve been taking amoxicillin for 2 years for chronic Lyme, but my doctor was forced out of his practice for using long-term antibiotics, and can no longer take insurance, so the meds are several hundred dollars per month. I’d hoped I could use these instead, but after a week of taking the “Fish Mox Forte” shown in the first picture above, I can say–these are fake. There is no or very little active ingredient in them. They don’t take away the burning pain, or prevent the headaches, or allow me to wake up in the morning.
Kellene Bishop · February 18, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Phil, I’m going to have to disagree with this. Antibiotics aren’t for pain or headaches. They serve NO other purpose other than killing bacteria inside the body. Dr. Doom and Bloom and Nurse Amy are legitimate medical professionals. They themselves use these very same antibiotics.
That being said, I encourage you to e-mail me directly after you’ve read the handful of articles I’ve written on here regarding essential oils. They are most certainly effective anti-virals, anti-bacterials, anti-fungal, etc. AND I use different ones for fever, chronic pain, RA, Fibromyalgia, depression, etc. etc. etc.
Christy Miller · January 3, 2014 at 11:13 pm
I am interested in medicinal
I am interested in medicinal quality essential oils. I really don’t want to get sucked in to schemes where I pay a fortune for them. Paying a fair price is fine. My body has some issues that after reading all these comments lead me to believe I can deal with if I use the oils. Your common sense is much needed. If I am to begin my research where would you recommend I start? What company or site do you recommend I use? Thanks for you time, Christy
Preparedness Pro · January 4, 2014 at 5:07 am
I’d start by reading the two
I’d start by reading the two articles I wrote called “What you Need to know about essential oils.” Those two parts will put you in the right direction. Feel free to message me directly with other questions too.
Phil · February 18, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Re. that bad batch of fish mox: Expiration 07 2014, distributed by Thomas Laboratories.
Berylsgirl · March 14, 2013 at 5:21 am
My hubby had polio when he was young so he cannot take anything with sulpha or cyclins….what is the alternative in Fish Antibiotics?
Kellene Bishop · March 15, 2013 at 4:05 am
Medicinal quality essential oils is your best option, even more so than the antibiotics that they will replace.
Comments are closed.