Antibiotics with Alcohol Consumption, What Happens?

When we look at the label antibiotic drugs, drink alcohol prohibition listed as taking antibiotics. Actually, what side effects that may arise?

According Dr.James Steckelberg, head of the Infectious Disease Division at the Mayo Clinic, the side effects of combining antibiotics and alcohol vary widely, depending on the type of antibiotic.

"Alcohol did not reduce the effectiveness of the antibiotic. But, antibiotics and alcohol have the same side effects, such as abdominal pain, dizziness, and feeling sleepy. If both are combined, it is feared side effects will increase," Steckelberg said.

Several types of antibiotics, such as metronidazole, tinidazole, and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, should not be mixed with alcohol because it can cause reactions. For example, chest pounding, headache, nausea, vomiting, heart thumping, and shortness of breath.

"Of particular interest are several types of cold medicines and mouthwash containing alcohol, too. So, inspect the drug is consumed," he said.

Although rare, but alcohol can also reduce the effectiveness of some types of antibiotics such as doxycycline. In addition, alcohol can also reduce energy and slow the healing of disease. Therefore, avoid alcohol until all the antibiotics run out or until you recover.

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Findings HIV Vaccine Still Doubtful

The discovery of a vaccine that can prevent a person infected with HIV to 31.2 per cent on 24 September 2009 re-fuss. This time, scientists doubted whether the vaccine can provide significant protection.

Previously, the study found shows that the combination vaccine for HIV could provide a protective effect of 31.2 percent which has been tested on 16,000 heterosexual aged 18 years to 30 years.

Recent data have been published in a conference in Paris, indicated that small-scale findings might provide a strong and significant. However, researchers say up to now not been able to understand what causes these vaccines provide less protection, especially for people most at risk.

Although the discovery of this vaccine was encouraging, but many scientists are worried that the protective effect of this vaccine is very small. Evidenced by the 8,000 people who get the vaccine, 51 people remain infected. While people who do not receive the vaccine among 74 infected. This shows no significant difference between groups of people who got the vaccine with the control group.

However, researchers who conduct this experiment 31.2 per cent said that given the protective effect is indeed real, although some scientists began to have doubts about how strong protective effect of this vaccine is.

The researchers also considered that this vaccine can not be used in Africa where the HIV infection rate was highest, though not yet be explained with certainty. Therefore researchers added that prevention and education is the best form of protection against HIV infection good for this medium term.

"We have something that can be used to protect a third of people infected with HIV virus in Thailand. Although this is not an effective vaccine globally, but this vaccine could still be used for areas outside of Thailand," said Colonel Jerome Kim, who is a manager HIV vaccine products for the United States Army, as quoted by BBC News, Wednesday (21/10/2009).

Therefore, until now researchers are continuing to develop a vaccine against HIV, in order to produce a vaccine that really works and can provide great protection, especially for those most at risk. Vaccines are still in doubt this is a combination of the vaccine Sanofi-Pasteur's ALVAC Canary pox / HIV and HIV vaccine AIDSVAX.

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Paracetamol Reduce Effectiveness of Vaccines

The parents should not have to panic too much if the child a fever after being immunized. Fever is a normal thing and not a disease. Provision of fever-lowering drugs such as paracetamol can actually reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Fever after immunization is normal and a sign the body is formed "armies" of antibodies that will provide protection for children from disease. Dr.Robert according to T. Chen, blood safety specialists from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States.

"Unless children suffering from high fever and doctors specifically recommend it, should not have to use fever-lowering drugs after vaccination, especially if the reason to prevent the fever," said Chen.

The researchers, headed by the University Dr.Roman Prymula of Defense Czech Republic, trying to find out the effect of paracetamol against vaccination. Who have received vaccines including Hib, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio, and rotavirus (diarrhea).

The researchers conducted two studies. The first is when a baby receives the first and second vaccination when they receive further vaccination. Object of this study was 459 infants and toddlers who randomly asked to receive paracetamol every six to eight hours within 24 hours after being immunized. The second is the child does not get paracetamol.

The researchers found that babies given paracetamol is a bit of a fever, but the system produced antibodies are also low. Likely that anti-inflammatory activity of the substance contained in the fever-lowering drugs lead to interference with the system so that antibodies produced antibodies is low.

"Unless there is special reason to control the fever, such as a history of seizures, with fever, fever-lowering drugs should not routinely given after the immunization," said Chen.

An infectious disease specialist, Dr. Siegel March from New York University School of Medicine, USA, said that the fever-lowering drugs will reduce the antibody response is reasonable. Moreover, the immune system response is the inflammatory response. "If a child is ill, overcome the pain. But if the child high fever, you should immediately lower the fever with fever-lowering drugs," he said.

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Behind The Dangers of Vitamin A Cream

Vitamin A is one of the ingredients of skin aging products that are sold freely used. However, you must be very careful in using products that contain vitamin A and its derivatives.

A recent study published in the FASEB Journal shows vitamin A crucial role in the formation of energy in cells. Too much or deficiency of this vitamin will adversely affect the body. Therefore, you should be aware of the risk of an overdose of vitamin A given more and more products, whether cosmetic or supplements, which contain this vitamin.

"Our study tried to explain the potential downside of vitamin A due to the use of cosmetic creams and supplements. The use of excessive vitamin leads to the chaos of energy production that affect cell growth and death," said Ulrich Hammerling, Sloan-Kattering from the Institute for Cancer Research in New York , USA.

In his research, the researchers used cultures of human cells and mice containing a specific gene modification of chemicals containing mitochondrial energy production.

These cells are then grown with and without vitamin A. The researchers then tested the impact on each stage of energy production. The results showed, retinol, an important component in vitamin A, is essential for the metabolism of mitochondria and function as sensors nutrisioonal in energy production in cells.

However, when our bodies are too little or too much to receive vitamin A, mitochondria can not function properly, causing damage to the organ.

"Beauty may be only limited to the skin layer, but vitamin A is not. He will go down to the cell nucleus and affect our health," said Dr.Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of FASEB Journal. "Using too much vitamin-enriched products can affect a negative, even fatal to the body," he said.

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Allegedly Anticancer Drug Caused Weight Symptoms

The findings from the research center in Seattle recently showed a single drug suspected of causing breast cancer is more severe symptoms.

"Tamoxifen", which was introduced in 1978, is used to prevent a recurrence of cancer in women who had surgery for their tumor.

However, one recent study showed the drug increased the risk of more aggressive cancer in the healthy breast by more than four times.

"All medications have risks and benefits," said Dr. Christopher Li, a member of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. "If you consider the full balance, make the most of the women, the benefits will far outweigh the risks."

The new study, which assess the possible development of new cancer in the second breast, found that women who use the "tamoxifen" for five years for a possible 60 per cent to the tumor affected not only sensitive to estrogen compared with no use on the second breast, and 40 percent more attacked by a small new tumors in the breast of any kind second.

Some breast cancer experts say they worry that breast cancer patients who heard about the new study may stop using the "tamoxifen", although the main reason for using the drug to prevent cancer is that they have suffered a relapse and spread, which can result in death.

Many other experts agree that the new study is no excuse for breast cancer patients to stop using "tamoxifen". "What we have to remember is 'tamoxifen' save lives," said Dr. Victor Vogel, Vice President of National Research on "American Cancer Society".

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