Side Effects When Using Antibiotics in the Long Term

Abstract

We have known for some time that one of the unwanted side effects of taking antibiotics is their disruption of friendly microbes in the gut. But now a new study that takes a closer look suggests the consequences of long-term antibiotic use could be even far-more reaching than we thought.Antibiotics destroy cells in the lining of the gut.Antibiotic use is widespread - around 40% of adults and 70% of children take at least one a year, and billions of animals are treated with them.When used properly, antibiotics eliminate life-threatening infections, but around 1 in 10 people treated with them suffer adverse side effects.Scientists are beginning to discover that antibiotic use - and overuse especially - is associated with a range of problems that affect, among other things, glucose metabolism, the immune system, food digestion and behavior. As of April 2018, antibiotics ranked as the No. 1 most commonly prescribed drug class with sales hitting $40 billion globally. Between 2000 and 2015, human use of antibiotics rose by nearly 40 percent. And some economists now say that if nothing changes, antibiotic resistance will be responsible for 10 million deaths around the world by 2050.