………….WHAT IS THE CONNECTION WITH ALZHEIMER!??

Why do I start this story with erysupelas if the article below speaks about Alzheimer! WILL EXPLAIN

Erysipelas is an acute infection mostly of a leg [but can be other parts of the body but I rarely have seen this], potentially[ofte] recurring.

The symptoms are high fever, chills [smarmoret], headaches, feeling very sick,[vomiting], with a sharp, a little bit. but clearly raised fierce red skin[sometimes a bit blue as well],the beginning may look like a beginning flu before the skin lesions show up.

For some strange reason, it is often not treated the right way and people end up in hospitals.

Even if it is not a very common condition I still have seen tens of patients with it. Without exception I have treated all of them [ if there was not allergy to penicillin ] with a high dose of penicillin, 2x per day 5 gram for 2 to 3 days or a bit longer, followed thereafter with 500 mg per day, every day!

We are speaking about Penicillin V [= Rafapen =Penrafa in Israel], not about moxypen etc!!

I can assure you that this is the best, safest treatment but hardly known with Israeli doctors, as I experienced.

As the one gram of Rafapen does not exist any more in Israel patients may have to swallow 10 tablets per dose!

As one of the nastiest things is the potential recurrence of the infection with a possible permanent [non-receding] lymphedema [ALWAYS SWOLLEN LEG!!! which hardly can be treated], PREVENTION is therfore very worthwhile

I have patients who have been taking penicillin for 40 years or longer [one tablet in the morning of 500 mg!! never to fortget] and only very rarely there was a recurrence and in these rare cases, patients were instructed then to take again at once the high dose again for a few days.[so they should always keep extra doses of penicillin at home]

Why I am telling you all this??

Simply because some patients -understandable- were reluctant to take forever penicillin even if this the most benign antibiotic without bad effefcts on the bacterila flora

So what has Alzheimer to do with all this?

Because quite a while ago [ 20 years or lomger] I saw an article in which was suggested a [strong?] connection between taking longterm penicillin treatment and a reduced frequency of Alzheimer.

So….I told my patients that if the article showed in the future to be true, they may be “lucky” that they had erysipelas…..

The article below does not tell about which antibiotics were used [ a “cocktail”] [Journal of Experimental Medicine.]

If you read this mail and are one of the patients who are taking long term penicillin please write to me. Thanks

Antibiotics may help curb Alzheimer’s symptoms

Published Today

By Monica Beyer 

Fact checked by Paula Field

Research showed that an antibiotic mix impacted the gut bacteria in mice to the point that it slowed the growth and development of Alzheimer’s, but only in males.

New research in mice suggests that antibiotics may reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms by impacting the gut bacteria.

The study, conducted at The University of Chicago, IL, demonstrated how long-term antibiotic use could reduce inflammation and slow the growth of amyloid plaques in male mice.

Amyloid plaques are a feature specific to Alzheimer’s disease. They form when a particular protein within the neurons of the brain buildup and clump together. These amyloid plaques disrupt brain cell function and lead to the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

The team was led by Professor Sangram S. Sisodia, who is also the director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology at The University of Chicago.

The team was already aware that people with Alzheimer’s showed changes in their gut bacteria, and they had previously carried out studies showing how gut bacteria could potentially affect Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in rodents.

This research found that changes to the microbiome limited the development of amyloid plaques in male mice, but not females. 

Sisodia says of the research that “while compelling, our published studies on the role of the gut microbiome on amyloid plaque formation were limited to a single strain of mice.”