Liver failure after taking cold medicine? Do not use amoxicillin and cephalosporin indiscriminately for colds, there is a difference between the two

Taking a cold medicine can also eat dead people?

Yes, Zhang, a 27-year-old graduate student, died of drug-induced liver failure because of mixed cold medicine.

What is the matter with this?

Zhang, because he was preparing for a postgraduate defense, was very busy every day, and the excessive pressure made him a little bit overwhelmed. He showed signs of a cold and fever, and was always unable to cheer up, so he went to the pharmacy to get 4 kinds of cold medicine ( contain acetaminophen) .

In order not to affect the progress of the thesis and recover faster, he increased the dose of the drug himself . However, the effect was not satisfactory. On the contrary, he developed fever, diarrhea , yellow eyes and yellow skin , and his spirit became worse , which had seriously affected his life and study.

As a last resort, he went to the hospital for an examination, and was finally diagnosed with severe liver and kidney failure, blood coagulation function and brain function also suffered serious failures , and eventually died of ineffective rescue.

Afterwards, the doctor analyzed the cause of Zhang's death, and considered that it was related to drug-induced liver failure caused by taking cold medicine mixed with acetaminophen dose.

1. I have a cold, should I take medicine?

Colds are very common, and are mostly divided into common cold and influenza.

Generally speaking, the common cold refers to the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection caused by rhinovirus, coronavirus and other viruses. It is a self-limiting disease and usually improves naturally within 1-2 weeks .

And eating cold disease, and can not play the role of prevention and treatment of colds, only play a role in relieving discomfort.

If it is caused by influenza virus, it is called influenza. The incubation period is 1-3 days. In addition to general symptoms such as fever, cough, and runny nose, there are often symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body aches, and fatigue . At this time, it is necessary to go to the hospital in time to receive standardized treatment, otherwise it may be combined with pneumonia, meningitis, and myocarditis, which is very dangerous.

Generally speaking, for the common cold, taking medicine is not very effective. If it is really uncomfortable and has affected your life and work, you can take medicine for the symptoms. However, taking certain ingredients in combination may damage the body, so you should consult a doctor before taking medicine.

2. What is the difference between amoxicillin and cephalosporin?

Many people like to buy amoxicillin, cephalosporin and other drugs when they catch a cold. Are these two useful? What's the difference?

Both amoxicillin and cephalexin are antibiotics , which are useless for common colds caused by viruses, because antibacterial drugs mainly target "bacteria" and are "powerless" against viruses . Blindly using drugs may lead to drug resistance in the body, which has disadvantages greater than profit.

What kind of diseases are amoxicillin and cephalosporin mainly aimed at? What's the difference?

·Different types

Amoxicillin is a semi-synthetic penicillin, which belongs to a separate drug and is effective against Gram-negative bacilli; and cephalosporin is a general term for a class of drugs with four generations.

·Applicable diseases are different

Amoxicillin is more effective for early inflammation, such as lower respiratory tract infection, genitourinary tract infection, ENT infection and other diseases;

While cephalosporins are suitable for more serious infections , the fourth-generation cephradine, cefepime, etc., are suitable forRespiratory tract infection, urinary system infection, biliary tract infection, sepsis and other treatment.

·Security difference

Amoxicillin is relatively safe and has low liver and kidney toxicity, but you must pay attention to anti-allergic, and do a penicillin skin test before taking the medicine; as for the side effects of cephalosporins, the first generation has kidney toxicity, the second generation gradually decreases, and the third generation has been resolved. This hidden danger.

Therefore, when you have a cold, don’t take medicine indiscriminately, so as not to use the wrong medicine. If the cold is not cured, it will bring more health problems.

3. You may not be able to bear the consequences of overuse of antibiotics

Many people have no concept of antibiotics. In fact, the consequences of overuse of antibiotics are very serious.

For example, it is prone to toxic reactions, stimulates the liver and kidney , and may lead to liver and kidney failure in severe cases. Not only that, but it will also lead to an imbalance of flora , causing an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria, which will lead to more health problems;

The most important point is the problem of drug resistance . While antibiotics are sterilizing bacteria, bacteria will also fight hard, and their combat effectiveness will become stronger and stronger. Once they are no longer afraid of antibiotics in the later stage, drug resistance will develop.

Drug resistance information , so the body may have drug resistance in multiple fungi at the same time, which means that the difficulty of treatment has increased, and human beings may face the threat of many infectious diseases again .

Therefore, remind everyone to use antibiotics with caution.

These commonly used drugs are all antibiotics. Don’t be careless. The names include mycin (such as azithromycin), cillin (such as amoxicillin), cephalosporin (such as cefoperazone), sulfonamides (such as sulfamethoxazole), and cyclosporine (such as dimethoxazole). Mecycline), floxacin (such as levofloxacin), penem (such as meropenem) and other words, basically belong to antibiotics, use with caution!

4. Extension: People who are not prone to colds are more likely to get cancer?

The reason for this statement is mainly that frequent colds can improve immunity, thereby reducing the risk of cancer.

But in fact, colds are mainly caused by viral infections, which cannot exercise immunity.

And a study in Germany has also confirmed that: compared with people who have had no colds for 5 years, there is basically no difference in the risk of developing cancer between people who have had 3 or more colds within a year.

The reason why there is the idea that "frequent colds are not easy to get cancer" is mainly because people who often catch colds will pay more attention to some discomforts in the body and are more willing to go to the hospital for examination, which is helpful for early detection of cancer. question;

And many people who never catch a cold always feel that they have good physical fitness, and it is difficult to pay attention to some discomforts in the body. How come you got cancer all of a sudden?”, but in fact, the disease has happened for a long time, maybe you didn’t notice it.

Summary: Although a cold is a minor ailment, it should not be underestimated. It should be treated scientifically, drink plenty of water, and take a good rest so that you can recover as soon as possible. Remember, avoid taking cold medicines indiscriminately, especially taking mixed medicines, which may bring some irreversible consequences.

References:

[1] "Should I take medicine when I have a cold? You're probably doing everything wrong about the cold! ". Public Health and Preventive Medicine. 2019-03-20

[2] "Take amoxicillin and cephalosporin when you catch a cold? Don't use it indiscriminately, there is a big difference between the two! It is a treasure to use it right, and the consequences of eating it wrong may be unimaginable! ". I am a doctor official micro. 2022-02-13

[3] "The Abuse of Antibiotics is Scary! Which are Antibiotics? Teach you to recognize the name at a glance! ". Health Times. 2017-07-04

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