I was going to write a post about the use of cinnamon for blood glucose control (and I will, soon), but I got an ear infection and it prompted me to write about infections and antibiotics with regards to diabetes.
I am very prone to ear infections. I have been pretty much my entire life. Becoming a diabetic did not make it worse. But it did make treating them sometimes difficult.
I remember about 3 or 4 years ago, I got an ear infection and went to the doctor at the walk-in clinic and was prescribed an antibiotic. Cool. I started taking the meds and things did not improve after a few days. In fact, they got worse and the pain increased. I was practically crying when I went to my own family doctor for help.
She told me that the antibiotic the doctor at the walk-in had prescribed was a good one, but not for diabetics. She said that that Cipro (ciprofloxacin) just didn't work well in most diabetics, and prescribed me something stronger - Keflex - as well as some antibiotic ear drops (funnily enough - CiproDex - a ciprofloxacin drop).
So, I did some reading into this, and read some papers and while I haven't actually found anything that says Cipro doesn't work in diabetics, I did find that Cipro class drugs can in fact cause wide swings in blood sugars - hypos or hypers(1). And as many diabetics know, uncontrolled blood sugars can make infections worse, or can encourage them to develop.
So while it's not a matter that the antibiotic won't work for diabetics, but rather that the antibiotic can cause blood sugar swings, that can encourage the growth of bacteria, it needs to be taken into account when a patient presents with infection. On the other hand, the infection itself, can also cause a loss of glucose control. It's really a vicious cycle when you get an infection of any sort.
If you think you have an ear infection, or any type of infection, you really should talk to your doctor about the appropriate antibiotic to treat the infection, as well as maintaining good blood glucose control. Not every diabetic who takes Cipro has the same effect. For me, it just didn't seem to reach the infection, and I needed something stronger. For others, they may not find that they have any problem maintaining control with Cipro, and it clears up their infection. This, of course, is the main reason why it's important to discuss with your medical team any medications and to contact them as soon as you notice any change in your health - especially if the infection you're treating seems to be getting worse, or you are having problems controlling your blood glucose levels
Another problem with antibiotics in diabetics is that there is often an increased resistance. The main reason seems to be because diabetics can have recurring and common infections, and therefore are treated with antibiotics more frequently. This of course, can lead to a resistance after time. (2) Antibiotics need to be prescribed with care. But of course, you shouldn't avoid taking antibiotics if you really do need them.
As always, my advice is to talk with your doctor about your medical regimen and make sure you are getting the best care possible for your particular needs.
I remain, as always,
Gayla Ber
Sugar Free Mamma Be(a)r
(1)http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=172680
(2)http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803748_5
Other sources:
http://www.drugs.com/disease-interactions/ciprofloxacin.html
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