I was prompted to write this post after a couple of clients of mine experienced symptoms of regression following exposure to antibiotics.
People with Trisomy 21 (T21) are born with sensitive mitochondria as a result of having an extra chromosome 1. Recent studies reveal that a combination of EGCg, Resveratrol, Curcumin and CoQ10 are effective at supporting mitochondria and improving energy production 1. You can read more about mitochondria and T21 here:
Optimising Mitochondria in Down Syndrome I
Optimising Mitochondria in Down Syndrome II
CASE STUDY 1:
The first case study involves a 24 year old female with Trisomy 21 (T21) who was required, by her Opthalmologist, to take Ciprofloxacin eye drops plus a steroid eye drop for an eye ulcer; 3 weeks daily and then 2 x weekly ongoing, which lasted 9 weeks in total.
Following this she started to develop symptoms of regression; loss of communication, loss of feeding skills, increased fatigue, face rubbing – mental and physical shutdown.
During this time, she was left in the care of relatives while a parent was hospitalised and she dived further into regression; loss of interest in everything including speech, laying on the bed in a catatonic state day and night. She was subsequently diagnosed with Catatonia/ Down syndrome Disintegrative Disorder (DSDD) within 2 months.
Dixie and I posted articles a few years ago on the potential damage that Ciprofloxacin can do to people with T21, due to their affect on mitochondria. Those posts are available on The Conscious Pod public facebook page.
Subsequent case reports of regression, suggest that Ciprofloxacin isn’t the only antibiotic to be cautious of.
CASE STUDY 2:
A more recent case study involved a 27 year old female with T21 who’s parents reported she made an almost full recovery from regression using TNI + Naturopathic intervention and was 95% back to her typical self, but developed symptoms again after being given Azithromycin antibiotics. Symptoms following the antibiotic included staring episodes, paleness and almost passing out. Medical assessment reported the possibility of seizures.
Research reports Azithromycin causes damage to mitochondria, which is linked to neurodegeneration and aggravates existing mitochondrial-associated diseases 2. Further studies report that mitochondrial damage is linked with seizure activity 3, 4 and people with T21 are candidates for developing seizures at any age 5, 6.
Mitochondria
Its a strange concept that mitochondria, located within our cells, were formed by bacteria engulfed by the cell more than 1.45 billion years ago. Mitochondria are considered today to be an organelle of bacterial origin. When you understand this concept, its easier to understand how some antibiotics might damage mitochondria.
According to researchers from the University of Cadiz, Spain a wide range of antibiotics damage our mitochondria 7. Most of us understand the damage antibiotics do to the microbiome, but its important to understand, as the parent of a child with mitochondrial vulnerability, that certain antibiotics and medications damage mitochondria reducing our ability to produce energy (ATP) and elevating oxidative stress.
The loss of cellular energy production (mitochondrial damage) is linked to hearing and vision loss, cardiac arrhythmia, diabetes, poor growth, muscle weakness, poor muscle tone, exercise intolerance, Autism spectrum disorder, Increased risk of infection, neurological problems (seizures, migraines, strokes) movement disorders, thyroid problems, breathing problems, lactic acid build up and dementia. 8
Which antibiotics damage mitochondria?
Ciprofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone)
Ampicillin (a β-lactam)
Kanamycin (an aminoglycoside) 9
Amino glycosides
Linezolid
Tetracycline
Azithromycin
Erythromycin 11
Which medications damage mitochondria?
Anti-diabetic drugs (thiazolidinediones, fibrates, biguanides)
Cholesterol lowering drugs (statins)
Anti-depressants (SSRIs) Sertaline, paroxetine
Pain medications (NSAIDs); high-dose acetaminophen
Anti-cancer drugs (kinase inhibitors and anthracyclins) 10
Valproic acid
Metformin 11
Which anaesthetics damage mitochondria?
Volatile anaesthetics
Muscle relaxants
Propofol 11
I suggest checking with a practitioner to know if the medication your child ahas been recommended is also in this category, as not all may be listed here.
Another topic which emerged as a result of looking at the side effects of antibiotics, was the current trend of adding metals such as Antimony and Lead to antibiotics to increase their potency. A couple of hair analysis reports showed elevated levels of Antimony and Arsenic, which didn’t fit the exposure picture of the clients. A pubmed database search revealed that Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and silver are incorporated into newer antibiotics including Azythromycin, for their increased antimicrobial activity against select bacterial and fungal organisms 12. In addition, newly developed Antimony-based antimicrobials are reportedly highly effective against bacterial and fungal pathogens 12.
Taking all of this into consideration, its important not to start medication without an investigation into possible side effects. You can do this yourself via a search of Pubmed, or ask a practitioner to help you. Many physicians aren’t aware of the mitochondrial sensitivity people with T21 experience, and may not be aware of the potential dangers of what they are prescribing.
References:
Mitochondria as pharmacological targets in Down syndrome
Mitochondrial Toxicity of Azithromycin Results in Aerobic Glycolysis and DNA Damage of Human Mammary Epithelia and Fibroblasts
Mitochondrial dysfunction and seizures: the neuronal energy crisis
Mitochondrial dysfunction in epilepsy
Seizure frequency and characteristics in children with Down syndrome
Age of seizure onset in adults with Down’s syndrome
Mitochondria and Antibiotics: For Good or for Evil?
Mitochondrial Diseases
Side effects of antibiotics during bacterial infection: Mitochondria, the main target in host cell
Drug-Induced Mitochondrial Toxicity in the Geriatric Population: Challenges and Future Directions
Patient care standards for primary mitochondrial disease: a consensus statement from the Mitochondrial Medicine Society
Antibacterial, antifungal and enzymatic activities of azithromycin-heavy metal complexes: Newly synthesized and characterized
