Your brains are in your belly, and that’s good for your mental health.
From depression to dementia, probiotic therapy is the revolutionary, not-so-new treatment.
Years ago, when my father was given antibiotics in hospital for a urinary tract infection, he experienced a sudden change of personality. He became delirious and started ranting. He twice called the police on his phone, convinced that the nurses were conspiring to kill him. Twice those unflappable carers had to explain to the police that no crime was underway.
How we laughed. Later, that is, when the entertainment value increased with each retelling. Fortunately, for all concerned, the delusions were only temporary. They were also intriguing. I did some research, and discovered that temporary psychosis is one of the less well-known side effects of some antibiotics.
An antibiotic is a medicine that kills bacteria. There’s your first clue.
From Fiction to Fact
There is, as I discovered, a long history of anecdotal reports of psychiatric side effects of antibiotics. Those side effects include depression, anxiety, psychosis, and mental confusion.
Until recently, those anecdotes went largely ignored. And therein lies the danger.
