> and I'm generally on board with limiting my own use of antibiotics (e.g. not asking a physician for an antibiotic prescription for a minor illness that is most likely viral).
I, on the other hand, have an illegal supply of powerful antibiotics and antifungals sitting in my medicine cabinet. They're technically for fish, but do the math: there are only a handful of factories making these pills in the world, and the pills are indistinguishable. I don't feel guilty about it in the slightest.
There has been a fundamental change in the role of doctors and healthcare professionals in the past 30 years, and I don't like it. You can go to a doctor, and you can both agree that you have a certain infection, and the doctor will refuse to prescribe a drug which all parties know will cure the infection. I think that's a new development in medical practice.
So that's why I have fish medicine. Because when I'm sick for 3 weeks and still getting worse, fuck the greater good, I'm getting mine. And that's why you should take fish medicine, too: because as long as there are people like me, you're fighting a lost cause.
You can go to a doctor, and you can both agree that you have a certain infection, and the doctor will refuse to prescribe a drug which all parties know will cure the infection
That’s really not a thing that’s happening. You might find a doctor reticent to throw antibiotics at minor infections, but that’s because of their side effects rather than anything to do with antibiotic resistance.
In any case, even if there are a small number of people misusing antibiotics, it’s likely that the effect of their use in farming is far more harmful in the whole.
indeed, it's mostly that they know which antibiotics and other drugs work on which infections, and when they will not work at all. So many people demand drugs for colds and flu, and it is only the incompetent doctor that will give you antibiotics for viruses. Patients generally aren't good at diagnosis or choosing correct treatment, even with their apparent certainties from google.
But you in your home are unlikely to be able to diagnose whether an illness is bacterial or viral, and so sometimes you will be exposing yourself to anti-biotics for no reason. That's not a risk-free option. You might be happy with the amount of risk, but I doubt you know what the level of risk actually is.
> doctor will refuse to prescribe a drug which all parties know will cure the infection
Mostly it's doctors saying "we don't know if this is viral or bacterial, and by the time the tests come back it will have cleared up", or they're saying "this is a self limiting condition with no long lasting effects and taking antibiotics will shorten the duration by only half a day".
None of what you said even makes sense. Doctors aren't withholding medicine when it is needed, they are withholding it when it isn't needed. The point is to ensure your fish medicine will still work. By encouraging others to do the same as you it just makes it more likely you will end up with MRSA or whatever, and if that happens you won't be beating the system with your illegal fish drugs. They won't be able to help you.
Meanwhile in the more likely scenario where you don't catch MRSA, as others have said all you are doing is damaging your health.
I, on the other hand, have an illegal supply of powerful antibiotics and antifungals sitting in my medicine cabinet. They're technically for fish, but do the math: there are only a handful of factories making these pills in the world, and the pills are indistinguishable. I don't feel guilty about it in the slightest.
There has been a fundamental change in the role of doctors and healthcare professionals in the past 30 years, and I don't like it. You can go to a doctor, and you can both agree that you have a certain infection, and the doctor will refuse to prescribe a drug which all parties know will cure the infection. I think that's a new development in medical practice.
So that's why I have fish medicine. Because when I'm sick for 3 weeks and still getting worse, fuck the greater good, I'm getting mine. And that's why you should take fish medicine, too: because as long as there are people like me, you're fighting a lost cause.