Hip
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The antibiotic ampicillin and the antibiotic/antiprotozoal metronidazole are demonstrated to be antiviral for coxsackievirus B3 and poliovirus in a mouse study.
In the study, mice were infected with CVB3, and given an oral daily dose of 10 mg of one of the following antibiotics: vancomycin, ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole or streptomycin. This 10 mg mouse dose corresponds to a human dose of around 2000 mg daily.
Mice given these antibiotics had reduced CVB3 levels in their tissues. In some organs — like the small intestine, cecum (which is the first part of colon), and spleen — there was a least a 10-fold reduction in viral levels 3 days after inoculation with the virus (see figure 1A) in the mice given these antibiotics, compared to controls.
Most of these antibiotics however are ototoxic (damage the hearing), so are best avoided. The non-toxic antibiotics in the list are ampicillin and metronidazole. Out of the two, metronidazole had the most potent antiviral effect in the mice (see figure 5).
However, metronidazole is well-known for its frequent psychiatric side effects such as depression, so ampicillin may be the best alternative (unless you have tried metronidazole and not had mental side effects).
The maximum ampicillin dose used in medicine is 200 mg/kg daily, which is 16 grams daily for an 80 kg person, in divided doses given every 3 to 4 hours. Ref: here.
In the study, mice were infected with CVB3, and given an oral daily dose of 10 mg of one of the following antibiotics: vancomycin, ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole or streptomycin. This 10 mg mouse dose corresponds to a human dose of around 2000 mg daily.
Mice given these antibiotics had reduced CVB3 levels in their tissues. In some organs — like the small intestine, cecum (which is the first part of colon), and spleen — there was a least a 10-fold reduction in viral levels 3 days after inoculation with the virus (see figure 1A) in the mice given these antibiotics, compared to controls.
Most of these antibiotics however are ototoxic (damage the hearing), so are best avoided. The non-toxic antibiotics in the list are ampicillin and metronidazole. Out of the two, metronidazole had the most potent antiviral effect in the mice (see figure 5).
However, metronidazole is well-known for its frequent psychiatric side effects such as depression, so ampicillin may be the best alternative (unless you have tried metronidazole and not had mental side effects).
The maximum ampicillin dose used in medicine is 200 mg/kg daily, which is 16 grams daily for an 80 kg person, in divided doses given every 3 to 4 hours. Ref: here.
