If SHTF, reliable sources of medications, and manufacturers of drugs and antibiotics may cease to exist. Hospitals, clinics, and other institutions that cater to the sick will likely become unavailable. Once antibiotics become scarce, a simple infection could result in death or permanent disability.
This is why it is important to have a backup plan and alternatives to the common drugs available today in prepping your essential medical supplies.
There are 8 common fish antibiotics that can be used as a substitute in a post-apocalyptic setting. All have different safety concerns but are generally the same as human drugs.
These are:
- FishPen
- FishMox
- FishCillin
- FishCin
- FishFlex
- FishFlox
- FishSulfa
- FishZole
What are Fish Antibiotics and its Difference to Human Antibiotics
Fish antibiotic is antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections in fishes. It has the same chemical composition as the antibiotics prescribed by physicians. Most often, it is even available in the same form and dosage.
The main difference lies in the regulation and the quality control of the manufacturing process of these drugs. Human antibiotics undergo stringent regulations and immaculate quality control to ensure the safety and purity of the end product.
Fish antibiotics on the other hand are unregulated. Not even by the FDA which oversees human and animal drug products. Because of this, the quality and purity of fish antibiotics are subject to scrutiny.
Besides, even if fish antibiotics becomes regulated by the FDA in the future, the manufacturing standards will not be on par with the ones enforced in human drug productions since it will drive the price upwards for these drugs.
Safety Concerns
Aside from the questionable purity, if the contents are truly the same, then safety concerns as with human antibiotics apply to fish antibiotics. Allergies, side effects, adverse drug reactions, and contraindications will be the same with the added concern of its efficacy (how effective the drug is). Because it is unregulated, the side effects and adverse reactions can also vary in severity.
Reasons for Stocking and Using Fish Antibiotics
The most valid reason for prepping fish antibiotics for survival is that when SHTF and society collapses, there might be a scarcity of human antibiotics. Preppers should have an alternative medication instead of using nothing.
Others prefer to use fish antibiotics due to the cost of healthcare and medications in the US since fish antibiotics are leagues cheaper than prescription drugs. However, one must completely understand the risk associated before doing this.
Common Fish Antibiotics for Preppers and How to Use Them
Before self-medicating with any kind of antibiotic, one must be sure that the cause of the illness is bacterial. Antibiotics cannot kill viruses and not all are effective for protozoal infections.
Some respiratory diseases can also be due to fungal infections and can have the same presentation as a bacterial infection. These illnesses cannot be treated with antibiotics.
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Fish Pen 500mg
Generic name: Penicillin
Drug Class: Beta-lactam antibiotic
Indication/Uses:
- Oral abscess
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
- Pneumonia and other respiratory tract infections
- Skin infection
- UTI
- Syphilis
Contraindication:
- Penicillin allergy, impaired liver function, and previous bacterial infection incompletely treated with penicillin.
Dosing:
- 500mg every 6 hours x 10 to 14 days
Other considerations
- Penicillin has been misused for a very long time. There are a lot of bacteria resistant to this drug and other drugs derived from it. If there are no other antibiotics available, then one must ensure to complete the dose for 14 days to prevent breeding new resistant strains of bacteria.
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Fish Cillin 250mg
Generic name: Ampicillin
Drug Class: Penicillin derived beta-lactam antibiotic
Indication/Uses:
- Mild to severe systemic infections
- Pneumonia
- Sore throat
- Stomach flu (bacterial in nature)
- Typhoid fever
- Meningitis
- UTI
Contraindication:
- Penicillin allergy.
Dosing:
- Mild to moderate infections: 500mg every 6 hours x 10 to 14 days.
- Severe infections: 1g every 6 hours x 14 days.
- Meningitis: 2g every 6 hours until stable, then 1g every 6 hours to complete 14 days.
- UTI: 500mg every 8 hours x 14 days.
- Typhoid: 1 to 2g every 6 hours for 14 days.
Other considerations
- Another penicillin derived drug. Bacteria resistance is common. The problem with penicillin and penicillin derived fish antibiotics is that they are not available in combination forms with an added drug that can neutralize the defense mechanism of resistant bacteria, unlike their human antibiotic counterpart.
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Fish Mox 250mg, and Fish Mox Forte 500mg
Generic name: Amoxicillin
Drug Class: Penicillin derived beta-lactam antibiotic
Indication/Uses:
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
- Ear infection
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- UTI
- Gonorrhea
- Skin infection
- Soft-tissue infections (Oral abscess)
Contraindication:
- Penicillin allergy or liver impairment
Dosing:
- 250mg every 8 hours x 14 days for mild infections.
- 500mg to 1g every 12 hours x 14 days for severe infections.
Other considerations
- Amoxicillin is a derivative of penicillin. This means that there is a problem of resistant bacteria and the risk of breeding more resistant strains.
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Fish Cin 150mg
Generic name: Clindamycin
Drug Class: Macrolide antibiotic
Indication/Uses:
- Alternative for people with Penicillin allergy
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis
- Ear infection
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Pelvic Inflammatory diseases (PID): infections of the female reproductive organs.
- UTI
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Skin infection
- Soft-tissue infections.
Contraindication:
- Allergy to clindamycin, erythromycin, or other macrolide antibiotics.
- Liver and kidney disease.
Dosing:
- For serious infections: 150 to 300mg every 6 hours x 10 to 14 days
- Severe infections: 300 to 450mg every 6 hours x 10 to 14 days
Other considerations
- This drug should be taken with a full glass of water to avoid GI irritation.
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Fish Flex 500mg
Generic name: Cephalexin
Drug Class: 1st generation cephalexin antibiotic
Indication/Uses:
- Sinusitis
- Tonsillitis and pharyngitis
- Ear infection
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- UTI
- Skin infection
- Soft-tissue infections (Oral abscess)
- Bone infections
Contraindication:
- Allergy to cephalosporins
Dosing:
- Skin and throat infections: 500mg every 12 hours x 10 days
- Respiratory, bone, oral abscess, and UTI: 500mg every 8 hours x 10 days
Other considerations
- This drug can still be used by people with kidney disease, but the dose should be reduced to avoid complications.
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Fish Flox 500mg
Generic name: Ciprofloxacin
Drug Class: Fluoroquinolones
Indication/Uses:
- Anthrax
- UTI
- Bronchitis
- Pneumonia
- Kidney infection
- Skin and soft tissue infection
- Bone and joint infection
- Typhoid Fever
- Bacterial Diarrhea
Contraindication:
- Allergy to quinolones
- Known history of myasthenia gravis
- History of heart disease
Dosing:
- Anthrax treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis: 500mg every 12 hours for 60 days
- Respiratory, skin, and soft tissue infections: 500mg to 750mg every 12 hours for 7 to 14 days.
- Mild UTI: 500mg every 12 hours x 3 days
- Typhoid Fever, severe UTI: 500mg every 12 hours x 7 days
- Diarrhea: 500mg every 12 hours for 1 to 5 days depending on severity.
- Kidney infection: 500mg to 750mg every 12 hours x 7 to 21 days depending on severity.
- Bone infections: 500mg to 750mg every 12 hours until resolution of infection, maximum use of up to 3 months.
Other considerations
- Fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin and drugs ending with ofloxacin can damage the DNA. This class of drug is banned in a lot of countries due to this effect. Avoid this drug unless there’s no other choice available.
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Fish Sulfa Forte 960mg
Generic name: Sulfamethoxazole (800mg) + Trimethoprim (160mg)
Drug Class: Sulfonamides
Indication/Uses:
- UTI
- Chronic bronchitis
- Ear infection
- Severe Pneumonia
Contraindication:
- Severe liver disease
Dosing:
- Bronchitis, and ear infection: 400mg/80mg every 12 hours x 5 to 7 days
- UTI: 400mg/80mg every 12 hours x 1 to 3 days.
- Severe pneumonia: 120mg/kg/day divided in 2 to 4 doses x 14 to 21 days
Other considerations
- The dose of this drug is halved depending on the kidney status of a person.
- It is contraindicated for people with severe kidney impairment.
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Fish Zole 500mg
Generic name: Metronidazole
Drug Class: Nitroimidazole antibiotic and antiprotozoal
Indication/Uses:
- Deep soft tissue infections
- Intestinal amoebiasis and other protozoal infections
- Bacterial Vaginosis (Vaginal itching + discharge)
Contraindication:
- Allergy to imidazole
Dosing:
- Deep tissue infections: 1 to 1.5g loading dose, followed by 500mg to 750mg every 6 hours x 7 to 10 days or up to 2 to 3 weeks for severe cases.
- Amoebiasis: 500mg to 750mg every 8 hours x 5 to 10 days.
- Bacterial Vaginosis: 2g single dose
Other considerations
- This drug should not be given to people who have a history of seizure, blood disease, liver and kidney impairment, and pregnant and lactating.
Fish antibiotics for preppers is a great alternative for when SHTF. If society does collapse, the looting of pharmacies and hospitals for medications is bound to happen. Knowing that fish antibiotics can be used as an alternative is indispensable knowledge. Preppers and survivalists will have more options on places to scour for supplies.