Dear Dr. Milrod:

I recently had a severe chest cold that lasted about 18 days. During that time I took Amoxicillin 10 days (350 ml) daily. This was also in combination with over-the-counter Sudafed. I purposely waited an extra 5 days after the script ran out before arranging a date. While the lady was great I had a horrible time getting “good wood” that would last beyond two minutes once a condom went into action. As a result the time was devoted to oral sex. I haven’t had a date since then so I really can’t judge for myself if those drugs did me in or not. Is it possible?

Sickly Dude

Dear Sickly Dude:

You’re not permanently “done in,” but the aftereffects of the chest cold certainly threw you for a loop! I don’t believe it was the amoxicillin per se, but rather the exhaustion and the reduced general functioning from the infection itself. It would have been the same thing if you had decided to go for a 10K run, while not being a professional runner – you would have choked one-third of the way. Now, it is true that antibiotics can make you very tired while you are taking them. Some people are so wiped out from them that they basically can’t get out of bed. Waiting five days was good, but apparently not long enough for your general health to return.

If I were you, I’d begin restoring some of the bacterial gut flora that the amoxicillin wiped out. Go and get reliable sugar-free acidophilus product. No, plain yogurt won’t do it; you’ll need more flora than one yogurt container can provide. In addition, amoxicillin can hinder the production of B and K vitamins in the intestine. Getting sick like that in the first place will have contributed to your B-vitamin depletion, since illness in combination with amoxicillin usually cuts down the appetite quite severely, and hence there are no energizing vitamins there to prop you up. Doing a nice battery of multi-vitamins, staying off tobacco and alcohol for the next month or so should get you back on track.

Christine Milrod, Ph.D.