Fish Antibiotics as a Prepper Alternative?

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: An article from Demi Rose to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies!

Editor: This post may leave you with more questions than answers but that isn’t always a bad thing. When we are forced by circumstances to live off the grid sometimes we need to make some pretty edgy decisions in our preparedness. One recurring theme on The Prepper Journal has been stockpiling meds, with prescriptions meds being a sore subject due to the influence of our pseudo-socialized medical system now in the throws of either its death or its immortality. No matter the end game on that insurance companies and doctors, rightfully so, do not generally support prescriptions of more than 30-days duration. So now people are looking at alternatives and one that is getting a lot of attention is antibiotics for fish as a possible substitute since they can be close to those used in humans and they are NOT regulated, they can be bought on Amazon or at pet stores over the counter. 

Some doctors will prescribe antibiotics for survival storage, but not very many as their abuse can lead to their ineffectiveness, your immune system can work against you. So is has been rumored that many preppers explore fish antibiotics as an alternative. They’re commonly sold in human doses and available without a prescription.

Fish antibiotics such as Fish Mox Forte are used to treat bacterial infections in fish. The antibiotics that are used to treat fish are the same or similar as the antibiotics that are provided for human use from antibiotic manufacturing companies, depending on type of antibiotic and form.  Some consider their use a very bad idea. As a Prepper you should know the facts and make an informed decision.

Everything you’ve wanted to know about fish antibiotics for survival

In the event that there has been a bug out situation and someone needs emergency attention and medical help seems to be far away or nowhere to be found, then, is the next best thing to lay your hands on a bottle of fish antibiotics? Your guess will be as good as mine – do you administer them to enhance someones chance of survival from a wound or injury in the hope of giving them added time while you seek professional medical help? Will such a thing as professional medical help really exist in a true TEOTWAWKI situation?

The real question remains “are fish antibiotics reliable for human survival?” Below is an all-encompassing guide to everything you would want to know about fish antibiotics in the hope of helping you make an intelligent decision.

Many believe that fish antibiotics are a handy alternative for human antibiotics and as such are good “make up” components for your survival kit. So when I grab my crankbait fishing rod for my weekend angling, armed with my bug-out bag stocked up with fish antibiotics I am confident of a wonderful weekend with no worries. Most prepper blogs advice that one can stock up on these pills as they have an all-round semblance to the normally prescribed medicine in hospitals.

What are fish antibiotics?                 

Thomas labs explains that fish antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections in fish. Most fish antibiotics we have (either in capsule or tablet form) possesses similar USP grades to those produced by pharmaceutical companies for human use; that means that antibiotics used for fish treatment are similar to those used for human bacterial treatment, not necessarily that we suffer the same infection but the active ingredient in fish antibiotics are almost the same in milligram with human antibiotics. However its use for human treatment is subject to confirmation by a certified medical personnel as this justifies the negation of the label ‘fish use only‘.

Fish antibiotics? Why human use?

As I said earlier, its human use does not negate the manufacturers caution on the pack which clearly states, “not for human use” and that only qualified medical personnel could mandate its use and answer the above authoritatively. But for the sake of the guide, a slight comparison to ascertain its similarity with those prescribed by the doctor for humans won’t hurt. What are the components of these fish antibiotics that are present also in human antibiotics, keeping in mind that animal doses might vary from human doses, so at least while comparing make sure you get the dosage correct.

Fish antibiotics:         Active ingredient:

Fish Amp forte.            Ampicillin 500mg

fish mox forte.             Amoxicillin 500mg

Fish pen forte.             Penicillin 500mg

Fish flox forte.            Ciprofloxacin 500mg

fin flex forte.              Cephalexin 500mg

These ingredients not only appear in human antibiotics, but most times have the exact same dosage. This strengthens the claim that fish antibiotics could be a worthy stand in, in case of an emergency. Nonetheless we should be careful that there is just one of these active ingredients and that it supports human survival to avoid other drug allergies, and adverse reactions.

Having known these, are there other things worth knowing?

For the fact that the topic in question is about a drug, one should be aptly informed before embarking on its use to avoid its abuse. As mentioned earlier drugs are composed of various ingredients which have different effects, so I think you will need to know if the fish antibiotics you are getting has just this one ingredient that is similar to the humans own or are there additives and fillers which might cause allergies as a result of a different effect? My advice would be stay with a drug that has just that one similar active ingredient.

Right dosage

Dosages might be similar, but it is worth checking with a qualified Medical professional to be sure. If you must take or give fish antibiotics, make sure the dosage is right according to accepted medical guidelines. This can not be overstated.

Allergies

This is where the “Danger Alarms” may become deafening. Look out for allergies – if at all possible ensure your patient is not allergic to any of the components listed on the drug pack label or user manual. I say this as ones needs a conscious and coherent victim to assure you of their allergies. The circumstances of a misdiagnoses can be severe.

Storage is essential

Like all medications these drugs are to be stored in a cool environment, under the appropriate temperature and also check out for the expiration date and make sure you exhaust or replace as and when due.

Pricing fluctuations and availability

Price fluctuations and availability in the market or in stores are some of the challenges that one could encounter when going for antibiotics. These challenges are caused by demand for these drugs; you can imagine when humans start requesting fish antibiotics, there would definitely be an increased demand which has a direct effect on the price. Another case maybe that the pharmaceutical company may consider it pertinent to withdraw a particular brand of antibiotic from the market completely and replace it with a better and more effective one. Often times antibiotic removal is related to profits of the pharmaceutical manufacturers no matter the viability of the medication. For example, if an antibiotic is not selling well in the market there is a high probability that its production will be reduced or stopped entirely.

Where are my reliable and available sources?  

Aside from the fluctuation in the availability of these drugs, again probably caused by their increasing demand and to a lesser extent, manufacturers profit issues as earlier discussed above, I don’t have a recommended source.  Although Amazon would could guarantee an easy purchase of fish medications.

In conclusion, fish antibiotics in recent times have filled in seamlessly for its human equivalent. Consequently, it appears to be an essential for your survival kit, although like I mentioned in the guide, requires confirmation from some qualified medical personnel which of course is important to avoid drug abuse related issues. So, I will advise that you get one before buying a can of fish antibiotics.

About the Author

Demi is the Founder of outdoorsdoc.com. She loves to share everything about enjoying and surviving the outdoors. If you love the outdoors, you will find interesting and informational articles on her blog

Source Articles for her post:

http://www.happypreppers.com/fishantibiotics.html

https://www.antibioticsforsurvival.com/

http://thesurvivaldoctor.com/2015/07/21/fish-antibiotics-for-humans/

https://www.thebugoutbagguide.com/fish-antibiotics-for-humans/

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