Dr. Brown chose tetracycline drugs because, unlike many other drugs, they are not accumulative, their sensitizing effect is virtually nil and bacterial resistance is not a problem because mycoplasma do not have a cell wall where resistance develops. The development of drug resistance is nearly non-existent even when intermittent therapy is used for years. The tetracyclines and clindamycin have different modes of action, and therefore may be a useful combination. Clindamycin reacts with the 50S portion of the ribosome and inhibits peptide bond formation. In the complex chemistry which makes up the human immune response, oxidation is a common occurrence.
Excessive oxidation can cause damage to tissues.
Tetracyclines can cause toxicity to these same tissues. Intermittent therapy gives the tissues time to recover between doses which daily doses do not allow. Constant exposure to antibiotics is necessary when dealing with a virulent, pathogenic organism, but not in the case of mycoplasma. In the highly reactive state, very little antimicrobial medication is needed to further control the disease as is the case in tuberculosis, brucellosis and chronic rheumatic fever. If too much is given, the body begins to react against the medication itself which defeats the main purpose of the treatment.