Sunday, March 17, 2024

Can You Take Probiotics With Antibiotics

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What About Probiotic Foods

Can I Take Probiotics When On Antibiotics?

One way to add probiotic bacteria to the gut is through diet. A number of fermented foods, such as kefir, kimchi, Lacto-fermented sauerkraut, and many types of yogurt, are rich in probiotics.

However, as you can see in this chart, its difficult to eat enough fermented foods to get a therapeutic dose.

Food
Weissella koreensis, Lactobacillus sakei, Lactobacillus graminis, Weissella cibaria, Leuconostoc mesenteroides 11.5 billion CFU per ½ cup ½ capsule Lacto-Bifido Blend Probiotic

If you want to enjoy the benefits of fermented foods, you can eat these as well. However, if you are taking a course of antibiotics, I highly recommend probiotic supplements.

Probiotics Help Restore Balance In Gut Flora

Probiotics are also recognized as supplements capable of gut flora restoration. Strains most frequently used in probiotics, namely Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are efficacious in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, frequently used antibiotic .

The particularly frightening consequence of excessive antibiotic use is Clostridium difficile infection. This type of infection could be life-threatening when caused by multi-resistant strains of this microorganism. The disturbance of gut flora by antibiotics may lead to decreased resistance to dangerous microbes such as Clostridium difficile .

Based on systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 randomized controlled trials including 8672 patients, there are pieces of evidence that indicate the ability of probiotics to prevent Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea . Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea presents the most serious form of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and is linked to significant morbidity and mortality .

What You Should Eat During And After Antibiotics

Antibiotics are a powerful line of defense against bacterial infections.

However, they can sometimes cause side effects, such as diarrhea and liver damage.

Some foods can reduce these side effects, while others may make them worse.

This article explains what you should and shouldnt eat during and after antibiotics.

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Taking Probiotics With Antibiotics Can Help

Although it may sound counterintuitive to take probiotic supplements while also taking probiotic-killing antibiotics, research shows that its beneficial to your gut health to fortify your system with the protective good guys.

In one recent review, patients taking probiotics during a course of antibiotics saw a whopping 60 percent reduction in the risk of contracting a C. difficile infection .

In another study, adults and children who took the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus during antibiotic treatment had a 10 percent less risk of contracting antibiotic-associated diarrhea .

Even in people who do experience diarrhea when taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, probiotic supplementation reduces the duration of symptoms by an entire day .

Probiotics may also help prevent widespread antibiotic resistance by ensuring that people take their full course of prescribed antibiotics.

Stopping a course of antibiotics early usually because of intolerable side effects increases the chances that some of the bad bacteria may survive and become resistant. By reducing or eliminating side effects, probiotics can make it much easier to stay the course .

Not too shabby for a bunch of microscopic friendly flora!

Tips For Taking Probiotics With Antibiotics

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We know that taking probiotics with antibiotics can prevent and alleviate side effects, repopulate the gut microbiome, and minimize antibiotic resistance, but how do we mix probiotics and antibiotics without having them cancel each other out?

First and foremost, make sure your doctor has confirmed a bacterial infection that warrants an antibiotic intervention before rushing to fill your prescription.

If not, request a lab test to make sure youd hate to take a harsh, gut-damaging antibiotic for a viral infection that will clear up on its own.

If you and your doctor have decided that antibiotics are a necessity, including probiotics in your daily wellness routine will maximize your chances of staying healthy.

Here are our five tips for correctly taking probiotics with antibiotics:

1. Find a Multi-Strain Probiotic Formula

Taking a daily probiotic supplement is a smart idea even when you arent fighting an infection, but its especially important during and after a course of antibiotics.

Look for a high-quality formula with a variety of human-resident strains to repopulate your gut, including strains like L. rhamnoses proven to help during antibiotic treatment.

Also, choose a formula that guarantees the live bacteria will survive the acid-filled journey into your gut many probiotic products in standard veggie capsules only have a 4 percent survival rate.

2. Give the Antibiotics Some Space

Wait at least two hours after taking antibiotics before taking probiotics.

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Yes You Should Take Probiotics And Antibiotics At The Same Time

Taking probiotics and antibiotics together is more effective than taking antibiotics alone.

Adding probiotics to an antibiotic protocol for SIBO can more than double the treatment success rate.

Probiotics reduce antibiotic side effects, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Probiotics reduce the likelihood of C. difficile infections for patients on long-term antibiotic therapy.

Timing The Dosing Of Your Probiotics

When I have a client on an antibiotic regimen, I typically suggest that to minimize the killing of the probiotic species, to take the antibiotics and the probiotics at least five hours apart. I have found that clinically to work well*. Unfortunately, there is very little research on this unique issue.

However, research does illustrate that starting probiotics at the start of an antibiotic regimen vs. waiting until later does minimize potential adverse side effects from the antibiotic regimen*. The time of day is not typically a big issue, but youll want to keep in mind what times your antibiotic will be dosed as that will dictate the times you can optimally take your probiotic!

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Do I Need Probiotic Supplements

Lets say that you do absolutely need to take antibiotics. Whats next? Should you mix antibiotics and probiotics? Is it better to let your body fix itself? The answer is that it depends.

Your need for probiotics supplements depends on you. The condition of your gut flora depends on the specific antibiotics you were taking and how long you were taking them. The one thing to know is that it is not hopeless. You can get your healthy gut flora back in the vast majority of situations.

If you had to take antibiotics and are now ready to start regaining your health, it is time to strategize. Your new goal is to minimize the potential damage caused by antibiotics and to encourage the new growth and ultimate diversification of the flora in your gut.

Generally speaking, I would say that probiotic supplements arent essential for everyone regarding health. In the perfect world, we would be able to get all of our essential vitamins and nutrients from food and you know there are plenty of delicious and healthy probiotic foods.

But unfortunately, we dont always live our lives in an ideal world. Diets vary, and there are countless reasons why we might not be able to rely on food for all of our probiotic needs.

More often than not, doctors would recommend that you add as many probiotic-rich foods as possible on top of taking a probiotic supplement to give your gut flora as much support as possible.

Your Guide To Taking Probiotics And Antibiotics At The Same Time

Should You Take Probiotics After a Course of Antibiotics?

The most common question that is asked around this topic is whether you can take your probiotics and antibiotics at the same time. While the simple answer to this question is yes, the exact timings of when to swallow each need to be carefully considered. So, while you can consume both as a course over a period of a few days, weeks, or months probiotics and antibiotics should be consumed at least two hours apart. This is because you want them both to be able to do their job efficientlyand if you consume them at the exact same moment, it can negate their positive effects. By swallowing your probiotic at the same time as your antibiotic, any potential good bacteria could effectively be wiped out by the antibiotic. Which, lets be real, is not ideal.

The bottom line? To reap the benefits of both, always ensure you follow medical advice and take your antibiotics as recommended by your doctor before taking your probiotic at least two hours afterwards.

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Do Probiotics Affect Antibiotics And Do They Make Antibiotics Any Less Effective

Probiotics do not affect antibiotics directly rather, they provide balance to the composition of the gut microbiome.

The microbiome is the composition of microorganisms that colonize the gut. It is now known that there is a clear bi-directional relationship between these microorganisms and their host that has a significant effect on the hosts health.

Conversely, however, antibiotics can and will kill probiotics if introduced together. After all, antibiotics kill bacteria and thats what the majority of probiotics are.

Therefore, its recommended to take probiotics at least two hours after ingesting antibiotics. That way, the probiotics will have a much higher chance of making the journey through the digestive system alive and be able to pass on the intended benefits.

Not all probiotics are bacteria either. Saccharomyces boulardii is a yeast that has probiotic properties, which makes it an ideal probiotic strain to take when undergoing a course of antibiotic treatment, as it isnt targeted by antibiotics.

It was also observed to have significantly increased the eradication rate of H. pylori, a bacteria that can infect the stomach.

The Surprising Finding Was That The Group Who Received The Probiotic Had The Poorest Response In Terms Of Their Microbiome

As expected, a lot of major changes occurred in the function of the microbes many of which died because of the antibiotics, says Elinav.

The volunteers were divided into three groups. The first was a wait-and-see group, with no intervention after the antibiotics. The second group was given a common probiotic for a month. The third was given perhaps the least savoury option: a faecal transplant. This group had a small sample of their own stool taken before the antibiotic treatment returned to their colon once the treatment was over.

The surprising finding was that the group who received the probiotic had the poorest response in terms of their microbiome. They were the slowest group to return to a healthy gut. Even at the end of the study after five months of monitoring this group had not yet reached their pre-antibiotic gut health.

Probiotics won’t work exactly the same for everyone because gut biomes are different

We have found a potentially alarming adverse effect of probiotics, says Elinav.

The good news, incidentally, is that the group who received a faecal transplant did very well indeed. Within days, this group completely reconstituted their original microbiome.

So many people are taking antibiotics all over the world, says Elinav. We can aim to better understand this potentially very important adverse effect that we didnt realise existed.

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How Do Probiotics Help After Antibiotics

After a course of antibiotics chances are high that your gut bacteria will be completely out of balance, this is due to the antibiotics trying to kill the virus/bad bacteria, but by doing so they also kill the good bacteria. Probiotics help replenish the good bacteria and help maintain a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

Can You Take Probiotics With Antibiotics

OptiBac Probiotics for Those on Antibiotics

Dr. Eric Wood, ND, MA – Contributing Writer, Physicians Choice

Having been in practice for more than a decade, I am still dismayed at how seldom individuals are provided medical guidance when taking antibiotics, particularly as it pertains to getting gut support with probiotics. A question I often get in practice: Is it ok to take probiotics when Im on antibiotics?

This article is devoted to this issue, discussing the importance of supporting your microbiome, what antibiotics can do to gut health and why our health habits and practices need to adjust based on what else may be going on with our health.

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What To Know About Prebiotics

What are alternatives to both probiotic and fecal transplants to get the gut back to health? Meyer, of the IFIC Foundation, wrote that if you are planning on taking probiotics, you should make sure to incorporate prebiotics in your regimen.

Prebiotics are defined as a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit, which means these foods cant be broken down by the human digestive system, she added. Simply stated, prebiotics are food for probiotics. Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, cereals are all prebiotics. Specifically, artichokes, asparagus, bananas, berries, chicory, garlic, green vegetables, legumes, onions, tomatoes, as well as grains like barley, oat, and wheat prebiotics. In addition, other fibers like inulin are also prebiotics that are added to foods like granola bars, cereal, and yogurt.

She said the jury is out on what the ideal amount is for daily prebiotic or probiotic intake.

Id recommend incorporating prebiotics and probiotics predominately from food. Think yogurt topped with fruit and an oat-based cereal or an Asian-inspired veggie stir-fry with kimchi, she wrote.

Mayer said that even though there is no scientific evidence for support, consuming a variety of naturally fermented food products could be helpful for your gut.

Again, without scientific evidence, I would suggest not to increase fiber intake drastically, as it may result in gas and bloating type symptoms, he added.

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What Are The Best Probiotics To Take After Antibiotics

Even if you have taken a probiotic designed to be taken alongside your antibiotic medication, it is always a good idea to take a good daily probiotic after antibiotics for at least a month or so to replenish the gut microflora. Scientists are not really sure exactly how long it will take to rebuild the gut flora after antibiotics it will depend on several different factors such as the individual gut microbiome, the length of the course, the strength of medication, diet and lifestyle etc. So, what are the best probiotics after antibiotics? Well, studies show taking a probiotic supplement that contains the strains Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07® after antibiotics may help to stabilise Lactobacillus populations in the gut13. The Lactobacillus genus of friendly bacteria helps to crowd out the bad guys and keep our gut environment healthy.

What Is A Probiotic And How Can I Take It

Do NOT Take Probiotics After Antibiotics

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts found inside and outside our bodies. They appear to help maintain balance in our gut by crowding out bad bacteria. Good bacteria help us to digest food. Probiotics are found naturally in foods and drinks such as yogurt, pickles and fermented tea. They can also be taken as dietary supplements. But you may not need to alter your diet or take a supplement. Your body can naturally maintain the balance if you eat a healthful diet.

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Side Effects Of Both Probiotics And Antibiotics

It is important to know the side effects of both probiotics and antibiotics.

Probiotics are beneficial for our health, but there can be some adverse reactions. Antibiotic drugs are helpful in curing infections, but they also give rise to serious side effects.

We will look at what these two treatments do to your body and how they work on different parts of the immune system. We will then compare the pros and cons of each treatment so that you can make an informed decision about which one may be best for your needs. First, lets talk about how these treatments affect the gut microbiome

Taking Probiotics With Antibiotics

There is no doubt that antibiotics have an essential role to play in modern medicine in preventing and curing bacterial infections. Thanks to antibiotics, bacterial infections are no longer the most common cause of death in the modern world1. In more recent times it has become increasingly recognised that antibiotics negatively affect our gut microbiome2. However, many people now choose to take a supplement containing probiotics to minimise digestive upset that can often be associated with antibiotic use.

In this article we will look at:

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Do Probiotics Reduce Side Effects Of Antibiotics

Probiotics and antibiotics used together have been shown to minimize the likelihood of adverse effects like diarrhoea. They also aid in the restoration of healthy gut microorganisms that have been lost due to antibiotic medication. Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces strains may help reduce antibiotic adverse effects.

Is It Normal To Have Some Gas And Bloating When First Taking Probiotics

Gut Wars

When starting to use a probiotic supplement, or increasing consumption of more probiotic-rich foods, some people experience mild upset stomach, diarrhea, flatulence, and bloating. Any side effects might be related to the condition and health of your microbiome, but these symptoms are generally mild and should pass after a few days once your body gets used to the new regimen. If you have known sensitivities, such as to certain ingredients or high-FODMAP prebiotics, make sure you choose a probiotic intended for people with sensitive digestive tracts.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Taking Probiotics With Antibiotics

If you choose to take probiotics with antibiotics you may be asking some of these questions.

Q: If I take probiotics with antibiotics, which one should I use?

A: Studies have shown that different probiotics have different benefits. It depends to a great extent on your health status, age, genetic factors, the antibiotic you are being treated on and the duration of the therapy.

For Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea :

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