Thursday, March 28, 2024

Should You Take Probiotics While You Re Taking Antibiotics

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Could Probiotics Mitigate My Risk

Probiotics – why you should take Probiotics while on an Antibiotic

There is not enough evidence to show how they might help in people at risk of developing the disease, or even for those who have already been diagnosed, says Sarah Sleet, CEO of the charity Crohns & Colitis UK. However, Dr Elisa Marroquín, assistant professor at Texas Christian University in the US, last year co-authored a study showing that taking probiotics which usually come in capsules could prevent or lessen some antibiotic-induced changes to the gut microbiome.

When participants take antibiotics, we see several consistent changes in some bacterial species, she says. But when treatment was combined with probiotics, the majority of those changes were less pronounced and some changes were completely prevented.

Probiotics can also help protect species diversity and even restore the populations of some friendly bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which reduces inflammation and promotes a healthy intestinal barrier.

Why You Should Take Probiotics With Antibiotics

Antibiotics play a critical role in killing bad bacteria. But as they destroy infections, they can also cause collateral damage to the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which could result in diarrhea for a couple of daysor even weeksafter you stop taking the medicine. You need the health benefits of antibiotic treatment, but dont want the nasty stomach side effects. The answer might be found in probioticspills or powders with live microorganisms that boost gut health. Can you take probiotics with antibiotics?

When Should I Take Probiotics If Im Taking Antibiotics

There is no definitive research on timing of taking probiotics with antibiotics, but it stands to reason that if the antibiotic is attacking the probiotic, taking them as far apart as possible during the day would make sense. Itâs also important to continue to take probiotics for a few weeks after completing an antibiotic prescription to restore the good bacteria in your gut.

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How Should Probiotics Be Taken For Best Results

In order to ensure the best results from probiotics, it is important to take them in a timely manner. Most doctors recommend taking probiotics at least 1 hour before a meal. This will provide optimal protection against stomach acid and also minimize the amount of food that needs to be digested after taking your probiotic supplement.

Taking probiotics with food may allow for better absorption by the intestines but it may also increase symptoms such as bloating or gas. Probiotics should not be taken on an empty stomach because this can cause indigestion or nausea which can lead to other symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, cramps, and pain in your abdomen area.

Additionally, you should never drink alcohol while taking probiotics since alcohol will kill off many of your good bacteria. Therefore, you should never take a probiotic supplement on an empty stomach or with alcohol.

The Lack Of Consistency In The Findings On Probiotics Comes In Part Because They Are Being Treated Like Conventional Drugs

When Taking Antibiotics When Should You Take Probiotics ...

This opens the door to developing personalised probiotic treatments based on someones genetic profile. Such a system is realistic and could be developed relatively soon, says Elinav, but at this stage it remains a proof of concept. To become a reality, it will need more research on probiotic tailoring and testing more bacterial strains in larger groups of people.

This kind of personalisation may release the full potential of probiotic treatments for gut health. At the moment, the lack of consistency in the findings on probiotics comes in part because they are being treated like conventional drugs. When you take a paracetamol tablet, you can be more or less sure that the active component will do its job and work on receptors in your brain, dulling your sensation of pain. This is because most peoples pain receptors are similar enough to react in the same way to the drug.

But the microbiome is not just a receptor it is closer to an ecosystem, and sometimes likened to a rainforest in its complexity.

As a result, finding and tailoring a probiotic treatment that will work on something as intricate and individual as your own internal ecosystem is no easy task. And with that in mind, its not so surprising that a dried-out pack of bacteria from a supermarket shelf may well not do the trick.

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Can Eating A Certain Diet Reduce The Risk Of Ibd

Professor Tim Spector is the scientific co-founder of the nutrition app Zoe and an expert on the microbiome. Hes an advocate of fermented, colourful and fibre-rich foods that feed our bugs, known as prebiotics. Its a good idea to eat fermented foods daily and make sure we continue eating diverse plant fibres to support our gut microbiome during antibiotic treatment, he says. All food for thought.

Effects Of Antibiotics In The Gut Microbiome

Doctors prescribe antibiotics if you have bacterial infections. Antibiotics will either kill the harmful bacteria or prevent them from reproducing to a critical level.

Yes, antibiotics can defeat the spread of pathogenic bacteria in the body. The downside, however, is that they cannot tell between which ones are harmless bacteria and which ones are harmful. Thus, antibiotics will end up killing or reducing the number of good bacteria in the gut. As a result, it can lead to long-term consequences.

Additionally, taking antibiotics often comes with side effects in the gut, especially when taken without food. The end result will lead to hurting your stomach and your gut.

People often complain that they experience nausea, upset stomach, bloating, and vomiting while on antibiotic therapy. Diarrhea caused by antibiotic medication can lead to colitis caused by Clostridium difficile .

It may also lead to weight gain as antibiotics can influence your insulin and thyroid gland function.

To treat the side effects, probiotic-containing foods can help manage the fallout and restore the balance of the microbial communities. In other words, more beneficial bacteria are reintroduced to restore balance in the gut.

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Antibiotics And Probiotics: How Medications Affect Your Gut

Antibiotics can act as a powerful defensive line against bacterial infections. They’re remarkably effective at killing the harmful bacteria that cause disease. Unfortunately, they also come with a cost.

“Antibiotics play a critical role in fighting bacterial infections,” explains Jasmine Omar, M.D., an internal medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health. “But taking these medications can also lead to adverse reactions including nausea, drug allergies, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and yeast infections.”

The Best Way To Combine Probiotics With Antibiotics

ANTIBIOTICS—Should you take Probiotics?

If youre taking antibiotics, I highly recommend taking them with probiotics. In fact, researchers suggest that taking probiotics as early as possible with antibiotics is best for decreasing antibiotic side effects such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea .

Here are some tips on how to get the most from your probiotic supplement when taking antibiotics.

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Is 80 Billion Cfu Probiotics Too Much

Despite the fact that the great majority of current clinical trials show that probiotic dosages of 10-20 billion CFU per day are adequate for immunological and digestive health, research studies evaluating the dose-response of bigger CFUs and products with CFUs of 50 to 100 billion are becoming more prevalent.

What Studies Do Not Recommend Giving Probiotics With Antibiotics

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and other institutions reported that the gut microbiome took longer to return to normal in those people given an 11-strain probiotic treatment for four weeks following a course of antibiotics. This was despite the probiotics effectively colonizing the gut with healthy bacteria. The trouble was the presence of the new bacteria and yeasts strains prevented the gut microbiome from returning to normal for the full six month study period.

Conversely, the gut microbiome in those given no probiotics returned to normal within three weeks of going off the antibiotics. The authors did conclude that this study just examined one type of probiotic, and a different probiotic may be helpful in patients taking different antibiotics. However, they did point out the findings of the study imply that the traditional practice of taking a probiotic after antibiotic may not be beneficial.

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What You Should Eat During Antibiotic Therapy

Dont stop with supplements aloneeating foods that are rich in probiotics and prebiotics can help your stomach stay strong, and are an alternative approach to probiotic supplements. Prebiotics are the high fiber foods that your body cant digest. As they pass through your digestive tract, they feed the probiotics living there, stimulating their growth. In other words, they help the good bacteria in your gut flourish and make them more effective.

When youre taking antibiotics, its a good idea to eat a diet thats rich in both prebiotics and probiotics.

Try eating these prebiotic rich foods, such as:

  • Leafy bitter greens, like dandelion greens, seaweed, and spinach
  • Onions, garlic, and leeks
  • Roots, like chicory root and jicama root
  • Jerusalem artichoke

These can all help to increase beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus.

Then, add more probiotic-rich foods to your diet, such as:

  • Fermented foods like raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut , tempeh, and kimchi
  • Yogurt , kefir, and buttermilk

If you are trying to incorporate pre-and probiotic foods into your diet, be sure to double check with your doctor or pharmacist about foods and drinks that may interfere with your antibiotics.

Can I Take Probiotics While On Antibiotics

Is It Ok To Take Antibiotics With Probiotics

If youâve ever asked âCan I take probiotics while on antibiotics?â youâre not alone. Yes, you can definitely take probiotics with antibiotics. An even better question is âWhy arenât more people taking probiotics while on antibiotics?â

Even âmildâ antibiotics used to treat moderate infections can do some serious damage to your gut flora. If you have to take back-to-back courses of antibiotics, or antibiotics meant to treat a severe or potentially deadly infection, the effects can be much worse.

When you take an antibiotic, it works within your body to target and destroy a certain bacteria. Unfortunately, antibiotics arenât good at distinguishing âbadâ bacteria from âgoodâ bacteria, and they kill it all as they work to stop infection. This change can cause immediate side effects and long-term health consequences.

As such, taking probiotics with antibiotics is a wise choice. Probiotics are certain strains of bacteria and yeast that have demonstrable benefits for human health.

Depending on the type and dose of antibiotic youâre taking, pairing it with probiotic pills can either lessen or even prevent the effects of gut flora disruption.

Whatâs more, continuing to take probiotics after your course of antibiotics is done is a great way to repopulate the gut with healthy bacteria and help your body get back on track.

DrFormulas Advanced Multi Probiotics

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Probiotics Make Antibiotic Sibo Treatment More Effective

There is also research showing that probiotics and antibiotics are more effective together for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth treatment:

  • One study of 40 patients with SIBO showed those taking a combination of S. boulardii and metronidazole had more than double the success rate for eradicating SIBO with when compared to those taking metronidazole alone .
  • Another study showed that a combination of probiotic and antibiotic therapy normalized glucose breath tests for 13 out of 15 patients with both SIBO and Crohns disease .
  • Probiotics have been found to be a possible helpful addition to treatment in hydrogen SIBO, particularly in people who have not responded to antibiotics for treatment .

Overall, probiotic co-administration with antibiotics is a safe, non-invasive, and effective way to enhance treatment results.

Probioticsantibiotics: The Bottom Line

Antibiotics are important against bacterial infections, but they can cause side effects, including long-term negative changes in the composition of your gut microbiome because they do not distinguish between health-promoting microbes and the ones causing illness.

Taking a probiotic supplement or eating probiotic foods may help mitigate immediate side effects, like diarrhoea, and they can help to get your gut microbiome back on track afterwards too.

Incorporating foods that are rich in fibre, as well as fermented foods containing live bacterial cultures, can enrich your microbiome with health-promoting bacteria that help restore this ecosystem to its former glory.

Its also good to know which foods and beverages to avoid when taking a course of antibiotics. Stay away from alcohol, grapefruit, and calcium-fortified foods to avoid any unnecessary harm from this medication.

You can check in on your gut microbes three months after taking antibiotics with the Atlas Microbiome Test. Youll also receive personalised food recommendations to restore microbiome balance with your diet.

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Which Probiotics Should You Take With Antibiotics

Your pharmacy probably has shelves filled with different bottles of probiotic supplements. How do you choose the right probiotics to take with your antibiotics? Dr. Bryan Tran, cofounder of DrFormulas, recommends looking for probiotics that have the three Ds:

Dose: The amount of active microbiota in a probiotic is measured in colony-forming units, or CFUs. You want a dose with 10 billion CFUs or higher, Dr. Tran said. This dose may appear on the product label as 1 x 1010.

Diversity: The label on a bottle of probiotics will also tell you which strains of bacteria the capsules contain. Look for probiotics that have five to 10 different strains. Studies that compare single-strain probiotics to multi-strain probiotics have found that a variety of strains is more effective at reducing diarrhea, said Dr. Tran. However, other studies have shown that multi-strain probiotics are not always better than single strain.

The most widely studied types of probiotics include Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium species. These strains of probiotics have been shown in more studies to help stabilize the microbiome and keep it healthy, compared to other types of probiotic strains. If youre considering adding a probiotic supplement to your daily regime, consult with your provider first about what type of diversity you need.

You can ask your pharmacist for a recommendation that fits these criteria.

How To Use Adult Probiotic

Should You Also Take Probiotic While Taking Antibiotics?

Follow all directions on the product package. Refer to the label directions for your specific product to see if the dose should be swallowed whole, chewed, sprinkled onto food or mixed with liquid. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Some probiotic products may contain live bacteria . Antibiotics may prevent these products from working well. Take any product containing live bacteria at least 2 to 3 hours before or after taking antibiotics. Follow the directions for your specific product.

If you are taking this product for diarrhea due to antibiotics, do not use it if you have a high fever or for more than 2 days, unless directed by your doctor. You may have a serious problem that requires medical treatment.

If your condition persists or worsens, or if you think you may have a serious medical problem, seek immediate medical attention.

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Probiotic Dose And Probiotic Strain

Generally, you want a probiotic dose with at least 10 billion CFUs or higher to make sure you are getting the right amount of active micro-organisms into the body. The best probiotic strains to take while on antibiotics includes Lactobacillus acidophilus Rosell-52 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus Rosell-11.

Studies have shown that these two probiotic strains were particularly effective in keeping friendly bacteria alive while taking antibiotics.

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The Best Time To Take Probiotics: During And After Treatment

Bedford recommends that you start taking probiotics the same day as an antibiotic treatment.

While you’re on antibiotics, take those first before the probiotics. Don’t take them at the exact same time because the antibiotics could destroy the bacteria from the probiotic and cancel out any beneficial effects, Bedford says.

“You don’t want the probiotic on board until a couple of hours after the antibiotic itself is taken,” says Bedford.

Moreover, Bedford highly recommends that you continue to take probiotics for two weeks after you’ve completed your antibiotic dose to get your gut microbiome back to normal.

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For Maximum Effects Try This Probiotic Protocol

The difference between success and failure with probiotics often comes down to either:

  • Establishing balance in your gut microbiome
  • Failing to establish balance in your gut microbiome

The key difference here is that many people dont seem to achieve this balance with just one strain of probiotic. Some lucky people do, but for many, one probiotic wont suffice. After many years of trying different approaches, Ive found this protocol to be most effective:

How Does It Work

Can I Take Probiotics When On Antibiotics?

Antibiotics kill off a lot of friendly gut commensals, leaving room for opportunistic pathogenic bacteria to bloom instead.

S. boulardii CNCM I-745 protects gut commensals through multiple mechanisms. Once inside the gut, the probiotic can prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria that bloom when gut commensals are killed by antibiotics. S. boulardii uses antibiotic proteins that target these opportunistic bacteria, keeping them at bay and leaving room for commensals to grow back. It also has a beneficial impact on the cells of the intestine, protecting them from bacterial incursions and alerting the immune system to patrol the gut for pathogens.

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Amoxicillin And Its Role As An Antibiotic In Killing Good Bacteria

There are few classes of bacteria that amoxicillin doesnt attack. From opportunistic bacteria such as H. Influenzae to the digestive-focused Helicobacter pylori, it searches and destroys the cultures that cause some of the worst symptoms of food poisoning, meningitis and strep throat. When paired with clavulanic acid, it is particularly effective in breaking down stubborn respiratory tract infections. And while all of this makes it highly useful, it also means that some good bacteria will get pulled down in the crossfire.

Therefore, it is worth considering whether amoxicillin and probiotics can be choreographed in such a way that you get the benefits of the former with no side-effects .

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