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Directions on Taking Antibiotics With Probiotics

Antibiotics are indispensable to modern health care. Unfortunately, they are not without side effects. Antibiotics wipe out your body's good bacteria, they cause diarrhea and yeast infections, and they generally weaken the immune system. Probiotics, in contrast, restore your body's natural flora and strengthen the immune system. Taking probiotics with antibiotics helps ensure that you prevent unpleasant side effects at the same time that you fight your infection.

  1. Why Probiotics?

    • Billions of bacteria line your digestive tract, from your stomach to your intestines. Most of these are "friendly" bacteria, because they help your body digest food. They make vitamins from food more available to your body, and in some cases even provide vitamins of their own. Without these bacteria, you would experience unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms ranging from bloating to diarrhea. Probiotics restore the bacteria lost due to antibiotics.

    Choose the Right Probiotic Strains

    • Most of the "friendly" bacteria in your digestive tract are of the strains Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bifidum. The probiotic you choose should contain these strains, which boost the immune system, aid digestion, and fight the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests the strain Lactobacillus GG, because it is known to survive strong stomach acids. The Harvard Medical School has found that this strain is particularly useful in treating diarrhea, a common side effect of antibiotics.

    Decide on a Probiotic Form

    • Probiotics are available in liquid or pill form. Take whichever you prefer, but make sure that each dose contains at least 4 billion organisms (or 1 billion for a child). If you take pills, choose varieties that are enteric-coated, which enables them to survive strong stomach acids until they need to be absorbed. Note that most probiotics need to be refrigerated to stay viable. While some brands indicate that they can survive without refrigeration, they may not be as effective.

    Stay on a Schedule

    • Take a dose of probiotics twice a day, preferably at least a half hour, or more, before eating. Also, take doses a couple of hours apart from taking antibiotics doses. Do not skip a dose, as that will delay the helpful bacteria's colonization in your digestive tract. Continue taking probiotics for at least a couple of weeks after you have finished your course of antibiotics. If you have stopped taking the probiotics and you begin having any gastrointestinal symptoms, resume taking them.

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