Antibiotics can cause a number of side effects, including diarrhea and an increased risk of developing infections of the digestive tract. One thing you can do to mitigate these side effects is to take probiotics. Probiotics can be taken in supplement form and can also be found in certain foods, such as yogurts with live or active cultures.
Probiotics
Probiotics are a general term used for micro-organisms, such as bacteria, which are similar to those normally found in the digestive tract, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says. These bacteria are able to colonize the intestines and normally do not cause any health problems because they do not attempt to invade the body's tissues. Instead, these organisms have a symbiotic relationship with the digestive tract and can help with the digestion of food particles.
Antibiotics and Diarrhea
Many antibiotics have side effects that affect the digestive tract. This is due to the fact that antibiotics kill the "healthy" bacteria in the intestines as well as infectious bacteria. Depleting the bacteria that naturally lives in the intestines can cause gas, cramping, diarrhea and bloating because of the role that these bacteria play in digestion. It also leaves space and resources for harmful bacteria to grow in the intestines, resulting in infections.
Probiotics and Antibiotics
Taking probiotic supplements can help reduce some of the gastrointestinal side effects associated with a course of antibiotics, according to Science Daily. Taking probiotic supplements can restore the natural balance of micro-organisms in your intestines. Not only does this ease digestion, the probiotic bacteria also can crowd out harmful bacteria. Probiotic bacteria also secrete some substances that may function as natural antibiotics, further preventing the spread of infectious bacteria. Commonly used probiotics for this purpose are Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria.
Considerations
If you are taking a probiotic supplement while also taking antibiotics, take your probiotic supplements at least two hours before taking a dose of antibiotics, Medline Plus states. Taking the two medications at the same time could reduce the effectiveness of the probiotic. Probiotics are considered supplements and are not as carefully regulated as medications, so be sure to buy any probiotics that you use from a reputable source. Talk to your doctor before taking any sort of supplement to make sure that you don't have any health problems that would make a probiotic supplement unsafe.
