Probiotic - before or after an antibiotic? What really matters

A quarter of a century ago, doctors were still eagerly prescribing antibiotics for most colds, even "just in case you get infected". It is hardly surprising, as the patients themselves were asking for these wonderful pills.

And yet, it turned out that the antibiotics were not enough.

And yet it turned out that antibiotics are not so nice at all. They have a lot of side effects and can be... bombous to the gut microbiota (no, that's not good). Fortunately, the fad of shunning antibiotics is passing, and specialists are placing increasing importance on supplementing antibiotic therapy with probiotics.

Well, that's cool. At first glance, the matter seems simple: you sip probiotics for the antibiotic. But the longer you think about it... If the antibiotic kills the bacteria, won't it also kill the ones in the preparation? Yes, it can. That's why you're about to learn all about how to take a probiotic while on antibiotic therapy.

See also:

• All about probiotics
• When to take probiotics
• When probiotics do harm
• Gynecological probiotics
• Probiotics for the gut
• Probiotics for irritable bowel
• Probiotic for pregnant women

Whether to take a probiotic before or after an antibiotic?

Whether you take a probiotic before or after an antibiotic is a secondary issue. The most important thing is to keep an appropriate interval between the drug and the probiotic capsules (shield). It is best to take the probiotic 2-3 hours before or after the antibiotic. Use it from the first day of antibiotic treatment and about 1-2 weeks afterwards.

During antibiotic treatment, it is a good idea to remember to take a shielding formula containing beneficial bacteria at the same time. It is recommended to start taking probiotics from the first day of antibiotic therapy. It is advisable to continue taking them even two weeks after the end of treatment, in order to allow the intestinal flora to fully regenerateand.

There is no clear answer to the question of whether probiotics should be taken before or after an antibiotic. Choosing the right time depends on the specific preparation. Some should be taken on an empty stomach, for example half an hour before breakfast and at least 2 hours before the first antibiotic dose of the day. Others are recommended to be taken 2-3 hours after the antibiotic.

Whatever scheme you choose, do not take a probiotic at the same time as an antibiotic. The antibiotic can destroy most of the probiotic bacteria before they can reach the gut and begin to populate it.

It is possible to take a probiotic at the same time as an antibiotic.

However, there are some probiotic strains that are resistant to antibiotics. An example is yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, which is the gold standard for the treatment of antibiotic-induced diarrhoea. They are certainly worth looking for in the formulation of shielding probiotic preparts.

The most important principles of probiotic use

Here are 7 rules to implement when using a probiotic for antibiotic therapy.

It is important to look for these rules.

1. Choose good strains. Before buying a prebiotic product, make sure that the strains of bacteria it contains are not sensitive to the antibiotic in question. It is best to consult with your pharmacist or doctor about your choice.

2. Check the composition. Good quality formulations should contain a three-part designation of the names of the probiotic bacteria, with an indication of the specific strain most often denoted by a numerical-letter code. Also look for information on CFU, or colony-forming unit, which translates as 'colony-forming units'. CFUs show how many bacteria one dose of a probiotic contains.

3. Read the leaflet. It is in it (or on the packaging) that you will find information on how to store the product (some require keeping it in the fridge, others at room temperature) and directions on how to take it. There are two main schools for taking probiotics: in the morning on an empty stomach -there is less acid in an empty stomach, which increases the survival of probiotic bacteria on their way to the gut; in the evening just before bed -when the gut is working more slowly and it is easier for bacteria to colonise. Which strategy to choose depends on the strains of bacteria a particular probiotic contains.

4. Comply with the dosage. Take the probiotic in the daily dose recommended to you by your doctor, pharmacist or the manufacturer of the respective preparation. Do not increase this dose on your own - an excess of probiotics can also harm you.

5. Maintain a time buffer. Take your probiotic dose 2-3 hours apart from your antibiotic tablet. Although some strains of bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, this action will certainly not harm you. And it's better to blow off steam.

6. Don't sip hot. Aside from the fact that hot drinks and food, according to the WHO, can increase the risk of oral and gastrointestinal cancers, sipping probiotics with hot coffee or tea can... boil them. Dead ones, unfortunately, are of no use to you.

7. Avoid alcohol. Consuming alcoholic beverages with certain types of antibiotics can seriously endanger your health (and sometimes your life). But even if you have finished taking an antibiotic but are still continuing probiotic therapy, alcohol is still not recommended. This is because it can deplete the gut flora and your probiotic treatment fails.

Why do you need a probiotic when on antibiotics?

Imagine that your gut is like a city. When you get sick, it is invaded by an alien army of brutal colonisers who want to take over all the buildings. An antibiotic is... well, like a nuclear bomb. It effectively gets rid of the enemies, but it also does a purge among the inhabitants - survivors are scarce.

For your city to function, it needs its tenants. Without them, buildings will fall into disrepair, transport won't function, shops will be closed and so on. That's what you take probiotics for - so that your little, bacterial town can keep going.

Antibiotics are powerful tools in the fight against bacteria that cause disease. They are capable of eradicating these harmful micro-organisms or at least inhibiting their growth.

Antibiotics are a powerful tool in the fight against disease.

Nevertheless, antibiotics are not perfect. Their action is not selective, meaning that they cannot distinguish between harmful bacteria and those that are beneficial to you and necessary for the body to function properlyand.

The consequence of antibiotic therapy is often the destruction of the friendly gut flora. This phenomenon can lead to all sorts of gastrointestinal problems. The most common of these are diarrhoea and heartburnand.

One way to protect and restore this valuable bacterial flora is to use probiotics during antibiotic therapy. Probiotics are live cultures of bacteria that are beneficial to your health.

Probiotic bacteria residing in your gut affectand:

• enhancing digestive processes (the stomach says "thank you"),
.
• more efficient absorption of nutrients from food (you absorb more vitamins and minerals),
.
• protecting the gut and preventing toxins and pathogens from entering the bloodstream (liver breathes a sigh of relief),
• stimulation of immune system cells (you have better immunity),
.
• production of hormones and neurotransmitters that affect brain function (you have greater resistance to stress and a better mood),
.
• health of the genitourinary system and prevention of its infections (less bladder inflammation and intimate infections).

Additionally, probiotics form a shield in the gut that protects you from pathogenic microbes. Probiotic bacteria make it difficult for pathogens to adhere to the intestinal walls, take away their nourishment, and produce substances that destroy these dangerous microorganismsand.

Taking probiotics can help restore friendly bacteria that have been destroyed by antibiotics, helping to protect the gastrointestinal tract from the unpleasant side effects of antibiotic therapy.

Does every antibiotic require a probiotic cover?

No, not every antibiotic requires probiotic therapy. It depends on the spectrum of action of the preparation, i.e. how many types of bacteria the substance it contains acts on. Most so-called 'first-line' antibiotics, i.e. those prescribed by the doctor in the first instance, have a very broad spectrum of action: they destroy most bacteria - both the 'good' and the 'bad' ones. Why is this so?"

To find out which specific strain of bacteria is responsible for the illness you have seen your doctor with would require specialised tests. With most diseases, it is a waste of time to do so.

The

Additionally, some of the pathogenic microbes are structured so similarly to beneficial bacteria that scientists have so far failed to isolate a substance that would selectively destroy them, leaving the rest of the bacterial flora alone.

There are, however, a number of other microbes that have been found to be very similar to beneficial bacteria.

There are, however, narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Returning to the analogy of a city under siege, these drugs are like snipers. They target the enemy invaders precisely, without doing much harm to the inhabitants.

And what if you don't know what to do?

What if you don't know that you are taking a sniper and not a nuclear bomb and... you are going to take probiotics anyway? If you take probiotic preparations for 2-4 weeks and do not exceed the manufacturer's recommended doses, you are completely fine. Probiotics can also be used prophylacticallyand.

See also:

• Synbiotic
• Prebiotic
• Psychobiotic
• Butyric acid
• Sodium butyrate

Summary