Branded Content by Cosmic Press

If you are prescribed antibiotics you may wonder if you should take probiotic supplements. The advice coming from virtually all medical communities around the world is yes. So which is the most effective probiotic supplement to take while on antibiotic treatment. Answer below.

Best Probiotic Supplement While Taking Antibiotics 

CLICK here to see pricing on YourBiology Gut+

YourBiology Gut+ is the best probiotic supplement to avoid or reduce antibiotic side effects (and antibiotic associated diarrhea). YourBiology Gut+ excels in other areas as well and regularly appears on all the most credible lists of best probiotics. 

• Improves digestive system
• Strengthens immunity
• Reduces inflammatory bowel disease
• Promotes healthy gut flora
• Boosts energy and focus

YourBiology contains Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. plantarum. It also provides additional powerful probiotics including Bifidobacterium lactis, which has been shown to support cardiovascular health.

Probiotic Supplementation During and After Antibiotic Use

Antibiotics kill bacteria. All bacteria. That’s their job and they have saved millions of lives over the years.

The problem is not all bacteria are harmful. Some bacteria species are necessary. They support good health and most of them live in the gut. As you are probably aware, we call this good type of bacteria probiotic.

In an ideal world, antibiotics would be able to target harmful bacteria while leaving the friendly species of bacteria alone. We don’t live in an ideal world. The antibiotics we use to solve one problem can cause many more of their own.

But can you use probiotic products to control antibiotic side effects? A lot of people believe you cannot but the truth is, yes, you can, and there is plenty of research that proves this is so.

In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the main antibiotic side effects and the changes within the gut that cause them.

We are also going to explain the pros and cons of consuming probiotics to limit the side effects antibiotics so often cause. We will reveal which species of probiotic bacteria are effective, which supplement works best, and the reasons why it is so good.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medicines that provide antimicrobial compounds that target bacteria. They either kill it outright or destroy its ability to reproduce. They may target the protective coating that surrounds the microbes or prevent them from being able to replicate themselves via biosynthesis. [1]

Although antibiotics such as amoxicillin and doxycycline start working as soon as they enter the body, it may take two or three days before the people who are using them start to feel better.

The name antibiotic is of Greek origin. It means “opposing life.” That’s very appropriate because, as far as bacteria is concerned, it’s exactly what these medicines do, and they are very popular.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014, community pharmacies in the US dispensed 266.1 million courses of antibiotics for outpatient use. [2]

That’s a lot and the figure does not take into account the number of antibiotics prescribed to hospital patients.

Unfortunately, easy access to these lifesaving drugs has resulted in their overuse, causing some harmful bacteria species to adapt and become antibiotic-resistant.

Estimates provided by predictive statistical modeling suggest that, in 2019, 1.27 million deaths may have been due to antimicrobial resistance (antibiotic resistance). [3]

The good news is, research suggests consuming probiotics while taking antibiotics may help prevent bacteria from developing resistance. [4]

Antibiotic Side Effects

Antibiotic resistance is not the only danger antibiotics can present. They can cause a lot of unpleasant side effects as well. Most of these are due to the loss of important probiotic bacteria.

On a microbial level, the human gut is a surprisingly busy place. It contains 50 trillion bacteria but not all of it is probiotic. The gut contains harmful bacteria species as well.

Fortunately, unless antibiotics or other issues get in the way, probiotic bacteria control these less-friendly inhabitants of the gut and keep the numbers down.

The gut also contains other forms of microbial life including yeasts and viruses. Experts call this vast collection of life within a life, the gut microbiome, and it’s very important. So important it’s considered a virtual organ. [5]

The role probiotics play in the gut microbiome helps the gastrointestinal tract to maintain healthy function. Probiotics also influence many other aspects of health. That’s why the gut microbiome is important enough to be given the honorary title of “organ.”

When antibiotics disrupt the normal balance, they can cause many health issues.

Examples include:

• Poor digestion
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Yeast infections
• Bacterial vaginosis
• Weight gain
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Crohn’s disease
• Impaired immune system

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a very common antibiotic side effect. It affects more than a third of users and in 17% of cases, it’s fatal. [6]

AAD is influenced by several bacteria species. The most notable one is Clostridium difficile infection, which can also cause a dangerous form of colon inflammation.

The results of systematic review and meta-analysis show consuming probiotics can be an effective way to control C. difficile and prevent it from causing diarrhea. [7]

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are health-enhancing bacteria that are naturally present inside the gut. Much of the bacteria is born there but, as you are aware, food and supplements can provide it too.

However, to be beneficial, the bacteria they provide need to be alive. It also needs to survive the journey through the stomach and into the gut.

Probiotic bacteria are known to influence good health in many ways including relieving the symptoms of IBS and controlling anxiety and depression. [8] Probiotics relieve bloating and gas as well as several other digestive issues and complaints.

Probiotics are grouped by their family, species, and strain. Each species offers a diverse range of benefits and researchers are discovering more about them all the time.

Most of the best probiotic foods and supplements provide bacteria species from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families.

As with any living organism, probiotic bacteria need to feed and they have excellent synergy with their human hosts because they eat a food compound that we do not need. Our digestive organs cannot even process it.

It’s a type of dietary fiber and because of its value as food for probiotics, it’s given the name prebiotic fiber.

Once it arrives in the gut, prebiotic fiber helps probiotic bacteria to thrive and multiply. Interestingly, it has no value to non-probiotic bacteria so its presence inside the gut microbiome is always beneficial.

What are the Best Probiotic Species to Use With Antibiotics?

Research suggests strains from the Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. plantarum species are the best probiotics for preventing C. difficile infections and other antibiotic side effects including diarrhea. [9, 10]

However, they work best when combined with additional probiotics from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families. Their presence will help restore balance within the gut microbiome more quickly.

It’s worth bearing in mind each probiotic strain offers multiple benefits. Their presence will do a lot more than prevent or treat antibiotic side effects.

Best Probiotic Supplement To Use With Antibiotics?

CLICK to view YourBiology price and offers

YourBiology is the best probiotic supplement and is easily the top option if you are mainly interested in avoiding or reducing antibiotic side effects. It’s top dog in many other areas as well and regularly appears on all the most credible lists of best probiotics.

YourBiology contains Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. plantarum. It also provides additional powerful probiotics including Bifidobacterium lactis, which has been shown to support cardiovascular health. [11]

Good probiotic supplements need to provide prebiotic fiber as well. YourBiology provides it as fructooligosaccharides (FOS). It’s widely accepted that FOS is the best prebiotic available.

Each YourBiology capsule utilizes a special slow-disintegration coating. It’s called Maktrek.

Maktrek is made from seaweed, so it’s 100% natural. It’s also very useful because it does not release the probiotics until they reach the gut. If it was not for Maktrek, some of the probiotics may be killed by the digestive juices inside the stomach.

YourBiology is suitable for women and men. In addition to being good for use alongside antibiotics, it offers several other benefits:

• Better digestion (without bloating)
• Healthier bowel function
• Stress reduction
• Improvements in mood
• Stronger immune function
• Increased energy and mental focus
• Feeling lighter and slimmer

Like all the best probiotics, YourBiology is only available from the official website. However, the manufacturer offers rapid free shipping and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Yourbiology is particularly good for women over 50 experiencing menopause symptoms.

How Much Damage Do Antibiotics Do to Gut Probiotics?

The level of harm antibiotics cause to the gut microbiome may vary from one person to the next. The type of antibiotic used may also be an influencing factor. However, this type of medicine can decimate your probiotic bacteria levels. Even after a short treatment, up to 90% of your probiotics could be gone.

Longer courses of antibiotics and multiple treatments may have an even more damaging effect on your gut microbiome.

Bearing in mind the side effects and risk of developing antibiotic resistance, it’s shocking to think there was a time when antibiotics were prescribed long-term as a treatment for teenage acne.

If your doctor is unsure what type of bad bacteria is causing the problem, he may prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Due to its greater versatility, this type of medicine is more likely to cure your infection but your probiotic community will take a harder hit as well.

Should I Use Probiotics as a Post-Antibiotic Treatment?

After you have finished taking antibiotics it can take a long time for your gut microbiome to recover. Even after 2-3 months, your probiotic bacteria levels may be 11% to 12% lower than they were before you began treatment. [12]

Bearing in mind the important role probiotics play in supporting good health, it makes sense to try and restore your microbiome as quickly as possible. Using a good probiotic supplement like YourBiology can help you to do it. It is highly advisable to top your healthy bacteria.

There are also good reasons to continue having a daily probiotic top-up. Due to the relationship between gut health and immunity, using probiotics to optimize your gut microbiome may help you to avoid further reasons to use antibiotics by helping you to become less susceptible to infections.

Can Anyone Use Probiotics?

Probiotic supplements are suitable for most men and women and, when they are used daily, they can offer untold health benefits.

However, probiotics are not a good choice for people whose immune systems are not functioning properly.

Certain health issues such as HIV, AIDS, and lupus, can impair immune function. So can some drugs and medications. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can stop your immune system from functioning correctly as well.

Due to the risk of antibiotic resistance and side effects, there is a lot to be said for avoiding this type of medicine as much as you can. Doing so may help ensure antibiotics have a better effect at the times when you need them most.

Do Probiotics Cause Side Effects?

Some people who are new to probiotic products may experience mild side effects during their first days of treatment.

If side effects are an issue they will normally be gut-related problems such as stomach pain, bloating, and intestinal gas.

Side effects like these seldom last more than two or three days. When the body adjusts to the presence of higher levels of probiotic bacteria, the side effects vanish.

Reference Sources

1. Action and Resistance Mechanisms of Antibiotics: A Guide for Clinicians: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5672523/
2. Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/data/outpatient-prescribing/index.html
3. Global Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in 2019: A Systematic Analysis: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841637/
4. Probiotic Approach to Prevent Antibiotic Resistance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27092975/
5. Role of the Gut Microbiota in Nutrition and Health: https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179
6. Prescribing an Antibiotic? Pair It With Probiotics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601687/
7. Probiotics for the Prevention of Clostridium Difficile-Associated Diarrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23362517/
8. Targeting the Microbiota, from Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Mood Disorders: Focus on Probiotics and Prebiotics: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29785336/
9. Lactobacillus Acidophilus LB: A Useful Pharmabiotic for the Treatment of Digestive Disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7692339/
10. The Role of Lactobacillus Plantarum 299V in Supporting Treatment of Selected Diseases: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7882405/
11. Beneficial effects of Bifidobacterium lactis on lipid profile and cytokines in patients with metabolic syndrome: A randomized trial. Effects of probiotics on metabolic syndrome: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27126957/
12. Resilience of the Dominant Human Fecal Microbiota Upon Short-Course Antibiotic Challenge: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16272491/

The Best Probiotics to take with Antibiotics Conclusion

Antibiotics are useful medicines that can tackle a variety of bacterial infections and have saved millions of lives.

Unfortunately, they cannot discriminate so they kill the good types of bacteria along with the bad. This destroys the status quo in the gut microbiome, making it possible for disease-causing bacteria to overrun the gut causing AAD and other undesirable issues.

Probiotics With Antibiotics

Research shows supplements that provide appropriate probiotics can work well alongside antibiotics, limiting the level of damage they cause in the gut and also helping to prevent antibiotic resistance.

We have referenced several studies throughout this article and provided links to them in the reference section above.

If you are on an antibiotic course it is essential to replenish your good bacteria to combat the side effects of antibiotics.

YourBiology Gut+ is a premium probiotic containing several beneficial gut bacteria that can improve your gut microbiota significantly.