Probiotics and antibiotics

2 mins to read

Antibiotics destroy ‘bad’ bacteria, but they can sometimes disrupt the ‘good’ bacteria, too – and cause some unwanted side effects in the process. Thankfully, probiotics may be able to help.

Digestive healthCold, flu & immunityEveryday health

If you’re unlucky enough to succumb to a bacterial infection, you may be given a course of antibiotics by your healthcare professional. Antibiotics are substances that destroy or inhibit infections caused by ‘bad’ bacteria.

Bacteria aren’t all ‘bad’, though. We all have our own community of ‘good’ bacteria in our bodies. These resident bacteria are established after birth, and they play a huge role in areas like bowel health and our overall wellbeing. They're also beneficial to our immune health.

Antibiotics not only kill off the ‘bad’ bacteria that are causing an infection, but they can also wipe out some of the bacteria – particularly in the gut. With the reduction in ‘good’ bacteria, the body finds it harder to maintain good gut balance, and this may result in some unwanted symptoms. The most common is mild gastrointestinal upsets like diarrhoea.

An imbalance of bacteria can occur in other areas of the body too, such as the vagina, resulting in overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria or yeasts like Candida albicans – the cause of thrush.

If you know you’re prone to problems related to antibiotics, such as diarrhoea or thrush, you may be discouraged from taking antibiotics when you have a bacterial infection. This is where probiotics can help.

Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria – similar to the ‘good’ bacteria we normally carry. They’re mostly found in food sources, particularly cultured milk products like yoghurt and buttermilk.

More information about probiotics and their benefits:

When to use probiotics

Depending on your individual circumstances, probiotics can be taken before and during a course of antibiotics.

Before a course of antibiotics – you may know you will need to take antibiotics in advance. A meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal suggested that probiotics may be effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
During a course of antibiotics – you may already be taking a course of antibiotics before you become aware of the potential benefits of probiotics. Taking probiotics during a course of antibiotics may reduce antibiotic-related intestinal problems. It is thought that probiotics may help recolonise the gut with ‘good’ bacteria, which have been destroyed by the antibiotics.

Next time you’re prescribed antibiotics, discuss the options for probiotic supplementation with your healthcare professional.

Did you know? In 2006, about 22 million antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed by community pharmacies.

Remember, if you are taking probiotics at the same time as your antibiotics be sure to take them at least 2 hours apart.

References available on request