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How can I avoid the side effects of antibiotics?
Thanks for asking.
Antibiotics are critical to modern medicine and have saved millions of lives since first being introduced in the mid-20th century.
However, there are drawbacks to prescribing antibiotics when they're not actually required.
Of course, there's the issue of antibiotic resistance, which is seen as a major threat to human health.
And there are also unwanted side effects of antibiotic use to take into account.
After all, antibiotics don't only target the bacteria that are making us sick.
They also kill harmless bacteria in the gut, which actually keep us healthy.
What's more, according to medicalexpresscom, this disruption to gut microbiome composition can last for up to two years after antibiotic treatment.
Other side effects include diarrhea and bloating.
Is there anything we can do to protect our gut?
Actually, there is.
A new study was published on the subject in November 2022 in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.
A team of American and Mexican researchers reviewed 29 studies carried out over the last seven years, and their conclusion was that taking probiotics on top of antibiotics reduces damage to the gut microbiome.
Dr Elisa Marroquin, one of the paper's co-authors said, When participants take antibiotics, we see several consistent changes in some bacterial species, but when treatment was combined with probiotics, the majority of those changes were less pronounced and some changes were completely prevented.
So taking antibiotics alone can decrease both the abundance and diversity of gut microbes, whereas taking probiotics too, preserves that diversity, preventing changes to microbial composition and reducing other side effects too, most of the time,
Probiotics can be bought over the counter in a pharmacy, but you may also want to discuss taking them with your doctor.
Can antibiotics also lead to yeast infections?
Yes, yeast infections are not uncommon in women who take antibiotics.
Just like what happens in the gut, they also wipe out beneficial bacteria in the vagina too, such as lactobacillus.
That causes the vagina to become less acidic, making it easier for mushrooms like Candida albicans to thrive, growing out of control.
Aside from avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use, Healthlinecom recommends some other tips for preventing yeast infections.
These include talking to your doctor, who may prescribe oral antifungal pills, avoiding hot baths.
And wearing breathable cotton underwear.
Do I have to go right to the end of my course of antibiotics?
You really should, because reducing the length or dosage of prescribed treatment can increase the risk of the problem coming back.
It might mean some of the bad bacteria aren't wiped out, and in fact become more resistant.
What's more, next time around you may have to use a different family of antibiotics, which can also promote antibiotic resistance in the long term.
There you have it.
Now you know how you can avoid the side effects of antibiotics.
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