Why You Need to Take Probiotics With Antibiotics

April 21, 2023

Antibiotics are beneficial when you come down with a bacterial infection. They are designed to help you feel better, but at what cost? You might find your digestive system wreaking havoc after taking this type of medication, or you might end up with a yeast infection. Fortunately, these symptoms are preventable by taking probiotics with antibiotics. Watch Dr. Easton talk about the benefits of probiotics and why you should take them when you’re prescribed these kinds of medications, or keep reading!

Bacteria in Our Bodies

Everyone has a unique microbiome, the collection of microbes that naturally live on and in our bodies. We actually rely on these trillions of microorganisms to perform functions every day, like break down our food and fight off illness. Some of the microbes in our bodies include bacteria that are helpful and potentially harmful. At our healthiest, these microbes coexist without issue. But when there is a disturbance in this balance (like getting sick or taking medications), the normal interactions stop and can cause issues, like digestive upset or yeast infections in women. When you do get sick, you may be prescribed a medication that can change the balance of microorganisms in your body, and one of those is antibiotics.

How Antibiotics Work

Most of the time when people are prescribed antibiotics, it’s a broad spectrum antibiotic. What does this mean exactly? Instead of the medication only killing the bad bacteria that made you sick, it kills the bad and the good kind. While this does help you get better from that specific bacterial infection, it leaves your body without essential microorganisms it had before. Your body needs the good bacteria to function properly (break down fiber in food and fight off bad bacteria), so it is important to add the good bacteria back in. That’s where a probiotic is helpful!

Replenishing Good Bacteria With Probiotics

Now we’re going to tell you why you should take probiotics with antibiotics. Probiotics are mixtures of live bacteria and/or yeast that lives in your body. So when your broad spectrum antibiotic wipes out the bad bacteria that was making you sick and the good bacteria you need, the good kind needs to be replaced.

There are several different ways to replenish your good bacteria supply when you’re taking an antibiotic. You can always eat foods with probiotics, and some of the most popular ones include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi. You can also take supplements, like our Daily Multi-Strain Probiotic that contains 4 different strains of probiotics. If you are a female, we also have a daily supplement called FemBiotic. It contains two widely studied lactobacillus species that are beneficial for vaginal bacteria and yeast balance.

There are many benefits to taking probiotics with antibiotics, and now you know about them! Going forward, you know to pick up your favorite yogurt or probiotic capsules when you need an antibiotic to keep your body working properly and stave off any more sickness. Do you have questions about probiotic supplements? Reach out to us, and we would love to walk you through the best options!