Antibiotics

Summary

drug class: Antibiotics (general)

Note: see also specific drugs by name or class

type of drug: Antibiotic.

used to treat: Infections, especially bacterial and protozoal.

adverse drug effects: During the course of eliminating disease-causing bacteria antibiotics also usually destroy normally-occurring beneficial bacterial flora that form an integral part of the healthy intestinal ecology and assist digestive and immune functions. Diarrhea and yeast infections, including vaginal yeast, are common side-effects of the disruption of intestinal ecology and the creation of an environment more susceptible to proliferation of pathogenic levels of opportunistic yeast. In more serious cases this diminished state of intestinal health could potentially permit overgrowth of C. difficile, a bacteria responsible for pseudomembranous colitis. Patients who develop pseudomembranous colitis as a result of antibiotic treatment can experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and sometimes even shock.

overview of interactions:
• nutritional support: Probiotic Intestinal Flora

• nutrient affected by drug: Vitamin K

Interactions

nutritional support: Probiotic Intestinal Flora

• nutritional support: Supplementation of beneficial probiotic bacterial flora, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidus and Lactobacillus cassei, preferably in the form of a varied, vigorous and abundant culture, will restore the healthy intestinal ecology and stabilize the mucosal lining of the gut. A supplemental dosage of at least one billion organisms per day is necessary to achieve the critical mass of bacterial restoration and successfully reinvigorate healthy intestinal ecology.

nutrient affected by drug: Vitamin K

• mechanism: When antibiotics destroy all or most of the beneficial bacterial flora in the gut they eliminate the organisms that synthesize a high proportion of the body's vitamin K. Therefore, many antibiotics can indirectly cause a depletion of vitamin K.

• nutritional support: Anyone taking antibiotics for more than a few weeks would most likely benefit from supplemental vitamin K. Nevertheless, it is rare that such a depletion of vitamin K would produce noticeable symptoms. Restoration of the healthy bacterial flora that normally produce the vitamin K is generally advisable after the use of any antibiotics. Vitamin K1 supplementation may be necessary and is available in some multivitamin formulas.


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Do not rely solely on the information in this article.

The information presented in Interactions is for informational and educational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, case reports, and/or traditional usage with sources as cited in each topic. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals and different individuals with the same medical conditions with the same symptoms will often require differing treatments. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with conventional medical therapies, including prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications, is also available. Consult your physician, an appropriately trained healthcare practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health concern or medical problem before using any herbal products or nutritional supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications and/or before attempting to independently treat a medical condition using supplements, herbs, remedies, or other forms of self-care.



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