A 21-year-old member asked:
Can i take probiotics after finishing my antibiotics?
11 doctor answers • 21 doctors weighed in
Dr. Jessica Davisanswered
Specializes in Family Medicine
Yes: Yes, taking probiotics after a course of antibiotics is a good idea to restore the balance of normal gut bacteria.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Dean Giannoneanswered
Internal Medicine 27 years experience
Yes: Antibiotics affect the bacterial flora across the entire body, not just at the site of your infection. Probiotics can help to restore the normal bacterial flora of the body to prevent such complications as diarrhea and yeast infections.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Theodore Coleanswered
Specializes in Family Medicine
Yes: But, it's better to take them as soon as you start taking the antibiotics. This will help to minimize the damage to the gut bacteria. Then continue the probiotics for at least a week after stopping the antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Kevin Considineanswered
Family Medicine 32 years experience
Yes: In fact, i would encourage you to take probiotics even while taking antibiotics. Not only will this help replenish good bacterial flora in your intestines ( which can easily be killed by the antibiotics) but this may help prevent other opprtunistic infections from forming in the first place after taking antibiotics such as a yeast or candida infection or even a c. Difficile infection.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Jason Bellakanswered
Allergy and Immunology 23 years experience
Yes: For best results, take the probiotics at the same time you are taking antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Yoshi Rahmanswered
Family Medicine 15 years experience
Yes: Yes. Should take when antibiotics are started. Even better to take probiotics at the first signs of becoming sick or better yet, before even becoming sick (if immunocompromised, around many sick people, or are more stressed than usual). This way the "good bacteria" from the probiotic will get a head start on the "bad bacteria and/or viruses" that can cause illnesses.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 42 years experience
Yes: Yes, but as my colleagues mention, taking them while you are taking antibiotics is also wise. While antibiotics may kill some of the probioitics, many probiotic strains are not killed by antibiotics. Saccharomyces boulardii, a probiotic yeast, may be especially useful to take while taking antibiotics due to its resistance to antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A Verified Doctoranswered
34 years experience
Yes: Antibiotics kill the good bacteria in the gut. The good bacteria helps with digestion and helps the immune system. Taking probiotics after an antibiotic helps to recolonize the good bacteria in the gut.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Nassir Azimianswered
Interventional Cardiology 25 years experience
Yes: It is helpful in restoring the healthy normal bacteria that are part of the intestinal flora.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Yoram Padehanswered
Allergy and Immunology 24 years experience
Yes: Yes, probiotics can and should be take not only after a course antibiotics, but also during a course of antibiotic. I generally recommend to take the antibiotic as far removed from the doses of antibiotics as possible as the antibiotics can also kill the probiotics; at lunch for twice-daily antibiotics (between am and pm doses); for dinner or breakfast opposite once-daily antibiotics.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Scott Bolhackanswered
Wound care 37 years experience
Probiotics: Probiotics have not shown either overwhelming positive results nor harmful results with their use.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
6.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Similar questions
Philadelphia, PA
A 19-year-old female asked:
Can you take probiotics with antibiotics?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
Urgent Care 21 years experience
Absolutely: 19 year old lady with a question about taking probiotics during a course of oral antibiotics. You can take probiotics during your antibiotic therapy. The probiotic will not stop the antibiotic from being absorbed and doing its job. In addition, probiotics are beneficial in reestablishing the balance that may or may not be disturbed by the antibiotics. I recommend taking the probiotic 1 hr after.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Mar 13, 2019
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