Have you taken antibiotics lately?
I have had several patients recently that took antibiotics for various things who DID NOT take this one critical supplement during/after completing them.
Antibiotics are one of the most beneficial drugs that have forever changed how we deal with infections disease.
However, my view is that while they are life saving, they should be avoided almost at all costs, unless absolutely necessary, because they can have VERY damaging long term side effects.
One 11 year old patient of mine had a double respiratory infection and took 2 rounds of antibiotics, only to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 months later. The antibiotics destroyed the pancreas.
Stories like these are prevalent in my practice after the use of antibiotics. People complain of their health never being the same after antibiotic use. They do cause damage and if your underlying health is not great, the damage can be even greater.
This is why it is so critical before, during and after use of antibiotics to
1. Avoid the foods on The Nasty Nine list (wheat, dairy, soy, corn, refined sugar, fried food, alcohol, pork and coffee).
2. Consume lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and vegetable juices.
3. One of the best supplements to help with bacterial infections is Nascent Iodine.
3. Take immune boosting supplements (vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D, NAC, quercitin) to help in the fight against pathogens daily and during infection.
In addition to this it is critical to take a PROBIOTIC.
It should literally be a crime if doctors don’t prescribe a probiotic alongside antibiotics. They are that important.
So many doctors don’t even mention this to their patients, which is not wise and can create harm.
Most doctors will tell you that you SHOULD NOT take a probiotic while you are on antibiotics.
However, there are quite a few randomized, placebo-controlled trials that have demonstrated the effectiveness of probiotic use DURING a course of antibiotics for reducing side effects and preventing gut infection. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
The key is taking the antibiotics SEPARATE from the probiotics, at least by 2 hours.
For example, you could be taking antibiotics 2 times daily at 10am and 5pm. You could safely take the probiotic at 9pm, 4 hours removed from the antibiotics.
Antibiotics have a COLD nature to them, which is why many get diarrhea and other digestive symptoms during the course of treatment. Probiotics can help prevent this.
Ginger is also one of the best herbs to take to boost immune function and to counteract diarrhea due to its WARM/HOT quality.
Some of the best PREBIOTIC foods for good bacteria to feed on to repopulate the gut flora are sweet potatoes and potatoes. Just make sure they are organic.
In the clinic I use a probiotic called Prosymbiotic (#ad) from Standard Process. Enzymedica is also another great one.
So, the next time you take antibiotics, please start taking probiotics as well. They can significantly mitigate the potential side effects of antibiotics.
Have a great day!
Dr. Scott
