Antibiotics vs Probiotics Part 2: When To Take Probiotics After Antibiotics
Wondering if you can take probiotics and antibiotics at the same time? Or maybe you want to know how long it takes for good bacteria to restore after antibiotics? I’ll be answering questions like this — and more — right here in this three-part video series about antibiotics versus probiotics. Here we go!
Okay — Here at The Healthy Place, we get A LOT of questions about probiotics and antibiotics, so we’re going to go through a list of common questions Q&A style! You ready? Let’s jump in!
#1 — Can you take probiotics and antibiotics at the same time? Yes — and you should! Probiotics contain bacteria that is already living in your gut. Taking them WHILE taking antibiotics helps to support your natural microbiome and keep your immune system strong.
If you’re wondering when to take probiotics with antibiotics, a good rule of thumb is to wait two hours after your dose of antibiotics. This gives the antibiotics time to get through your digestive system and into your bloodstream. If you take them together, the antibiotics will actually wipe out the bacteria in your probiotic supplement so you get no benefit. And you don’t want that!
Consider taking your probiotics a couple hours after your morning dose of antibiotics AND right before bedtime. That way your probiotic can work all night long while you sleep!
#2 — Do probiotics affect antibiotics? Probiotics do NOT alter the effectiveness of antibiotics. Antibiotics are POWERFUL! And they’re designed to kill bacteria, so probiotic bacteria don’t stand a chance against pharmaceuticals.
#3 — How long does it take for good bacteria to restore after antibiotics? Here’s the thing — without probiotics, a single round of antibiotics can still affect your gut health a YEAR LATER! That’s right, a week of antibiotics and you could have digestive issues for 51 weeks, or LONGER! People on antibiotics for weeks at a time who don’t repopulate their gut flora, may experience negative side effects for YEARS. Side effects can include digestive upset, irregularity, increased food sensitivities, weakened immune health, and leaky gut syndrome. No thanks!
#4 — How long does it take for probiotics to work? Probiotics aren’t instant miracle workers. For issues like diarrhea, gas, and stomachache, they can relieve symptoms in a couple of days. For long-term worries, probiotics are an excellent way to repair the collateral damage from antibiotics in a way that is 100% safe.
Your antibiotics knocked out your infection — and now probiotics can help keep you safer in the future!
Of course, as helpful as they are, probiotics ARE NOT a replacement for medical advice, SO, we recommend seeing your doctor immediately if you are experiencing any issues with your antibiotics or digestive health during or following a round of antibiotics.
Okay, I’m almost to Question #5 — Are you finding value in this video so far? If so, go ahead and subscribe so you can stay in touch and watch more health-related videos just like this one!
Alright, last but not least — Question #5 — How long should you take probiotics? While probiotics are especially beneficial during and after antibiotics, consider adding them to your diet, full-time. Now that the antibiotic cycle is finished and no longer killing off bacteria every day, your body can really get to work rebalancing and replenishing your microbiome! Doing so will also support your intestines, immune system, and full-body health by repopulating that healthy bacteria!
And hooray! We made it through our Q&A! Now, as far as choosing WHICH probiotics to take, check out another one of our videos — linked below — that goes over how to choose the best probiotic supplement. We also have an article on our website that goes WAY more in-depth about antibiotics versus probiotics — and that’s linked below too!
And! Question for you — have you taken antibiotics before? Did you take a probiotic during of after? What did you experience? We’d love to know! Give us a comment down below and we’ll reply back.
Watch the original video on YouTube here, “Antibiotics vs Probiotics Part 2: When To Take Probiotics After Antibiotics”