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How can I avoid the side effects of antibiotics?

Dec 13, 2024

Antibiotics have revolutionized medicine, saving countless lives, but they come with hidden dangers. The risks of antibiotic resistance and adverse side effects can take a toll on gut health. Disrupting the microbiome may last up to two years, leading to issues like diarrhea and bloating. Discover how probiotics could mitigate these effects and whether you really need to finish your antibiotic course. Plus, find out if antibiotics can trigger yeast infections!

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Quick takeaways

Antibiotics are vital for treating infections, but they can disrupt gut microbiome health, leading to lasting effects like diarrhea and bloating.

To prevent yeast infections during antibiotic use, it's important to consult healthcare professionals and consider probiotics alongside treatment.

Deep dives

The Impact of Antibiotics on Gut Health

Antibiotics are essential in treating infections, but they can also disrupt the gut microbiome by eliminating harmful bacteria along with beneficial ones. This imbalance may lead to long-lasting effects on gut health, sometimes persisting for up to two years following treatment. Studies indicate that antibiotic use can result in side effects such as diarrhea and bloating, underscoring the importance of monitoring their impact. To mitigate these effects, researchers suggest that combining antibiotics with probiotics can help preserve gut diversity and reduce adverse reactions during treatment.

Understanding Antibiotics and Their Side Effects

5min

Antibiotics are critical to modern medicine, and have saved millions of lives since first being introduced in the mid-20th century. However, there are drawbacks to prescribing antibiotics when they’re not actually required.

Of course there’s the issue of antibiotic resistance, which is seen as a major threat to human health. And there are also unwanted side effects of antibiotic use to take into account. After all, they don’t only target the bacteria that are making us sick. They also kill harmless bacteria in the gut which actually keep us healthy. What’s more, according to MedicalXpress.com, “this disruption to gut microbiome composition can last for up to two years after antibiotic treatment.” Other side effects include diarrhea and bloating.

Is there anything we can do to protect our gut? Can antibiotics also lead to yeast infections? Do I have to go right to the end of my course of antibiotics? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A Bababam Originals podcast. Written and produced by Joseph Chance.

First Broadcast: 28/1/2023

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