Simple health tip: Acidophilus and antibiotics are two great tastes that taste great together.
Antibiotics are wonderful things, killing off all kinds of nasty stuff that can kill you. Newer and better antibiotics come along all the time, racing to keep ahead of all the mutating bacteria and other assorted crap.
However, there are always problems with anything. One inherent problem with antibiotics is that they will tend to kill off things in you that you don't want killed off. Vis a vis bacteria, antibiotics tend to run on a Republican philosophy: Kill 'em all, and let God sort 'em out.
This includes good bacteria that you are supposed to have in the intestines. Killing off these healthy bacteria thus often causes diarrhea for patients taking antibiotics. This has been a significant problem for many people.
Yet it is actually easy to avoid, if you know how to do it. Just compensate for what you're losing. There are at least a couple of simple ways to do it. One is simply eating yogurt. This is the commonly recommended dietary source for these good bacterial cultures. Delicious and nutritious.
Even better though, you can buy acidophilus pills as nutritional supplements. Five bucks will get you a two month supply at the Wal-Mart. If you're just on antibiotics for a couple of days with a flu, you might just grab a little yogurt. If you're on any more serious regimen, supplements will give you a cheaper and more controlled dosage.
Article comments
1 - Tom French
Ha sto be non sugar yogurt. you can add ruit at home. The sugar kills the live organisms.
2 - RJ
Good and informative post, Al.
Little-known fact:
Despite being the most highly prescribed type of drug, antibiotics are also the one most likely to cause life-threatening alergic reactions.
Anaphalaxis (sp?) ain't a lot of fun...
3 - Al Barger
Thanks, RJ. It really shouldn't be surprising that anything capable of the near miraculous benefits of modern antibiotics could also possibly backfire on you horribly.
4 - RJ
ANOTHER odd fact (yes, I'm taking a couple of medical courses right now...):
The first antibiotic, Pennicillin (sp?), is the one most likely to cause bad reactions in patients.
And the sulfur-based ones are mostly for uninary tract infections.
(Yes, I love playing the obnoxious know-it-all...) ;-P
5 - sally
I had a terrible reaction to sulfur based antibiotics prescribed for a urinary tract problem (not an infection). My doc didn't realize that the reaction was from the med as it surfaced a week after, so a few months later prescribed it again. This time my reaction was much more severe and I was sent to a specialist to analyse the problem. Stephens-Johnsons Syndrom was the result. Check that one out! It was the most horrible experience, and is so serious it can cause death.
6 - What?
"If you're just on antibiotics for a couple of days with a flu, you might just grab a little yogurt. If you're on any more serious regimen, supplements will give you a cheaper and more controlled dosage."
The influenza is a serious virus that does not respond to antibiotics. People do NOT take antibiotics for viruses. Do your research.
7 - KillEmAllRepublican
If the antibiotics are taken to go in and kill all the bad bacteria, will taking Acidophilus or other probiotics make the antibiotics take longer to work? Won't they spend time killing the bacteria you're replacing instead of just wiping out the bad ones?
Sorry if that's ridiculous. I'm totally ignorant, but it seemed sort of logical. I know when I'm on the battlefield slaying enemies if I have to take time to go kill civilians too it takes longer.
So what's the deal?