Antibiotics & Probiotics

[New_Natural_Mom]

I am on antibiotics for 10 days (wah, but I have had a sore throat for 4-5 weeks and my tonsils are inflamed, plus there is a node or something on there that needs to be removed.)

Anyway, what is the protocol for probiotics/antibiotics. I have to take the antibiotics 3x/day. How long do you wait before taking the probiotics?

[New_Natural_Mom]

I never get any responses in this forum.

I am worried. I am allergic to some antibiotics. Since I started taking this one my knees have gotten really achy.

[CrazyCatLady]

Could you be psyching yourself out about the antibiotics? I have actually thought I was having terrible allergic reactions after taking things like aspirin, when in reality it was just really bad anxiety because I didn't want to be taking whatever medicine. I've never heard about achy knees being a sign of a reaction? Maybe call the nurse hotline just to be sure?

For what it's worth or for future reference, I have cured strep throat and other awful similar infections by just drinking 3-10 packets of emergen-c a day. It takes longer, but it always works. I have a bad immune system and get terrible illnesses/infections all the time. But I haven't taken a antibiotic in years. I've been written dozens of prescriptions for them though...

I personally, don't take probiotics while taking antibiotics. Mixing them up just weirds me out. Then after treatment I just go extra heavy on the probiotics. I've seen many threads here on MDC address this though and they've said to wait a few hours after each dose, and then take the probiotics.

Sorry no one's replied. No one every replies to my stuff in this forum either.

[New_Natural_Mom]

Thanks CCL. I am taking EmergenC. I have had swollen tonsils for like 4 weeks at least. I think if it was anxiety I would have different symptoms than achy knees. Thanks for the response!

[sbgrace]

I've read two things--one says take supplements that might interact 3 hours after or three hours before antibiotics. The other says take them half way between doses. For my son we do both. Since you've got three times a day dosing you'd do them 4 hours after and that's going to be a sleep disruption. If you can quickly get some florastor probiotic (I can't find it anywhere around here/I have to order online) you can take that at any time as antibiotics can't kill that strain. Otherwise realize that every time you take your antibiotic dose you are killing off any protective probiotics. So ideally you would be putting those back in after every single antibiotic dose. I feel this is important enough taht I do probiotics in the night if needed here because I've seen what can happen if the bad guys get there while on antibiotics. You really need to prevent that because once they take hold probiotics usually can't fix it.

[Tinks]

Antibiotics and probiotics can and should be safely taken together. You start the probiotic when you start the antibiotic and continue it at least one week after completing the antibiotic. I get mine from Falling Leaf Supplements which are made by an MD and dosed to minimize antibiotic side affects. Their web site has all the research which is one reason why I like them, but you could get it from foods and yogurt. You just need to eat enough to make sure you're getting the right amounts.