I've been dealing with lyme for years and years and have always taken probiotics while on antibiotics.
HOWEVER, I just talked to a naturopath I'm seeing and he said taking probiotics while on the ABX actually can decrease the effectiveness of the ABX.
He said something like you're adding more bacteria to you from the probiotic and then the ABX has to work on getting that bacteria and can take away from killing the bacteria you're really going after (lyme). Thoughts?
I definitely need my Doxy to be as effective as possible against this lyme beast but I also want to protect my gut. I feel my yeast flaring from Doxy and don't want that to get out of control.
At the same time though, I don't want to do anything that takes away from the effectiveness of the ABX.
I know Dr. Burrascano recommends probiotics while on ABX. Any truth to what my naturopath said? I'm assuming some of you will agree and some of you will disagree.
I'm feeling a little confused about this right now and could use some guidance.
Thanks.
Posted by paulieinct (Member # 17514) on :
You know, I have had that very same thought about probiotics.
Interesting to hear a naturopath say that. What he says does make sense to me, but I take my probiotics religiously,
and would be afraid to stop. I don't want to get C-diff - had it once and it's bad news.
I was just thinking tonight as I was eating my second container of Greek yogurt about all the "beneficial" bacteria I was dumping into my gut
that are tying up the Azithromycin and preventing it from going after the evil spirochetes. Looks like a damned if you do damned if you don't situation.
[ 05-07-2009, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: paulieinct ]
Posted by gemofnj (Member # 15551) on :
M,
IMHO i cant seem to believe that if there is any possible negative impact, that it would out way the positive effects of probiotics.
I think that the good bacteria is really important in adding balance and assists in avoiding horrible stomach/gastrointestinal issues and candida nightmares.
of course, this is just my opinion. Posted by peacemama (Member # 17666) on :
The chiropractor my son sees puts her people on probiotics after they are done with abx, not during. But, for people on long term abx, I just think we need to space them out just like we do Grapefruit seed extract or other herbals that might increase the power of the abx.
Spacing is key, in my opinion.
Posted by marriedchick (Member # 20214) on :
Yeah, I kind of agree on the spacing issue and that's what I've been doing since I've been back on ABX.
Even though he said this, I think I'm gonna stick with the probiotics. I'm leaning toward what gemofnj said that the positive effects would outway any possible negative impact.
My gut is fragile and I've experienced some awful gut-stuff over the years even while on probiotics so I guess that's the decider for me.
Besides, now that I think about it, I think my naturopath was thinking about short-term antibiotic treatment, not long-term like so many of us are on.
PLUS, my old LLMD used to always have me on probiotics while on ABX and she was more of an expert on lyme than my naturopath since she dealt with the disease all the time.
I'm gonna go swallow some. :-)
I wish I could do the yogurt-thing. I love yogurt so much but I have a dairy-sensitivity and it makes my sinuses act up. I miss it terribly!
Posted by Wimenin (Member # 15294) on :
Yes, taking probiotics while taking abx will diminish the abx ability to kill the bad bacteria, but, you also need a certain level of good gutt flora to digest properly, and to overcrowd the yeast albicans that can take over without a proper amount of good bacteria.
The goal is to eliminate the bad bacteria, replenish the good bacteria, and keep yeast down.
Posted by radfaraf (Member # 11909) on :
Wouldn't it at worst slightly diminish the bacteria killing ability in GI system, but not anywhere else? The antibiotics that reach your head for instances aren't going to work on the probiotics you took, but the borellia in your head.
Plus the amount being added by probiotics is really nothing compared to the amount of bacteria we normally have in our system.
Posted by marriedchick (Member # 20214) on :
Good point radfaraf...wouldn't it only affect the ABX effectiveness in the gut? Sounds right but who knows.
I guess hearing what my naturopath said concerned me too because I'm only on 200mg of Doxy a day right now. (from general practioner...seeing a new LLMD in two weeks)
I'm not sure that that's enough for the awful way I'm feeling so to hear something might make it less effective kind of bothered me.
Sometimes I feel worse lately from probiotics...I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing...or a sensitivity to it. It's annoying because I don't know if I'm making myself better or worse from taking them.
Posted by Leelee (Member # 19112) on :
I never thought of this before. I was instructed not to take my probiotics at the same time as my abx, but that's all I ever heard.
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
make sure you take FLorastor (s. boulardii) its a beneficial yeast that crowds out c.diff and s good for prevention. Time your probiotics away from the antibiotics, you aren't supposed to take them at the same time.
Posted by bwillis (Member # 18811) on :
Probiotics have no effect on intracellular bacteria. They only effect the ability of the gut to digest and move waste. They actually do have a positive effect on the immune system by helping the gut to process pathogens out and keep them from entering the blood.
Antibiotics are absorbed through the gut and become blood born. They travel in the blood into tissues where bacteria infect. Thus they kill gut bacteria which need to be replaced. Other bacteria will try to replicate inside the cell but will be destroyed by the antibiotics during the replication phase thus lowering the germ load.
You need probiotics.
Posted by marriedchick (Member # 20214) on :
Ok, I'm convinced again. I just need to find a good brand. Have any of you tried Custom Probiotics? I have some and took some last year but I got the worst diarrhea from it. I'm not sure what that meant.
How many millions or billions of strains do you guys take per day? The only one I'm not sensitive to lately is Acidophilus Pearls but I feel like it's probably not enough since it's only 2 strains and a smaller amount of them. Do you think this brand is enough or should I find something with more of a wide variety of strains?
I have several different probiotic brands...some with a wide variety of strains but it seems like I'm more sensitive to them than the Pearls.
I'm not really comfortable with Florastor. I tried that years ago and think I reacted to that too. I have an allergy to yeast...I don't know if that's why I reacted or not since Florastor is a "good" yeast.
Posted by gemofnj (Member # 15551) on :
Hi M,
Its a matter of choice and there are alot of great ones out there. The most effective ones are mostly refrigerated. Just remember: high culture/high strain.
Your LLMD sounds pretty sharp. She/he may offer a professional brand. Mine did and its called Iflora Professional strength by Sedona Labs.
Its has 20 billion cultures and like 16 strains. But you can only get it from a doctor. She says she has a hard time keeping it in stock.
(If you dont keep the live culture ones refrigerated, they will die and not be effective.)
I also had very good luck with Prescript Assist Pro, which is recommended in Dr. B's guidelines. I just got this one but had to ask my LLMD authorize me to buy it from Researched Nutritionals. So far so good.
Its a soil based NON refrigerated kind. It has like 27 strains in it. Good to mix them up.
Also, Renew Life Ultra Flora CRITICAL Care is good, 50 billion/10 strains. You can get it at your local heath store.
I always take my lower ones in between abx and the higher potency one at bed so it has time to flourish.
A very great brand which I use when I am on multiple abx and need a "heavy duty probiotic", is VSL#3. It has 225 billion cultures and like 14 strains. Very effective. You can get it at the pharmacy dept in CVS. (also needs refrigeration)
There are lots of other brands out there. These are only a few that I know. Others will probably offer theirs too.
You can do a search at the top, pop in the subject or key word, and you will get some really good stuff! Posted by maureen2174 (Member # 11471) on :
I have always taken Custom Probiotics. I love that stuff- never had any problems with yeast and I didn't follow any special diet either!
They are powerful though, and sometimes it takes a little while to adjust- maybe that is why you had the diarrhea.
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