What is the best probiotic for diarrhea caused by antibiotics

Should you take probiotic supplementation after antibiotic treatment? A resounding yes. Most medical departments worldwide recommend that patients taking antibiotics also take probiotics! So, the question is which are the best probiotics to take with antibiotics?

Best Probiotic Supplement to take With Antibiotic Treatment Summary

Biotics 8 is the brand of probiotic supplementation I recommend - for both WOMEN and men. Although the marketing is aimed at men it is completely suitable for female use as well.

"All the research, along with articles published at reliable sources says the best two probiotic strains for treating  antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) are Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces boulardii. Biotics 8 has both."

Biotics 8 is available to order directly from the official website. Contains clinically backed bacterial strains. Biotics 8 has a 60 day money back guarantee and offers free shipping to the USA, Canada, Australia, UK and many other countries worldwide.

CLICK to visit Biotics 8 website and view pricing

The National Library of Medicine has issued a PRACTICE CHANGER. They Recommend that patients taking antibiotics also take probiotics. This is for antibiotic-associated diarrhea - a condition that can be fatal. So doctors around the world SHOULD prescribe or at least advise taking probiotics with antibiotics.

Antibiotics kill bacteria - all bacteria, including healthy gut flora and beneficial bacteria. So it makes absolute sense to replenish your good gut bacteria with a good probiotic supplement.

The human gut is teeming with life. It has around 50 trillion bacteria living inside it. Some species are harmful but others are beneficial. As you are probably aware, we call the "good" type probiotic bacteria.

Probiotic bacteria can support good health in numerous ways. For instance, some probiotic species help enhance immune function, while others aid digestion. There are even probiotics that are good for the skin. [1]

However, the bacteria we all encounter in our everyday lives often have the potential to make us ill. We may breathe them in, or they may access our bodies via a wound, or in some other manner. Regardless of the way they enter the body, if they cause illness, doctors may prescribe an antibiotic.

Antibiotics are generally prescribed to kill pathogenic bacteria. Unlike probiotics, this type of bacteria is not supposed to be in the body and is causing sickness.

Irrespective of whether the antibiotic is intended to treat a wound to the foot, an infected tooth, or some other malady, the antibiotic reaches its intended target via the blood.

However, before it can enter the blood, the medication needs to make its way through the stomach and travel to the gut. Once there, before it passes through the intestinal walls, the antibiotic will cause havoc in the gut microbiome by killing a lot of the bacteria.

This can cause many health issues. One of the most common ones is antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The condition affects between 5% and 35% of people who take antibiotics and, in 17% of cases, it's fatal. [2]. 

Although a lot of people believe antibiotics and probiotics should not be mixed, this is far from being true.

Probiotics and Antibiotics: What You Need to Know

Consuming probiotics is known to be beneficial. Some people give their guts a probiotic top-up by using supplements, while others do so by eating probiotic foods.

Different probiotic species affect the body in different ways and research suggests certain species are good for preventing AAD.

As we already pointed out, the bacteria living in the gut are a mix of good and bad. When antibiotics diminish the good bacteria levels, the less friendly species of bacteria have fewer obstacles standing in their way.

Clostridium difficile is one the most unpleasant species. It causes diarrhea and can cause more severe problems as well, such as inflammation of the colon, which has the potential to be fatal.

When antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiota, C. difficile can multiply rapidly. As the colony expands, the bacteria release toxins that cause the person who is taking the antibiotic to become unwell.

Once it gets a hold, C. difficile can be very difficult to eradicate and, although it's more likely to be an issue for elderly people, especially ones who are receiving antibiotics in a hospital, this bacteria can affect younger people as well.

It's not all grim news. Research suggests consuming the appropriate probiotics alongside a course of antibiotics can help prevent C. difficile from taking an unhealthy hold on the gut.

Should You Take Probiotics with Anti Biotics?

An ever-growing body of evidence suggests probiotic supplements can be useful for limiting the problems antibiotics can cause in the gut microbiome.

Research conducted by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) and published in the journal Gastroenterology (August 2020) suggests that probiotics could be beneficial for people who have or are at risk of developing certain types of gastrointestinal disorders. [3]

Some studies make it very clear that the two probiotic strains that offer the best protection against AAD and C. difficile infection are Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces boulardii. Probiotic mixtures appear to have value too but the results of one study suggest S. Boulardii may be the probiotic strain that offers the best protection from Clostridium difficile infection (CDD). [4]

Research involving children, aged 18 or younger, is equally supportive of using S. boulardii and L. rhamnosus to prevent ADD. [5]

Using these two probiotic species alongside a diverse range of additional probiotics should further limit the extent of the damage antibiotics cause to the gut microbiome.

However, although research shows probiotics can be very useful for preventing C. difficile infection and AAD, they may not be an appropriate choice for anyone who has an impaired immune system. Examples include people suffering from HIV or AIDS and people who are undergoing certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy.

Probiotic Supplements Vs Probiotic Foods

There are two ways to add extra probiotic bacteria to your gut microbiome. The first way is by eating foods that are natural sources of probiotic bacteria. Probiotic yogurts are the most obvious example but plenty of other foods contain probiotic bacteria too.

Here are a few examples:

• Sauerkraut

• Kombucha

• Kimchi

• Tempeh

• Miso

• Salt-based pickles

The second way to add extra good bacteria to your gut is to use a probiotic supplement. Although there are powder versions you can sprinkle over your food, all the best probiotic supplements are pills.

If you only want to attain or maintain a healthy gut flora by improving and enhancing your gut microbiome with additional good bacteria, probiotic foods are a reasonable option.

However, when you are hoping to use probiotics to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, supplements are a better choice. When you take any of the best probiotic supplements, the label tells you which bacteria species are present. It also states the potency.

How to Choose a Good Probiotic Supplement

Regardless of whether you want to use a probiotic alongside antibiotics or simply want to improve your gut health, there are several things you need to check:

• Probiotic potency

• Probiotic bacteria strains

• Prebiotic Fiber

1. Probiotic Potency

If you want to know how powerful a probiotic supplement is, you check the CFU.

CFU stands for colony-forming-units. Good probiotics need to be at least 20 billion CFU. They also need to provide a variety of probiotic bacteria species.

2. Probiotic Bacteria Strains

If you only want to improve your gut health, it's best to choose a supplement that provides four or more species of probiotic bacteria. Preferably from the Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium bacteria families.

Most Popular Stories

However, when you are hoping to counteract the negative aspects of antibiotics, research suggests you should choose a supplement that provides L. rhamnosus or S. boulardii. For maximum benefits, the supplement should contain both.

The CFU is important too. Both species need to be included in CFUs of at least two billion.

It's also best to choose a supplement that pairs S. boulardii and L. rhamnosus with additional probiotic bacteria. Doing so will help improve the overall state of your gut microbiome. This will further limit the damage caused by antibiotics killing some of your probiotic bacteria.

Although L. rhamnosus is a probiotic bacteria species, S. boulardii is not. It's a probiotic yeast that's a natural component in your existing gut microbiome. It supports good gut health in several ways. As we already pointed out, research shows it is also the best probiotic for helping prevent antibiotics from causing Clostridium difficile disease. [4]

3. Prebiotic Fiber

The best probiotic supplements provide prebiotic fiber. Fructooligosaccharide (FOS) is especially good.

This type of fiber offers no nutritional value because the human digestive organs cannot process it. Because of this, prebiotic fiber passes through the stomach and arrives in the guts untouched. This is beneficial because probiotic bacteria feed on it. Harmful bacteria do not.

So although prebiotic fiber helps your probiotics to thrive and multiply, it does not do the same for harmful bacteria. The simple truth is, the prebiotic fiber in supplements helps your probiotics maintain the upper hand.

Antibiotics and Probiotics: Timing the Doses

Although consuming prebiotics is a good way to control the damage caused by antibiotics, it's best not to take both at the exact same time. A better practice is to take the probiotic mid-way between your doses of antibiotics.

Taking one after the other would cause a higher number of probiotics to be killed. It would also rob the antibiotic of some of its power, making it less effective for treating the condition it was prescribed for.

So, if you are taking your antibiotic morning and night, it's best to take your probiotic at lunch.

However, it's worth remembering S. boulardii is a probiotic yeast, not a bacteria. That means, antibiotics do not affect it. Although some of the probiotics it shares gut space with may be killed by the antibiotic, S. boulardii will always remain okay. This may be one of the things that allow it to be the best probiotic for preventing Clostridium difficile disease. [4]

Buying Probiotic Supplements: Things to Avoid

When you are buying probiotics online, there are certain things to avoid. One of them is little-known manufacturers. Although it's not always the case, they often peddle their wares on sites like Amazon and eBay.

The supplements some manufacturers distribute online contain undisclosed ingredients. In some cases, they don't even provide the ones that are listed on the label. The inclusion rates may be exaggerated as well and these products rarely have money-back guarantees.

Even if they appear to have guarantees, the manufacturers may not honor the promise of a refund.

If you want an effective supplement and peace of mind, it's best to stick to well-known suppliers. Companies like these have reputations they want to protect. If they promise a money-back guarantee, it will be real.

It's also a good idea to stay well clear of companies that appear to be offering probiotic supplements via free trials. These "free" trials often turn out to be autoship scams and it's incredibly easy to be fooled.

In all cases, the company will request a small payment to cover the cost of postage. However, in many cases, there will be a small-print disclaimer that states the free trial enrolls customers into an autoship agreement. The only way to prevent being charged is to cancel the agreement.

That's hard to do when you don't realize you agreed to further shipments in the first place. Many people who fall for this trick only realize their mistake when they see large debits being applied to their cards.

To make matters worse, autoship agreements are notoriously hard to cancel. Sometimes the only way to do it is to have your bank cancel your card.

The Best Probiotic To Use With Antibiotics: Our Recommendation

CLICK to visit Biotics8 website for pricing and offers

This article provides information about the best probiotics to use alongside antibiotics. It also provides links to studies that prove their value. You will find these at the bottom of the page.

We have also provided information about the best way to use probiotics with antibiotics, along with advice about choosing an effective supplement.

However, up until now, we have not made any product recommendations. We have explained what you should look for but not where to look. We will put that right now.

After a thorough evaluation of all the top probiotic supplements, we have discovered the best option to use alongside antibiotics is Biotics 8.

Biotics 8 is manufactured and distributed by Bauer. It's one of several respected supplement brands owned by Wolfson Brands. The company has over 30 years of experience in the supplement industry and backs all its products with long money-back guarantees.

Unlike a lot of the alternative options, Biotics 8 provides S. boulardii and L. rhamnosus. Of equal importance, the supplement provides 2 billion CFU of both. It provides eight additional probiotics as well along with two forms of prebiotic bacteria. One of them is FOS. The other is inulin, sourced from chicory.

The total CFU is 20 Billion, so Biotics 8 is bang on the money as far as potency goes. The product also provides some vitamin D. That's a very useful inclusion too. If you use Biotics 8 long-term, it may help reduce the need for further courses of antibiotics.

Research suggests vitamin D may be particularly useful for preventing bacterial infections in older adults. [6]

NOTE:

One final thing we should point out is, Biotics 8 is a probiotic supplement marketed for men. However, there is nothing in it that makes it unsuitable for women. Not only does it provide the top two probiotics for preventing AAD it combines them with eight other bacteria species that can work wonders inside the gut and help support overall good health.

Reference Sources

1. The Effect of Probiotics on Immune Regulation, Acne, and Photoaging: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5418745/

2. Prescribing an Antibiotic? Pair It With Probiotics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3601687/

3. AGA Technical Review on the Role of Probiotics in the Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders: https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(20)34732-6/fulltext

4. Meta-Analysis of Probiotics for the Prevention of Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea and the Treatment of Clostridium Difficile Disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16635227/

5. Probiotics to Prevent Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea in Children: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2020/0301/od2.html

6. Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Antibiotic Use: A Randomized Controlled Trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24108783/

FAQ - Best Probiotic to take With Antibiotics

Why don't doctors prescribe probiotics with antibiotics?

The National Library of Medicine has issued a PRACTICE CHANGER. They Recommend that patients taking antibiotics also take probiotics. This is for antibiotic-associated diarrhea - a condition that can be fatal. So doctors around the world SHOULD prescribe or at least advise taking probiotics with antibiotics.

Do Antibiotics kill good gut bacteria?

Yes, prescribed antibiotics harm gut microbiota. Healthy bacteria as well as bad bacteria are killed while taking an antibiotic course.

What is the best probiotic supplementation to take with antibiotics?

All the research, along with articles published at reliable sources says the best two probiotic strains for treating  antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) are Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Saccharomyces boulardii. Biotics 8 has both. 

More Like This

What probiotic helps stop diarrhea?

Which probiotics are best after antibiotics?

How do you stop diarrhea from antibiotics?

Do probiotics help with antibiotic