How to protect my gut health on antibiotics (AGAIN)?!

[ThatLadyLady]

I’ve been put on antibiotics for the second time this year. I have had chronic sinus issues for years which led to spending the last four winters on antibiotics pretty much every month due to chronic infections. I got surgery for it and now as an after effect of it, my GP thinks I’ve got a middle ear infection and has prescribed me ANOTHER course of them.

im not 100% convinced that the constant antibiotics didn’t contribute to my issues, but im at the point where my ear is agony and I need it sorting, so im reluctantly taking them. I’ve popped some Greek yoghurt on our shopping but aside from that I don’t know what else I can be doing, as I am pretty sure you can’t combine probiotics and antibiotics at the same time?

I don’t raise probiotics at the same time as antibiotics because I’m not convinced that it’s worth while. (I could be wrong!) I do take them as soon as I have finished the course. Take ones with the highest number and variety of organisms. I think the brand I usually take is Biocult.

I also eat live yogurt. It doesn’t have to be Greek, ‘live’ is the important thing, even better if the packaging specifies that it has live organisms. Also any naturally fermented foods, such as sauerkraut. But it must be unpasteurised sauerkraut, made with vegetables and salt only (herbs and spices are allowed), no vinegar or preservatives. These foods really help to reestablish your gut biome. Alongside them, try to eat plenty of fresh veg, and gentle fibre such as oats and seeds, especially flax seeds.

Hope you feel better soon, and manage to get off the medical merry-go-round.

There's a zoe podcast episode on this - contrary to popular belief, probiotics can often do more harm than good. Worth a read/listen.

https://zoe.com/learn/podcast-antibiotics-the-surprising-truth-about-probiotics?srsltid=AfmBOoqv81Gs3o_LNoSq5OM9ZwThr_ZHyU_Yd9XRqoD_AzRPqqvPtjba

Yeah I do wonder if the antibiotics would kill anything probiotic and I don’t want to stop them working and not getting rid of the infection!

I honestly feel so frustrated because it’s just one issue for another, but im hoping these work! Thanks for the tips!

Any way of reading that without downloading the app?

AFAIK you need to give the probiotics the right environment, hence also eating naturally fermented foods and plenty of vegetables and fibre.