Three week course of doxycycline - impact on gut

[Spiderlover]

Hi all,

I am five days into a three week course of doxycycline. This is due to having been bitten by three ticks over the weekend. I did remove them with tick tweezers within 48 hours, but one bite area developed a smallish target rash and this was enough to be prescribed antibiotics (rash now gone, and all bite areas just look like normal healing insect bites).

I felt pretty rough the first three days of the antibiotic course - mostly due to nausea, tiredness and mild diarrhoea. I looked awful too, with really noticeable rings under my eyes. However, 5 days in, I feel miles better and right now, I wouldn’t know I’m on antibiotics (long may it last, but suspect it’s going to be more difficult as time goes on).

Here’s the question - I know that a three week course of antibiotics is going to do a number on my gut biome. I’ve upped my fruit and veg intake significantly and for the first time in a while. I think the jury is still out on whether probiotics are helpful or harmful when on antibiotics. Anyone have any tips on foods to eat to lessen the impact on my gut?

I took pro- and pre-biotics for a couple of months after a course of antibiotics for something completely different and my gut settled back to normal. It worked for me.

I can’t take probiotics as they give me severe nausea and vomiting but I can tolerate yogurts with probiotics in so after I had doxycycline I just ate 2-3 of those per day

No point doing anything until you finish the ABs.
Make sure you keep out of the sun on doxy.
I usually make sure I get plenty of kefir, sauerkraut etc after a course but who knows whether they genuinely make a difference.

Thanks all, sorry for the late reply. Very much appreciate the advice :)