If you’re taking antibiotics for a dental infection, or during the post-dental operation healing process, there can be many annoying side effects including gas, cramping, bloating, diarrhea, and an over-all feeling of weakness and discomfort. In a recent Science Daily article, it was stated that one in five people may stop using their antibiotics before treatment is finished because of diarrhea.
Why does this happen?
Because there are more than 100 trillion bacteria within the human body, an antibiotic cannot somehow distinguish between the good and bad bacteria. For example, much of the bacteria in your body is integral to aiding digestion, strengthening your immune system, and keeping less-friendly bacteria in check. However, at the same time, when harmful bacteria causes a dental infection, an antibiotic is the perfect solution to kill it off. The problem is that the good bacteria often goes with it.
By taking a probiotic supplement during your antibiotic treatment, you can replenish that good bacteria and help balance out side effects, especially diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration and weakness.
The best treatment to use is Saccharomyces boulardii — which is a type of yeast — as well as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which is a type of bacteria. These are often included in probiotics and helps fight pathogens, particularly Clostridium difficile, which is the most common cause of diarrhea related to use of antibiotics.
What should I do?
The best course of action is to take a multi-strain probiotics supplement, which contains at least ten different probiotic strains in the dose of 50 billion per day. These can be found in most pharmacies as over-the-counter medications. You should also check out your local health store.
However, make sure not to take them at the same time as antibiotics. The National Institutes of Health recommends waiting at least two hours before or after taking your antibiotic to take your probiotics supplement. Also make sure to wait at least four hours between antibiotic doses.
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