Acidophilus and Antibiotics

AngieM

New member
Does anyone take acidophilus? I would think that with always being on an antibiotic this would help. Acidophilius is a type of friendly bacteria that assists in the digestion of proteins and has antifungal properties, aids digestion and enhances the absorbtion of nutients. Cant antibiotics give yeast infections... does that happen to many CFers? Also, do you evenutally stop responding to antibiotics? Thanks! Angie<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 

cfgirl38

New member
Antibiotics do sometime cause yeast, I drink a yogurt smoothie everyday. or choke it down. HeeHee cant stand yogurt. Anyway I do it so I can incorporate some dairy in as well. But alot of people on here take a pill like Azo its over-the-counter. I dont know the answer for your other questions.
 

NoDayButToday

New member
I don't take acidophilus daily, but I do eat at least one container of yogurt a day (I only like ONE flavor of ONE brand, but luckily I love that one flavor). Yeast infections are a problem, but I usually only get them with IV or oral antibiotics, not inhaled (like Tobi). If I get oral thrush from antibiotics, I use Nystatin.

Antibiotic resisitance is a big problem in CF. As time goes on, CFers generally respond to fewer and fewer antibiotics. When the doctor does a sputum culture, the sputum is also tested for antibiotic resistance in order to chose the most effective drugs for treatment. Sometimes, if you no longer respond to a drug and do not use it for awhile, its affectiveness will come back eventually. Hope I answered your question.
 

Diane

New member
I take acidophilus daily. I am on antibiotics all the time 365 days a year. I have to switch them every 2 - 3 weeks, so they cant build up too big a resistance. I am usually on 2 -3 at a time. I am resistant to just about all antibiotics , but when you team them up they can work synergistically. The fact that i really like yogurt is probably a small bonus, since they have live cultures that help keep the balance of good bacteria. You really have to eat a LOT of yogurt to actually get as much benefit as you would from taking acidophilus, but every little bit does help.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
~Diane 40 / cf / diabetes / b.cepacia
 

Dea

New member
I also take acidophilus on a daily basis. Between prednisone and antibiotics, my mouth absolutely kills me without taking it. It has helped me sooo much!
Dea
 

HollyCatheryn

New member
<P>I use acidophilus frequently. I have found, through research, that the only way to get any real benefit from acidophilus is to make sure that it is enteric-coated capsules (so it survives the stomach acids - the bacteria are very fragile) in a light blocking container (like opaque glass or plastic) that has been kept in a refridgerator from storage to use. Don't buy a brand that keeps their product on a shelf because it is too warm and the bacteria will die off. Yogurt is good, but even the kind that has live cultures has very little. It is refridgerated, which is good, but during the processing, all the bacteria are removed (pasteurization) and then the acidophilus has to be added back in. By the time you get it at the store, most of the bacteria are dead because they have used up all the sugars in the yogurt and run out of food, so they die off. There may be only a few left. So, not to say don't use yogurt, but it's probably not enough in itself to really help you. HSO - homeostatic soil organisms are heartier than acidohpilus and they work great together. Acidophilus builds colonies that live in your gut and help keeo a balance. HSO are transient (they don't build colonies, they just do their job and die off), but they survive the stomach acids well. HSO works by feeding off the stuff that yeast usually feeds on so that the yeast has less opportunity to grow. Think also about topical things, nystatin is ok, but it doesn't cure yeast, it just relieves symptoms. Try calendula (in many diaper ointments - I like Earth Friendly Baby). You can put a few drops of tea tree oil in a bath. If you get thrush (which is why your mouth hurts, Dea) you can open up the acidophilus capsules and coat your mouth with it. Nystatin washes help relieve the pain. I usually try to start a combination of these things ahead of time if I anticipate being put on antibiotics and then make sure to continue a couple of weeks after I have finished the antibiotics. My website (<A href="http://www.geocities.com/murrensnaturemama/wellness">www.geocities.com/murrensnaturemama/wellness</A>) contains much of this information in greater detail if you are interested. </P>
 

anonymous

New member
How do you time the acidophilus in relationship to the the antibiotics? My daughter really suffers from GI symptoms when she is on Cipro or Levaquin.
 

ClashPunk82

New member
Has anyone seen the commercial for Musonex? It says it breaks up mucous to get rid of it easier. I am going to ask my doc about that and see what she thinks about it.
 

anonymous

New member
For those of you taking Acidophillus, how much do you take daily and at what times of the day do you take it...i.e. with meals, between meals, etc.

Thanks,
Jen
 

Diane

New member
I just take one, with the first meal of the day along with all my medications , including the antibiotics.

~Diane 40 / cf / diabetes /. b.cepacia
 

anonymous

New member
My son takes 1 a day. However, his doctor said it wouldn't hurt to give him 2 a day (but it gets kind of expensive). My son is 4 years old and has been doing this for almost a year.

Jena
 

HollyCatheryn

New member
Dosing and timing of acidophilus:Because acidophilus is relatively fragile, it is better to take more. You can't overdose on it - you cannot over-colonize your gut. Your gut will only support a certain amount of the good bacteria and the others will die off. You should take it at times when you digestive acids are at their lowest to avoid killing the acidophilus off before it has a chance to reach the gut (first thing in the morning or mid-way between meals when you are satiated and not getting hungry again yet). You should also consider beginning acidophilus before starting antibioitcs and continuing for at least a week after antibiotics are stopped. If you stop acidophilus too soon while antibiotics are still in the system, then you still are vulnerable to yeast. For little ones who cannot swallow pills yet, you can put acidophilus powder on your finger and let them suck it off, dip a banana in it, or mix it in applesauce. If you do it this way, you need to do lots and lots because it is going to be much more difficult for the acidophilus to survive the gut without the enteric coating of a capsule and because of the body necessitating acids to digest the banana or applesauce.
 
Top