Your doctor may suggest you take smaller or larger dosages depending upon the antibiotic taken, length of time you are taking the antibiotic, and your likeliness to get colitis. Some antibiotics, like cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and clindamycin, are more likely to cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea. In addition, there are many different dosage forms available such as capsules, tablets, and powders. Use only the form of acidophilus your doctor recommends. Do not mix different types of acidophilus, such as tablets or powders, because each formula contains different strains of bacteria. Use for as long as your doctor recommends. Generally probiotics are used for at least one to three weeks longer than the duration of antibiotic treatment. [2] X Research source
Take acidophilus at least one to two hours before or one to two hours after you take your antibiotic. Some recommend two to four hours apart. [3] X Research source
Eating yogurt daily will add acidophilus to your diet, but a lower amount than if you take a supplement.
In addition to acidophilus, there are many other probiotics available, some in the Lactobacillus species. However, Lactobacillus acidophilus is the most commonly used probiotic.
In the case of antibiotic-induced diarrhea, when you take antibiotics to rid your body of the bad bacteria that is causing infection, you can lose some of the beneficial bacteria that are in your gut. A decrease in healthy bacteria can lead to the overgrowth of “bad” bacteria that can produce toxins, and cause inflammation and diarrhea. [7] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Recent important studies have shown that probiotics like acidophilus can prevent or reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea and may also be helpful in preventing C difficile infection. [8] X Research source Hempel S, Newberry SJ, Maher AR, et al. Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2012;307:1959-1969. [9] X Research source Johnston BC, Ma SS, Goldenberg JZ, et al. Probiotics for the prevention of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:878-888. C. diff occurs most commonly after the use of fluoroquinolones, cephalosporins, clindamycin, and penicillins.
