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3 weeks of antibiotics, Probiotics? etc.?


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I happened to be in the room with my 10 year old as he was changing shirts today and noticed a bull's eye rash on his back. We just got back from the ER with a diagnosis of lyme disease and a prescription for 3 weeks of antibiotics.

 

I picked up some organic yogurt with probiotics (or so says the label). Will that help? What else should I give him so his normal flora isn't totally wiped out?

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I just give my son a probiotic capsule (break the capsule in a glass of milk). He takes antibiotics 3 days each week (long story), so he gets probiotics most of the time. We buy the refrigerated ones, because some say the bacteria live longer, but I don't know if that is true (never had it tested). There are many brands available at most health food stores.

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Thank you both so much. I know nothing about this sort of thing. Do you think the BioK+ or the capsules are a better option than the brand names of probiotic yogurt? He is not really good at swallowing capsules so e is taking the antibiotic in a spoonful of the yogurt. Would both be too much?

 

Obviously, I could buy regular yogurt and use one of the other options for a probiotic. Is there anything else I should be giving as well?

 

I know, sooo many questions! I really need educating on this topic.

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Our holistic pediatrician told us to NOT use the probiotic yogurts, cuz you really don't know how much probiotics you are actually getting. They say they have a certain number, 1,000,000 or whatever it is, but that was when it was put in the package. 2 months later, after several truck rides, and time on the shelf, who knows what's left. If you truly want the benefit of a probiotic, just use a real probiotic.

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Not quibbling, just a thought. What you write makes sense. However, if the original product contains a specified amount (I'm thinking of the Bio-K, which we use) -- that amount typically is very high. There is no "specified amount" for the human body, so one can't say that, with proper handling, the amount remaining in the product is inadequate or ineffective. Again, I'm just "thinking out loud" . . .

 

Our holistic pediatrician told us to NOT use the probiotic yogurts, cuz you really don't know how much probiotics you are actually getting. They say they have a certain number, 1,000,000 or whatever it is, but that was when it was put in the package. 2 months later, after several truck rides, and time on the shelf, who knows what's left. If you truly want the benefit of a probiotic, just use a real probiotic.
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That's true because the same could be said for the probiotics in a bottle. There's no telling how they were handled before they got to the store. All you can do is the best you can do! :) Go for the highest quality; buy from the best source possible; and hope for the best.

 

That being said, I would think that giving the probiotic after finishing the course of antibiotics would be the best bet. The antibiotic will kill the probiotics if they're in the gut at the same time. That's what antibiotics do. I'd give him the probiotic yogurt now, and save the expensive "good stuff" for afterward, when they have a chance of thriving.

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Thanks you all so much for the info. He is taking amoxicillin, which they said is the drug of choice for pediatric patients. I am going to be following up with his pediatrician on Monday, but I am assuming he will stay on this antibiotic.

 

It makes sense that giving the probiotic with the med would cancel it's effect. He is taking them 3 times a day though, so there really isn't a long stretch of antibiotic free time to give him anything else. Do you think just a few hours removed would be helpful?

 

I think I will definitely give him a course of probiotics afterward but I would love to do something during as well. He tends to be the one who gets stomach issues easily.

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That's true because the same could be said for the probiotics in a bottle. There's no telling how they were handled before they got to the store. All you can do is the best you can do! :) Go for the highest quality; buy from the best source possible; and hope for the best.

 

That being said, I would think that giving the probiotic after finishing the course of antibiotics would be the best bet. The antibiotic will kill the probiotics if they're in the gut at the same time. That's what antibiotics do. I'd give him the probiotic yogurt now, and save the expensive "good stuff" for afterward, when they have a chance of thriving.

 

Yup, I agree. There's really no use giving the probiotics only for them to be killed off in the gut. Have them on hand for when he stops the antibiotics, but wait until then.

 

ETA:

It makes sense that giving the probiotic with the med would cancel it's effect. He is taking them 3 times a day though, so there really isn't a long stretch of antibiotic free time to give him anything else. Do you think just a few hours removed would be helpful?

No. Even if he wasn't keeping a pretty constant level of the antibiotic in his system by taking it three times a day, he would simply put probiotics in, then kill them off with the next dose of antibiotics.

Edited by MyCrazyHouse
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....That being said, I would think that giving the probiotic after finishing the course of antibiotics would be the best bet. The antibiotic will kill the probiotics if they're in the gut at the same time. That's what antibiotics do. I'd give him the probiotic yogurt now, and save the expensive "good stuff" for afterward, when they have a chance of thriving.

 

My infectious disease doctor had me take pro-biotics at the same time I was on anti-bio. Plus I was to take them for several weeks afterwards. However I was on IV anti-biotics and oral anti-biotics at the same time.

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My infectious disease doctor had me take pro-biotics at the same time I was on anti-bio. Plus I was to take them for several weeks afterwards. However I was on IV anti-biotics and oral anti-biotics at the same time.

 

Some will be killed off by the antibiotics, but the consequences of not doing something to keep your own flora up are greater. Not to be depressing, but with Lyme's you may be looking at longer than a 3-week course anyway, and you're going to need all the help you can get.

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Thanks you all so much for the info. He is taking amoxicillin, which they said is the drug of choice for pediatric patients. I am going to be following up with his pediatrician on Monday, but I am assuming he will stay on this antibiotic.

 

It makes sense that giving the probiotic with the med would cancel it's effect. He is taking them 3 times a day though, so there really isn't a long stretch of antibiotic free time to give him anything else. Do you think just a few hours removed would be helpful?

 

I think I will definitely give him a course of probiotics afterward but I would love to do something during as well. He tends to be the one who gets stomach issues easily.

 

I don't know the science behind it, but my son's oncologist did not say anything about when to give the probiotics or if it cancels things out or what. She just said to give it to him according to the bottle that we buy, and so far even with all of the abx that he has taken over the years of his treatment he does not have bowel issues unless I just plain forget to give him probiotics at all. There is no need to give him the gel caps, just break open the capsule and put it in a spoonful of ice cream or yogurt or something. They are not time release caps, so opening them is fine. We have used many different brands with the same results.

 

Hopefully the three weeks of abx will take care of the lymes.

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I think I will give him something during and for several weeks after. I feel so bad about him getting this, that I need to do something even if it might be mostly futile, ya know?

 

I am afraid that we may be in for more than 3 weeks. My poor dog was diagnosed with Lyme disease 2 years ago and she has never been the same. My son took it very well but I know he must be thinking about all the problems the dog has had.

 

A health food store close to me carries BioK+. Some of you mentioned refrigerated pills, would that be the BioK+ or could you recommend other brands to look for?

Edited by Cindy in NY
My grammar is worse than usual today!
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