Can taking very strong antibiotics be bad for your body?

Question

I had a bad infection in my lymph nodes and was prescribed some very strong (1000mg) antibiotics. I have seen things on tv where they discuss how they can be very bad cause they also kill off the good bacteria in your body. I know that I needed to get rid of the infection, but is there something I should do to help my body recover from taking the strong medication?

Answer 1

Yes, antibiotics kills off all bacteria, and the good ones. So you need to take "Acidophilus" daily, you can buy it at the pharmacy in capsule form. Eat plain, none sweetened yogurt first thing in am and last thing before going to sleep at night.
This helps to restore some of the good bacteria, otherwise you probably will get 'candida' fungus in your intestines.
Why doctors do not tell all patients this when they put them on antibiotics I do not know.

Answer 2

Some of the more potent antibiotics can have some serious side effects which are certainly not good for your body, but most broad spectrums can be taken in pretty high dosages before there's any real risk to you. Case in point would be penicillin.

The meds should have come with literature alerting you to possible side effects. I had vision problems on talithromycin (Ketek) and clarithromycin which are actually described as possible side effects (not good for a college student though). Usually the worst of it is a stomach ache caused by the flora in your gut being killed off. Yogurt or probiotic supplements can help lessen this.

Antibiotics can make you more vulnerable to certain other infections such as yeast infection and even other bacterial infection. Because the beneficial bacteria prohibit the growth of harmful pathogens, when they're gone sometimes the 'bad guys' set up camp. I've read that this is one cause of the stomach ache and diarrhea often associated with antibiotics (which goes away on its own usually). But this is also true with yeast. Men have little to worry about in their genital area, but thrush is still possible (yeast in the mouth- feels like your mouth is burned and is coated white, not fun). Women are more prone to both thrush and yeast infections from this.

Make sure to take ALL the antibiotics because if you don't you may end up with a worse infection than you started with. Not good.

Those are the most salient points I can think of, but if you were having any other concerns you can always consult the pharmacist or doctor who should know more specifically about the drug they gave you.

I hope this helps and get well!

Answer 3

Yogurt!! Or find acidophiles (sp?) supplements at your local market. If you develop colitis (you'll know if you have painful, foul-smelling diarrhea) then you may need a second antibiotic to help. A good rule is to always eat lots of yogurt whenever taking antibiotics, and if you're on birth control, be sure to use a secondary method for at least a month.

Answer 4

In case of adult 1000mg is a normal dose which can be enhanced up to 3times if needed. These are broad spectrum antibiotics. What the do, nothing except destroying the intestinal flora causing loose motion & can easily be prevented by taking Vit B complex along with the antibiotics.

Answer 5

Anti-biotics kill 'biotics' (bacteria)... they don't know what the difference is between good and bad... eat yogurt (yogurt has live, good bacteria)... the only real risk with antibiotics (even high doses) is allergic reaction... if you're already off of them and aren't reacting you're pretty safe... if you DO start reacting, take benedryl (50 mg) and call your doctor... a reaction would be itching, rashes, eye irritation, swelling, etc...

Answer 6

theres something called probiotics, that you should always take after taking antibiotics. antibiotics do def destroy all the good bacteria that you need, and can actually cause you to get sick again, more than it helps, if you dont get all the good bacteria back in you that you need to fight off infection. if you really have concerns about it, ask your doctor. def keep taking the antibiotics you doctor gave you, but replenish yourself after youre done with them. stay healthy ;)