Did you accidentally take a probiotic with an antibiotic? (3 concerns)

By Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado (PhD) | Reviewed by Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado (PhD)

Page last updated: 08/09/2023 | Next review date: 08/09/2025

verified

The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.

Author bio

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado, PhD(c), is a nutritionist with a postgraduate degree in pharmaco-biological sciences, with expertise in gut microbiota, probiotics, prebiotics, and molecular and human nutrition. He writes and reviews content on these topics.

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado Highlights:

He has taken different courses at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico, which has allowed him to strengthen his knowledge in research and genomic sciences.

PhD(c) in pharmaco-biological sciences, working on developing a functional food with probiotics/prebiotics, and evaluating its anti-inflammatory effect at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Master’s degree in pharmaco-biological sciences, focused on obtaining prebiotics from regional plants such as agave and studying its effect on body composition and gut microbiota at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Bachelor´s degree in Nutrition, graduated by thesis, focused on developing fortified foods with amaranth and evaluating its physicochemical and nutritional properties, at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

“Don’t be scared when you hear that we are surrounded by bacteria or microorganisms and that they even live in our bodies, science has shown that there are more good ones than bad ones, probably just like people around the world. -Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado

Professional experience

Along with his postgraduate studies, Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has taken several courses on Nutritional Care Process, and worked as a nutritionist in private practice, since the completion of his undergraduate studies, to date.

As a result of his research work and actual trajectory, Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado is part of the State System of Researchers of San Luis Potosi and has participated as a reviewer in online courses for scientific presentations and evaluating projects in national science events.

He has also worked as a professor at two universities, contributing to the learning of future nutritionists and chemists, by giving courses related to his academic background in research, nutrition, and probiotics.

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has also participated as an evaluator of the course “Drug-Nutrient Interaction” for the bachelor’s degree in nutrition at the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has presented his research on probiotics and prebiotics, at national and international congresses.

Education:

-2015 Bachelor in Nutrition at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

-2018 Master´s degree in Pharmacobiological Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

-2023 PhD candidate in Pharmacobilogical Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi

The main publications of Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado are:

López Padilla C, Vázquez-Maldonado D, Gallegos Martínez J, Algara-Suárez P, Ornelaz-Paz J de J, Reyes Hernández J. Evaluation of thermogravimetric, textural and viscoelastic properties in ternary system of amaranth, wheat and whole wheat. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization. 2022 Jun 1;16(3):2144–53.

Martinez-Martinez MU, Vázquez-Maldonado D, Ratering S, Godínez-Hernández C, Ortiz-Basurto RI, Soria-Guerra RE, et al. Fructans from Agave enhance probiotic yoghurt by modulating gut microbiota on children with overweight or obesity. Food Biosci. 2022 Apr 1;46:101516.

Vázquez-Maldonado D, Espinosa-Solis V, Leyva-Porras C, Aguirre-Bañuelos P, Martinez-Gutierrez F, Román-Aguirre M, et al. Preparation of spray-dried functional food: Effect of adding Bacillus clausii bacteria as a co-microencapsulating agent on the conservation of resveratrol. Processes. 2020 Jul 1;8(7):849.

Conference Papers:

M.Sc. Daniel Vázquez-Maldonado , M.C. Macrina Beatriz Silva-Cázares , PhD. Isaac Compéan-Martínez , PhD.José Pérez-Urizar , PhD. María Z. Saavedra-Leos . Characterization of a spray dried microencapsulated powder containing bacillus clausii and resveratrol as co-encapsulating agents. In: International Research Congress, Academia Journals Hidalgo 2020

Vázquez-Maldonado D ,Soria-Guerra R ,González-Acevedo O ,Vega-Cárdenas M ,- Godínez-Hernández C ,Ratering-. S ,Schnell-. S ,Schneider-. B ,Juárez-Flores B ,Portales-Pérez D ,Martínez-Gutiérrez F, Synbiotics with activity on gut microbiota affect indicators of cardiometabolic risk in schoolchildren. In: National Congress of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology XLIII, (2018). (Mérida, Yucatán).

You can view some of Dr Daniels’s work below and links to his professional profiles:

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Vazquez-32

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-v%C3%A1zquez-16b92a204/

WebofScience: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/GYD-9090-2022

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4302-9116

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado (PhD)

View More north_east

Reviewer bio

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado Highlights:

He has taken different courses at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Mexico, which has allowed him to strengthen his knowledge in research and genomic sciences.

PhD(c) in pharmaco-biological sciences, working on developing a functional food with probiotics/prebiotics, and evaluating its anti-inflammatory effect at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Master’s degree in pharmaco-biological sciences, focused on obtaining prebiotics from regional plants such as agave and studying its effect on body composition and gut microbiota at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Bachelor´s degree in Nutrition, graduated by thesis, focused on developing fortified foods with amaranth and evaluating its physicochemical and nutritional properties, at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Professional experience

Dr. Daniel Vazquez Maldonado has presented his research on probiotics and prebiotics, at national and international congresses.

Education:

-2015 Bachelor in Nutrition at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

-2018 Master´s degree in Pharmacobiological Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

-2023 PhD candidate in Pharmacobilogical Sciences at Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi

The main publications of Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado are:

Conference Papers:

You can view some of Dr Daniels’s work below and links to his professional profiles:

Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Vazquez-32

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-v%C3%A1zquez-16b92a204/

WebofScience: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/GYD-9090-2022

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4302-9116

Dr Daniel Vazquez Maldonado (PhD)

View More north_east

In this brief guide, we are going to tell you, why you should worry or not If you accidentally took a probiotic with an antibiotic, and if there´s a best time for consuming a probiotic when you are under antibiotic treatment.

What If you accidentally took a probiotic with an antibiotic?

If you accidentally took a probiotic with an antibiotic you shouldn´t worry, it might be a happy accident, the consumption of probiotics while taking antibiotics has proved to help restore de balance of your gut microbiota(1).

When you are taking antibiotics, most of the bacteria that reside in your gut are being affected(2), and so it could be for the probiotics that you consume, nevertheless, that doesn´t mean you shouldn´t take probiotics alongside antibiotics, all the more so, it´s like giving a little help to your gut and your health(3).

Is safe to consume probiotics and antibiotics together?

Consuming probiotics and antibiotics together doesn´t represent a risk, however, you must remember that probiotics are safe for consumption in most cases(4), while the antibiotic is a controlled drug that must be taken as prescribed by the health professional(5).

Unless the person that wants to take a probiotic has a compromised immune system, is a low-weight preterm infant, or has critical health issues, the consumption of probiotics shouldn´t be a concern(6), otherwise, health professional advice is required.

Do probiotics affect the efficacy of antibiotics?

Probiotic consumption doesn’t affect the efficacy of the antibiotic, the main concern may be reducing the effect of the probiotics, nonetheless, this statement relies on the type of probiotic that is consumed, the effectiveness depends on the strain consumed and the antibiotic administered(7,8).

Is there a benefit of using probiotics on antibiotic treatment?

Using probiotics when you are on antibiotic treatment, would be beneficial for your health, It has been demonstrated that the consumption of both may help to restore an unbalanced gut microbiota, that becomes a consequence of taking antibiotics(9).

Most probiotics are bacteria, and so, susceptible to antibiotics, but specific bacteria like Lactobacillus has shown good results when administered with antibiotics, mostly in reducing the recurrence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, which is a common concern after antibiotic treatment(10).

Is there a best time for taking a probiotic, when using antibiotics?

There´s no clear consensus on the best time for consuming probiotics, most of the recommendations rely on assumptions based on biological and biochemical functions, establishing two, four, or six hours after antibiotic intake or 4 hours between intakes(11), but if you find this recommendation difficult, take both together.

However, more than focusing on the time of consumption, focus on the type of probiotic, if it has proven efficacy when administered with antibiotics, like Lactobacillus, or if it´s not even a bacteria, maybe a yeast, like Saccharomyces boulardii (8), so antibiotic may not affect the yeast, and also what concentration of the probiotic is necessary to exert a health benefit ( 1×10⁹ CFU)(12).

If you want to know more about probiotics, you can visit What are probiotcs?

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answer what would happen if you accidentally took probiotics with antibiotics. Also, we analyzed some concerning questions, about consumption, efficacy, and if there´s a best timing for probiotic consumption when taking antibiotics.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

References

1.-

Dahiya D, Nigam PS. Antibiotic-Therapy-Induced Gut Dysbiosis Affecting Gut Microbiota—Brain Axis and Cognition: Restoration by Intake of Probiotics and Synbiotics. Int J Mol Sci 2023, Vol 24, Page 3074 [Internet]. 2023 Feb 4 [cited 2023 May 7];24(4):3074. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/4/3074/htm

2.-

Duan H, Yu L, Tian F, Zhai Q, Fan L, Chen W. Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis and barrier disruption and the potential protective strategies. https://doi.org/101080/1040839820201843396 [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2023 May 7];62(6):1427–52. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2020.1843396

3.-

Fernández-Alonso M, Camorlinga AA, Messiah SE, Marroquin E. Effect of adding probiotics to an antibiotic intervention on the human gut microbial diversity and composition: a systematic review. J Med Microbiol [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 May 7];71(11). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36382780/

4.-

Žuntar I, Petric Z, Kovacevíc DB, Putnik P. Safety of Probiotics: Functional Fruit Beverages and Nutraceuticals. Foods 2020, Vol 9, Page 947 [Internet]. 2020 Jul 17 [cited 2023 May 7];9(7):947. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/7/947/htm

5.-

Carlet J. Antibiotic resistance. Rev du Prat [Internet]. 2012 [cited 2023 May 7];62(7):961. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance

6.-

Sanders ME, Merenstein DJ, Ouwehand AC, Reid G, Salminen S, Cabana MD, et al. Probiotic use in at-risk populations. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2016 Nov 1;56(6):680–6. 17 [cited 2023 May 7]; Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27836128/

7.-

Ritchie ML, Romanuk TN. A Meta-Analysis of Probiotic Efficacy for Gastrointestinal Diseases. PLoS One [Internet]. 2012 Apr 18 [cited 2023 May 7];7(4):e34938. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0034938

8.-

Neut C, Mahieux S, Dubreuil LJ. Antibiotic susceptibility of probiotic strains: Is it reasonable to combine probiotics with antibiotics? Médecine Mal Infect. 2017 Nov 1;47(7):477–83. [cited 2023 May 7]; Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28797834/

9.-

Ouwehand AC, Forssten S, Hibberd AA, Lyra A, Stahl B. Probiotic approach to prevent antibiotic resistance. Ann Med [Internet]. 2016;48(4):246–55. Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/07853890.2016.1161232

10.-

Liao W, Chen C, Wen T, Zhao Q. Probiotics for the Prevention of Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. J Clin Gastroenterol [Internet]. 2021 Jul 1 [cited 2023 May 7];55(6):469. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33234881/

11.-

A Kerna N. A complementary medicine approach to augmenting antibiotic therapy current practices in the use of probiotics during antibiotic therapy. Int J Complement Altern Med [Internet]. 2018 Mar 22 [cited 2023 May 7];Volume 11(Issue 2). Available from: https://medcraveonline.com/IJCAM/IJCAM-11-00368.php

12.-

Hill C, Guarner F, Reid G, Gibson GR, Merenstein DJ, Pot B, et al. Expert consensus document: The international scientific association for probiotics and prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;11(8):506–14. [cited 2023 May 7]; Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2014.66

Pharmaceuticals and Medications

Diseases & Conditions