They keep giving me antibiotics - best route to restoring a healthy gut? (1 Viewer)

[cosjobs]

I've been prescribed several courses of antibiotics in the past year for knee replacement, oral surgery, ongoing ear infection. I know that they can wipe out my good gut bacteria. What is the quickest, safest, most effective way to reestablish my gut colony? I'd like to get it going soon, since I'm replacing another knee in a couple of weeks.

 

[Dezbelief]

Probiotics and yogurt.

 

[Runkle]

Lotsa potatoes

 

[Dezbelief]

Super poo: the emerging science of stool transplants and designer gut bacteria

As more people turn to faecal transplants for their health benefits, researchers in Adelaide are harnessing the power of high-quality poo in new treatments that can simply be swallowed

www.google.com

 

[cosjobs]

Probiotics and yogurt.

I know the broad strokes. There are about 500 different packagings of prebiotics and prebiotics. Should I get them all? The most expensive? Most seem to be acidophilus(sp?) which I think is in yogurt? Are prebiotics just cider apple vinegar?
How do potatoes help? Best breeding ground?
THanks

 

[Dezbelief]

Probiotics and yogurt.

I know the broad strokes. There are about 500 different packagings of prebiotics and prebiotics. Should I get them all? The most expensive? Most seem to be acidophilus(sp?) which I think is in yogurt? Are prebiotics just cider apple vinegar?
How do potatoes help? Best breeding ground?
THanks

Florajen Refrigerated Probiotics, is what I see most doctors prescribe.

 

[ProstheticRGK]

Probiotics and yogurt.

I know the broad strokes. There are about 500 different packagings of prebiotics and prebiotics. Should I get them all? The most expensive? Most seem to be acidophilus(sp?) which I think is in yogurt? Are prebiotics just cider apple vinegar?
How do potatoes help? Best breeding ground?
THanks

No expert, but from what I understand, here’s my advice: Eat clean! Organic meats with no antibiotics, fresh fruit and veggies. No processed foods, no soda. Keep your blood sugar in check.

Potatoes help because they have resistant starch, which feeds good gut bacteria. No idea on brands of probiotics to take. We prescribe them in the hoapital: Culturelle, I think. I’m skeptical of how effective they are.

 

[Chemical X]

so, i have taken augmentin in the past for ear infections. i tried every probiotic to offset the brown waterfalls……my primary care dr suggested florastor and that is rock solid (pun intended). it’s a bit more expensive, but florastor is the only probiotic i have seen provide any results.

 

[modogg]

it isn't fun, but fasting really helps heal the gut. might take some working up to, and it isn't for everybody, but not eating any calories outside of black coffee for an extended time can create healthy gut well too. do that for awhile, and drink a kefir to end the fast and it can help a bunch

 

[jvdesigns2002]

it isn't fun, but fasting really helps heal the gut. might take some working up to, and it isn't for everybody, but not eating any calories outside of black coffee for an extended time can create healthy gut well too. do that for awhile, and drink a kefir to end the fast and it can help a bunch

can I bother you and ask you to elaborate? I was actually thinking about doing a 24-48 hour liquid fast. I do enjoy coffee—so I‘m thinking that something like what you are recommending might be something that I try. This water/black coffee fast that you recommend—how long do you usually do it for? I think i could do 48 hours—but if it’s something that like requires a week or something—that might be more than what i would be able to do.

 

[modogg]

it isn't fun, but fasting really helps heal the gut. might take some working up to, and it isn't for everybody, but not eating any calories outside of black coffee for an extended time can create healthy gut well too. do that for awhile, and drink a kefir to end the fast and it can help a bunch

can I bother you and ask you to elaborate? I was actually thinking about doing a 24-48 hour liquid fast. I do enjoy coffee—so I‘m thinking that something like what you are recommending might be something that I try. This water/black coffee fast that you recommend—how long do you usually do it for? I think i could do 48 hours—but if it’s something that like requires a week or something—that might be more than what i would be able to do.

i'm at 45 hours of my current fast. I think there is an intermittent fasting thread on here somewhere, and that might have more info. I have mine more focused on losing weight than a healthy gut, but i know there is a lot of science behind it too. Not positive that coffee would fit for a healthy gut fast, but i know my gut is a ton better when i do extended fasts. the most I have gone up to is 72 hours, but i would suggest trying it for a period that you are comfortable with and see how it makes you feel.



I started fasting during COVID and went off of Dr. Fung's suggestions from his book (complete guide to fasting):

Dr. Jason Fung: Fasting as a Therapeutic Option for Weight Loss

Dr. Jason Fung, MD, is a nephrologist and expert in the use of intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate diets for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. In this ...

www.youtube.com

that is more focused on losing weight, but applicable for gut health too. I use the "Zero" app which helps to guide if you want to fast for healthy gut as well.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Lotsa potatoes

Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew

 

[Mitchie]

This is mabye a crazy idea but have you asked your doctor?

I'd also ask each time you're prescribed antibiotics if they're absolutely necessary. (maybe you've done that already)

 

[urbanhack]

Eat Lentils

 

[Terminalxylem]

This is mabye a crazy idea but have you asked your doctor?

I'd also ask each time you're prescribed antibiotics if they're absolutely necessary. (maybe you've done that already)

This.

For the OP: You’ve probably been given unnecessary antibiotics regardless, both by doctors and dentists - the latter group is notorious for overprescribing.

Ear infections in adults are mostly viral and self limited - usually don’t require antibiotics.

Orthopedic procedures only require a single dose 30 minutes prior to incision, unless the surgical site is already infected.

Dentistry depends, but many dentists are behind the times regarding prophylactic antimicrobials in people with heart valve problems and/or artificial joints.

All tend to prescribe courses that are too long, based on the calendar, rather than actual evidence (ie. give 1-2 week prescriptions pretty arbitrarily).

As far as restoring healthy flora, the evidence for probiotics is mixed. Here is a review.

Background: Probiotics are commonly used for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). However, the optimum regimen remains controversial.

Objective: The objective of this article is to compare and rank the relative efficacy and tolerability among all available probiotic agents for AAD through a network meta-analysis.

Methods: Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane library and Web of Science for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the efficacy of probiotic therapy for AAD. A random-effects model was applied within a frequentist framework. Quality of evidence was performed by the GRADE approach. The project was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD 42016050776).

Results: Fifty-one articles (60 comparisons, 9569 participants), including 10 probiotic interventions, were identified. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) had the highest probability of being ranked best both in effectiveness (odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28 (0.17, 0.47)) and tolerance (0.44 (0.23, 0.84)) on prevention of AAD. With regard to reducing Clostridium difficileinfection rate, Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) was considered better efficacy (0.04 (0.00, 0.77)) and medium tolerance (0.56 (0.19, 1.66)). Strain combination reported no superiority over single strain in either efficacy or tolerability.

Conclusions: LGG is probably the best option to consider when AAD is indicated. L. casei appears to be the most efficacious choice when associated with severe C. difficile-related cases.

Tl;dr For preventing antibiotic associated diarrhea (presumably the result of altered flora) use probiotics containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

On a more general note, eating a healthy diet, rich in high fiber fruits and veggies, is probably just as important for a healthy gut. I haven’t seen great data supporting things like yogurt, kefir, or any specific food being superior to eating a balanced diet.

Also realize the nutraceutical industry is poorly regulated, so any probiotic, or supplement for that matter, may or may not contain exactly what it advertises. FWIW, we use Culturelle in the hospital - it contains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG.

Lastly, what about your gut health concerns you, specifically? The microbiome has become a buzzword in medical literature and lay press in recent years, but the science of keeping it healthy remains in its infancy.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Probiotics and yogurt.

I know the broad strokes. There are about 500 different packagings of prebiotics and prebiotics. Should I get them all? The most expensive? Most seem to be acidophilus(sp?) which I think is in yogurt? Are prebiotics just cider apple vinegar?
How do potatoes help? Best breeding ground?
THanks

Prebiotic = nutrient which feeds bacteria and fungi in the digestive tract
Probiotic = replacement bacteria and/or fungi
Synbiotic = Pre- + probiotic

See my post above for a review supporting probiotics. The data for prebiotics is even more limited, though many are good for you anyway (eg. fiber).

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG is the bacteria with the best evidence supporting its use as a probiotic, though there are small studies endorsing Saccharomyces species and possibly Bifidobacteria, too.

Yogurt contains different types of lactobacilli, but they may or may not be in high enough concentrations to survive stomach acidity/intestinal transit. Same goes for stuff like kefir, kombucha and other fermented foods/drinks. Those often contain a mix of bacteria and fungi, with dubious health benefits.

ACV contains Acetobacter species, which perform the chemical reaction producing the vinegar, but ain't a probiotic. AFAIK, there's no good data ACV does anything to promote health.

Potatoes and other starchy vegetables contain types of fiber that are thought to have prebiotic properties. I'd stick with a diet with a variety of fibrous fruits and veggies instead.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

f black coffee

Coffee is acidic and bad for stomach lining.

 

[massraider]

Wide variety of fibrous vegetables.

 

[Terminalxylem]

f black coffee

Coffee is acidic and bad for stomach lining.

I know that theory has been proposed, but coffee's pH is quite a bit higher than the stomach's basal state (coffee pH ~5, stomach pH 1.5-3.5, up to 6ish after a meal). This means an empty stomach is typically 100-1,000+X more acidic than coffee.

Coffee stimulates production of stomach acid, but it doesn't appear to damage the lining by itself. Some of the upset stomach people experience after drinking coffee may be due to its effect on the lower esophageal sphincter. While also controversial, there is evidence coffee causes this muscle to relax, which can promote reflux of the stomach contents into the esophagus.

Nitpicking aside, coffee does have some influence on gut flora, though it's unclear if it promotes healthy critters in the right places.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Coffee stimulates production of stomach acid, but it doesn't appear to damage the lining by itself.

My doctor told me to stop drinking coffee when I was diagnosed with Gastritis. I haven't.