Johns Hopkins Health Alert
Advice to Help You Avoid Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea
As with any medication, antibiotics carry the risk of digestive side effects. People taking antibiotics may develop mild diarrhea or a more serious bowel inflammation. For example, many women already know that a course of antibiotics can leave them susceptible to a vaginal yeast infection. But some researchers theorize that antibiotics can cause a yeast overgrowth in the digestive tract as well -- in both men and women. The likely result is diarrhea, making yeast overgrowth a possible cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
Not all studies have found an increase in yeast in people with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. However, a study from Korea found that in 38 people with antibiotic-associated diarrhea, the common yeast Candida was present in the stool cultures of three participants, while four had evidence of the bacterium Costridium difficile (C. difficile) in their stool. They concluded that Candida, among other organisms, might be responsible for some cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea that aren't caused by C. difficile.
Other studies have suggested yeast as a possible cause of diarrhea by looking at probiotics as a treatment. Women are often told to eat yogurt or take a probiotic supplement along with antibiotics to avoid yeast infections, and some studies have found that people who take a probiotic are less likely to develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
The following steps can help prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea and colitis.
- Don't overuse antibiotics -- they won't work on viral illnesses like colds or the flu, and taking them too often can disrupt the balance of bacteria in your gut.
- If you are hospitalized, ask everyone you come in contact with to wash his or her hands before touching you to reduce risk of C. difficile infection.
- When visiting someone in the hospital, particularly someone who's taking antibiotics, avoid sitting on the bed or using the patient's bathroom, if possible.
- If you are caring for someone who has diarrhea, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and wipe contaminated bathroom surfaces with a cleaner containing chlorine.
- Consider taking probiotics if you've had antibiotic-associated diarrhea in the past. Look for yogurt that says "live, active cultures" on the package, or talk with your doctor about taking a supplement.
For more information on antibiotic-associated diarrhea, see the article: Antibiotics: How They Can Cause Diarrhea
Posted in Digestive Health on February 13, 2012
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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Over-the-counter probiotics, such as acidoplilus, in capsules has worked very well for years in my family.
Posted by: Burt Abrams | February 18, 2012 2:59 PM