How to Repair Your Gut After Antibiotics

Guide to repairing the gut when a round of antibiotics is necessary, including specific probiotics and supplements to take along with the meds and the proper protocol to follow for 30-60 days afterward.

Antibiotics are truly a wonder of modern medicine. Never in a million years did the scientists who developed them think that a century later, people would desperately need to take action to repair the massive microbiome damage taking these medications caused.

History of Antibiotics

Beginning with the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, the pure magic of antibiotics with their rapid resolution of bacterial infections of all kinds caused many in the medical profession to become completely enamored with the drug-based approach to illness.

By 1940, antibiotics had come into widespread use, causing both doctors and people to gradually forget about tried and true natural antibiotics used for millennia.

This change in the medical paradigm has led in recent decades to abuse of these magical meds and the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.

It has also caused an epidemic of people with compromised gut function due to an imbalanced intestinal environment resulting from excessive exposure to antibiotics via industrially produced foods, medicine, pesticides, and more recently, groundwater contamination.

Cure to Curse

While antibiotics clearly have their place in treating life-threatening bacterial infections, their overuse has led to a plethora of modern-day health challenges and the curse of rampant autoimmunity in young and old alike.

While complete avoidance of all antibiotic exposure would be ideal, it is simply not practical in the majority of cases.

Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary, and when such a situation arises, it is imperative to protect the gastrointestinal tract from fungal or yeast overgrowth during treatment and to replenish beneficial gut bacteria when the course of antibiotics is complete.

While antibiotics effectively kill both pathogenic and beneficial bacterial strains with the exception of antibiotic-resistant species of streptococcus and other strains, they do not affect the many forms of yeast such as Candida albicans naturally found in the body in a non-dominant role. They also have no effect on the super fungus Candida auris.

As beneficial bacteria lining the gut wall are eliminated, yeasts like Candida albicans have the opportunity to overgrow and become dominant by attaching to the gut wall. Once attached to the gut wall, yeast has the ability to create lesions in the cell membranes.

This can lead to the syndrome referred to as “leaky gut”, which increases the likelihood of foreign proteins entering the bloodstream, resulting in inflammation, food intolerances, a myriad of digestive problems, autoimmune disease, and other associated imbalances.

If you or a loved one find yourself in a situation where antibiotics are critically necessary and cannot be avoided with holistic therapies, the following recommendations and protocol for support during and after antibiotic treatment can help minimize the damage to the gut environment and quickly rebuild gut flora at the conclusion of treatment.

Repair of the Gut is Essential

The protocol and suggestions below are provided to patients of Biodynamic Wellness, a clinic that specializes in helping people recover and maintain optimal balance of the intestinal environment to encourage vibrant health that is free of chronic disease. I was given permission by the founder, Kim Schuette CN, to share this important protocol.

Please note that these recommendations are helpful whether the antibiotic treatment came from oral medication or IV treatment.

Contrary to popular belief, IV antibiotics heavily damage gut flora despite the fact that the medication does not make its way directly through the intestinal environment like oral meds do.

Note that birth control medications and colonoscopies also devastate the gut microbiome in the same way antibiotics do.

Thus, there are other medically induced reasons for using the diet and protocol below for repair of the microbiome.

Dietary Suggestions

These dietary suggestions are recommended to protect the gut microbiome from damage while the antibiotics are being taken and for at least 30-60 days afterward.

• Include generous servings of fermented dairy and cultured vegetables during and after antibiotics, whether oral or from an IV treatment. One tablespoon to half a cup of 24-hour yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and beet kvass, two to three times daily is advisable. Dozens of fermented food recipes and cultured beverage recipes are available on this blog to meet whatever dietary needs you may have.
• Include gelatin-rich foods such as homemade meat stocks and bone broths daily along with abundant vegetables, animal fats, coconut oil, and cod liver oil after antibiotics are completed. Powdered gelatin can be used to further boost homemade soups and sauces.
•  Avoid all refined carbohydrates, sugar, and fruit juices.

Probiotic Support During Antibiotics

The probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii (this brand or this brand is suggested) is very important to take along with your antibiotics. S. boulardii maintains gut wall integrity and keeps Candida from overgrowing.

Dosage: Take one capsule Saccharomyces boulardii daily to discourage yeast overgrowth during antibiotic treatment when beneficial gut flora is compromised.

Post Antibiotics Repair Protocol

Note the following probiotic supplements to take and how long to take each to give the gut its best chance to repair quickly.

• After antibiotics (or a colonoscopy), make sure to take a high-quality, multi-strain, therapeutic probiotic that includes soil-based organisms (SBOs). Suggested brands are listed on my Shopping Guide, which I often re-vet for ingredient changes and company buyouts. This is my favorite brand for this purpose, and I used it successfully myself to rebuild my gut after surgery/IV antibiotics from a serious injury. Take twice daily for 60 days, ideally after meals.
• Saccharomyces boulardii: Increase your dosage to one capsule twice daily to discourage yeast overgrowth during the gut microbiome recovery phase. Be sure to continue for 30 days.

This short video summarizes the protocol.

More Information

Are Antibiotics Always Necessary for Strep Throat?
The 11 Best Natural Antibiotics and How to Use Them
Why Antibiotics Today Could Threaten Your Life Tomorrow
How to Kick Strep Throat Faster and Better Without Antibiotics