Popular internet myth is that antibiotics and prescription drugs will either:
- Kill every bacteria in the gut
- Kill all of the good bacteria in the gut
This is false. This rumor is often spread by those that wish to sell you on high profit alternative supplements.
Antibiotics WILL change your microbiome – For better or worse
Antibiotics will cause some bacteria to increase and other to decrease. Often antibiotics are extracts from bacteria that grow naturally in many people’s guts. These chemicals are called bacteriocins [more info] and used by bacteria to inhibit undesired bacteria.
Negotiate with your MD on which ones!
Your MD is prescribing for a specific reason. Typically there are dozens of choices available. Often their choices are the result of pharmaceutical salespeople preaching the superiority of their product; insurance company’s preferences to save costs; and “standard of care” for the network they belong to.
Print the following page(s) to share with them and open negotiations. They are likely untrained to factor in microbiome shifts. You may wish to emphasis that going with these suggestions are likely to decrease adverse reactions and improve the efficiency of treatment.
The Antibiotic Page