Can I take probiotics if I am on an antibiotic?
Antibiotics can’t tell the difference between friendly and unfriendly bacteria. If you take antibiotics at the same time as probiotics (friendly bacteria), the probiotics may be killed off. But also remember that one of the side effects of antibiotic use is diarrhea, which is believed to be related to the loss of friendly bacteria due to the antibiotics. To try to prevent that, many people take probiotics during the time they take antibiotics, but they space the dosages of the two apart by at least one to two hours. Before you try this for yourself, however be sure and discuss it with your healthcare provider.
