Probiotics

Stop Side Effects, STAT

Antibiotics are a powerful tool in any CD patient's arsenal, whether they're used to treat bacterial overgrowth, secondary infections, fistulas, abscesses and post-surgery infections. But antibiotic therapy can result in a mixed bag of side effects, including antibiotic-associated diarrhea and yeast infections, as healthy microflora in the gut are destroyed by the bacteria-seeking drugs. Research has suggested that diarrhea occurs in 5-25% of patients taking antibiotics, typically 2-3 weeks after cessation of the antibiotic treatment.

But some research, in addition to scores of anecdotal evidence, indicates that drinking kefir may help alleviate these unwanted side effects. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2007 in the British Medical Journal, 135 hospital patients taking antibiotics were randomly assigned a 100 g drink containing the probiotic culture Lactobacillus casei, also found in Lifeway kefir, along with several other probiotic strains. The participants consumed the drink twice a day during a course of antibiotics and for one week after the antibiotic course was completed. Patients who consumed the probiotic drink were significantly less likely to have diarrhea than the placebo group, and probiotics reduced the risk of diarrhea by 22%.

Because individuals who are young, old, or immunocompromised may be at a higher risk of becoming hospitalized due to diarrhea, probiotic drinks could offer potential cost savings. "Clearly substantial savings could be made by the routine use of probiotics," the study authors said. Though it's important to abide by your physician's orders if he or she prescribes a course of antibiotics, consider a "prescription" of your own in addition: Kefir!