After completing a course of antibiotics, you hope to get perfectly fine but instead you find your stomach raging, causing watery stools. Consider this as one of the common side effects of these drugs. Along with treating infection antibiotics get rid of the good bacteria of your gut. I call them good because they not only protect your gut against other harmful bacteria and toxins but also help in producing vitamins and in digestion of food.
Effects of losing good gut bacteria
- In the absence of normal good bacteria harmful bacteria can overgrow. Sometimes this can be Clostridioides difficile bacteria causing persistent diarrhea which need doctor’s attention.
- It becomes hard to break down complex carbohydrates as a result of which sugar and fiber which remain undigested pull water into your bowel resulting in diarrhea.
- Good bacteria are like soldiers that serve by protecting you, now that they are no longer present your intestine is more likely to fall prey to outsiders that is it gets irritated more frequently.
Not everyone gets diarrhea on taking antibiotic. Why?
Dose, Duration and the kind of antibiotic prescribed plays a role. There are two kinds broad and narrow. Broad ones cause you to lose majority of good bacteria and potentiates the growth of harmful ones.
Mostly the antibiotic induced diarrhea is mild and last only for a few days after stopping the antibiotic. Eating bland food and drinking plenty of fluids have proven to be useful.
CAUTION: You must complete the course of antibiotic as stopping abruptly not only increase the risk of infection but also helps the harmful bacteria to develop resistance. If you feel your stool frequency is much more, seems severe or is bloody. In such a case it is always wise to visit your doctor.
Were you aware of this fact that some antibiotics mess with your stomach before coming across this piece or did you always assume it’s just your stomach being overly sensitive?
MBH/PS