Date: 9/13/2010
Lactobacillus and the Use of Antibiotics
Source: Pharmacotherapy
Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria found in the intestinal tract and genital systems and is also found in fermenting products such as yogurt and dietary supplements. Antibiotics can cause diarrhea and labtobacillus has been used to help restore normal balance of intestinal bacteria eliminating the diarrhea. It has also been used for vaginal and urinary tract infections. Lactobacillus should not be taken without a physician’s approval if the body’s immune system is weakened by diseases such as HIV/Aids or organ transplant recipients because they might already be taking supplements containing live bacteria.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of ten randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy of Lactobacillus probiotic in preventing antibiotic associated diarrhea. The studies were found in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The ten studies included a total of 1,862 patients where six of the studies were in patients 18 years or older and four of the studies in patients younger than 18 years of age. The overall results revealed that the risk of developing antibiotic-associated diarrhea was significantly lower with Lactobacillus as compared with placebo. After a subgroup analysis, it was determined that the probiotic did not significantly reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in pediatric patients. It appears that administration of Lactobacillus as a prophylactic agent during antibiotic treatment may reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in adults, but not in pediatric patients.1
1 Kale-Pradhan PB, Jassal HK, Wilhelm SM. Role of Lactobacillus in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: a meta-analysis. Pharmacotherapy. 2010;30(2):119-26
This study illustrates the necessity of taking probiotics during and after the the use of antibiotics.
