HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Antibiotics + Probiotics + Change in Diet - Need advice!

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 5/4/2013 9:45 AM (GMT 0)
I got a prescription from the doctor for the antibiotic Rifaximin (Xifaxan). My plan is to try to get into remission (my pancolitis has healed but rectum and recto sigmoid haven't) by taking the antibiotic to eliminate the bad bacteria and try to take probiotics, VSL3, and eat good foods to grow the good bacteria. I am a vegetarian and am Indian(south east asian Indian). I used to eat lots of fast food and refined sugars (which may have lead to my UC) From what I understand:

Foods promoting good bacteria: Organic Banannas, Organic Apples, Organic Strawberries, Grapes, wheat pasta, quinwa, foods with protein, legumes, pinto beans, navy beans, lentils, eggs, 100% natural wheat bread, green tea, brown rice, chobani yogurt

Foods promoting bad bacteria to avoid: Refined Sugars, Fried Foods, Fast foods, oily foods, white rice, white pasta, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

Questions:

(1) Any comments or additions (remember I am vegetarian) to the lists for foods promoting good bacteria or to the list of foods to avoid that promote bad bacteria?

(2) What are the best breads for growing good bacteria and the worst breads that grow the bad bacteria?

(3) How are the following foods for good bacteria growth: home made pizza with light mozzarella cheese and organic pizza sauce, organic refried beans? Is white flour bad in the dough for the pizza?

(4) Any good protein shakes people recommend while I do this antibiotic diet experiment? Is whey protein good?

Thanks everyone!
Posted 5/4/2013 12:02 PM (GMT 0)
pmitra,

Glad to see your pancolitis has healed.

Can you get prescription VSL #3DS?

As a vegetarian, have you had your b12 levels checked?

Most vegetarians are deficient in b12.

From the research I've done, I believe it's best to avoid: gluten, dairy, and legumes (beans). That's why the PALEO diet is a good one, as it is anti-inflammatory. And I am not a vegetarian. I don't believe you can be a vegetarian on Paleo, as there wouldn't be much for you to eat.

Unfortunaly your listing of foods is all contrary to my research.

So, I hope a vegetarian will chime in to help you with those concerns.

As far as whey protein shake, I take one daily, made with almond milk.

I use Dr. Mercola's Pro-Optimal Whey Protein, I like it because it comes from grass fed cows (Paleo), no antibiotics or hormones, and already contains digestive enzymes within it. I find it very easy on the gut.

What about fermented foods, like sauerkraut?

 

Posted 5/4/2013 12:11 PM (GMT 0)
Are you sure the antibiotic won't kill lots of the good bacteria? If so, maybe it would be better to skip the antibiotic and just go with diet changes.
Posted 5/4/2013 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
pmitra,

BTW, you'll need to space out the probiotics 3 hours apart from the antibiotics.

 

Posted 5/4/2013 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
Any comments or additions (remember I am vegetarian) to the lists for foods promoting good bacteria or to the list of foods to avoid that promote bad bacteria?

What are the best breads for growing good bacteria and the worst breads that grow the bad bacteria?

Diet is important for many of us to manage this disease. But I learned the hard way that diet applies to each of us differently.  That is why a food diary might help.  

For example eating bread and pizza does not work for many of us. It contains gluten and gluten and dairy are prime suspects for triggering flares.   But if you can avoid them for a couple of weeks without noticeable improvement then they may be OK for you. 

Shellfish and cruciferous are sinkers for me but most here have no problem with them. 

Everyone is different, you have to find your own path. 

BTW I like your idea about antibiotics killing bacteria and replenishing them with good bacteria from probiotics. It worked for me.
Posted 5/4/2013 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
I'll make suggestions for #1 question:

A thread here on Resistant Starch (being very beneficial) suggests that cold brown rice, cold pasta and potatoes and cold tapioca would be beneficial for some of us. I am gluten-free so for me no pasta. If you are OK with pasta you might try these foods in limited quantities. I've tried tapioca and my gut seems happy with it.

I second the suggestion to add a powerful probiotic such as VSL#3, the most powerful available non prescription. Take it at opposite times as your anti-biotic.

I tried Xifaxan with no good results but I like your idea of doing diet mod. at the same time. Perhaps that would make it work better.

I also think your bad food list is right on target.

Good luck. Remember to keep a food journal with symptoms noted. My gluten-intolerance was the hardest to discover, no way of detecting problems until I removed it and saw improvement.

I was a vegetarian when I got UC but could not keep it up. I need the protein becuase I am dairy-free and gluten-free with great improvement in symptoms.
Posted 5/5/2013 6:59 AM (GMT 0)
BabeintheWoods - it looks like we are on the same page! How exactly did you do the probiotics and antibiotics at the same time? I am worried that if I use the VSL3 I will simply kill of the probiotics with the antibiotics. And on top of that VSL3 is expensive so it would suck to kill it off. Do you know if antibiotics kill the probiotics? Which probiotics did you use?
Posted 5/5/2013 7:16 AM (GMT 0)
Are you on rectal meds? That would help you out a lot.


Antibiotics wouldn't be my first option, period. It will kill the good bacteria, and it'll take a long while to restore them. You also run a risk of flaring. But that's your choice, can't stop you there.

You should space the antibiotics and probiotics about 2-3 hours apart.
Posted 5/5/2013 7:40 AM (GMT 0)
Yup - I have tried all rectal meds - cortifoam (currently on it, little to no effect), mesalamine enema (couldn't even hold it well), mesalamine suppostiories (no effect) - the only thing I didn't try was hydrocortisone enemas or vitamin E enemas. My rectum and recto sigmoid are sooo stubborn they refuse to heal =(
Posted 5/5/2013 11:23 AM (GMT 0)
I recommend taking probiotics at least three hours after antibiotics. The antibiotics will kill both some of the good and bad but you can control the balance of power by replenishing the good guys with probiotics.

Another good idea is to take Saccharomyces Boulardii WHILE taking antibiotics This is a probiotic YEAST that is completely immune to antibiotics. And S. Boulardii has an impressive track record for targeting C-Diff bacteria.
Posted 5/5/2013 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
What is the best place or product to get that contains Saccharomyces Boulardii? I have heard good things about it as well.
Posted 5/5/2013 7:00 PM (GMT 0)
pmitra, i have been using benebiotics although i think it's called something else now. if you google benebiotics, it still shows up. it has saccharomyces in it.
Posted 5/6/2013 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
take the antibiotics before or with the first bite of food and then the probiotics an hour after eating.. that gives everything the best chance...
Posted 5/8/2013 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys! I am in day 3 of my antibiotics and new diet. So far not too much too report in terms of improvement. Couple of questions:

(1) I know oily foods are bad, but what about olive oil? I heard olive oil is healthy. How is olive oil and how do you think it affects good bacteria/bad bacteria?

(2) Do you guys have good reccomendations for L-glutamine and whey protein?

Thanks!
Posted 4/22/2018 2:06 AM (GMT 0)

pmitra0123 said...
What is the best place or product to get that contains Saccharomyces Boulardii? I have heard good things about it as well.

How is your pancolitis now after 6 years?
Plz reply
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply