Long-Term Antibiotic Use Affects 'Good' Gut Bacteria

Antibiotic treatment, especially when prolonged or repeated, may have a negative impact on beneficial bacteria that live in the gut. Researchers focused on the widely-used antibiotic ciprofloxacin, prescribed for a number of bacteria-caused conditions, including urinary tract infections. Stanford University's Dr. David Relman and colleagues catalogued bacteria in the feces of volunteers being treated with ciprofloxacin and identified more than 5,600 different bacterial species and strains. However, while the patients were taking the antibiotic, the overall abundance of about 30 percent of the bacterial species and strains was significantly affected. The effects of the antibiotic on gut bacteria varied greatly between individuals, with two volunteers showing a strong reduction in bacteria diversity. The study also found that once antibiotic treatment was completed, it took up to four weeks for most strains of gut bacteria to return to pre-treatment levels. While the findings, published online this week in the journal PLoS Biology, reveal aspects of resiliency in gut bacteria, they also suggest that antibiotic treatment may have long-lasting effects on overall health that could go unnoticed, the researchers concluded.

Bonnie - surprise, surprise. By taking probiotics during antibiotic therapy, a four week recovery would not be necessary.