In 2002 I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis after many regimens of antibiotics that I received after tooth extractions and other dental and health procedures over the course of the previous ten years.

My colon now becomes inflamed after any course of antibiotics. I have suspected that antibotic use was at the root of my gut problems. This study seems to confirm my suspicions.

A good friend told me had her life changed by taking Betaine HCL in pill form to boost her stomach acid. It was an amazing difference in energy, sleeping, and the color of her skin. She found out she (like most 40yr olds) wasn't producing enough stomach acid to digest her food properly and to kill harmfull bacteria that were coming up into her stomach. I started using it with meals as well and had a similar positive experience. It was a big difference (reduced farting by 90%)

If you're over 40, take 5 mins and google it. It could really help you or a loved one. Since reading up on helpful and harmful intestine bacteria's, I avoid antibiotics. What's odd is, after I started using HCL, I haven't had the need. I have not gotten sick in almost 2 yrs. I no longer get tired after meals. I'm not as hungry between meals and I can eat anything without getting sick. (they should sell it at Taco Bell)

Long post sorry. Hope it helps someone.

Sooo...perhaps some probiotics are in order?

This is hardly news, at least to we old medical professionals. The deciding factor is whether the antibiotics or the offending bacteria do more harm. If it's the bacteria, the choice is pretty clear.

This is a very interesting subject. If you do a search for "poop transplant, you will find many articles in main stream media about some rather impressive "medical miracles" about people who had long lasting and severe digestive problems who were rapidly cured or helped by a "poop transplant".

I wonder if that one day people will save a stool sample when they are healthy and then later after an antibiotic treatment be able to repopulate their gut with their own bacteria.

When a pre-operative test appeared to indicate a bladder infection, my internist asked whether I would want to repeat the test or wanted her to "just phone in the antibiotics." I went to her office and repeated the test. I found out later that, although the test showed NO infection, she prescribed a week of strong antibiotics. I had already had at least a half dozen courses of antibiotics in the last two years owing to stubborn sinus infections. After this last week of antibiotic, I have suffered two weeks of diarrhea so far. It took me two years to straighten out my digestive tract before, and there is no telling how many months--and dollars--it will take this time. The probiotics I have doubled up on are not cheap, and I am waiting for the results of multiple tests and a procedure to find out what is going on now. I also seem to have incurable heartburt and GERD. Surprise, surprise.

i wonder if the good bacteria in raw milk ( goat , cow , sheep , breast ) would help get the gut flora back in balance ??!! i've seen some amazing things happen with people whom started ingesting raw dairy .

Duh!??! Antibiotics will also mess with birth control pills' effectiveness. I wonder how much someone paid for this "study"? For crying out loud, stepping on glass in bare feet will also cause blood to flow, film at 11. How about--some antibiotics cause some women to develop yeast infections! Let's do a study on that one, too. This sort of news is so old that it doesn't deserve to be posted. What, MSNBC, is it really that slow of a news day? (At least they didn't use "unexpected.")

Just eat Live Culture Yogurt, it does wonders. Kambucha seems to help some people too. If you have serious problems, go to a health food store and get some refrigerated live pro-biotic powder. One of my kids had recurrent ear infections, the antibiotics gave her all kinds of digestive problems; several weeks on pro-biotics, and she was fine. I don't usually believe in this hippie stuff, but pro-biotics just make plain good sense.

Antibiotic and autoimmune response. Hmmm, what else messes with the immune system that could cause the good germ vs bad germ balance to be offset? Vaccines are designed to hit the immune system up to trigger a response, a immunity. What happens if that doesn't go 'by design'? Could Dr. Wakefield be correct?

Good article though. Taking probiotics and eating yogurt when on Antibiotics helps out immensely.

How intriguing - this illustrates how much we are in tune and in symbiosis with the world around us. We breathe air in and out all day, that is taking the world into our bodies constantly - we eat items from the earth, and the cells on "our team", i.e., those that carry our DNA - coexist with little cells from other teams, all in a smaller sub-world that is our body. Have a care what things you put in your body, from clear air, no smoke or other inhalants, and no bad or pretend foods that do not come from nature around you.

I recommend NANCY's KEFIR, sold at Whole Foods and other health food stores, its the best as far as Kefir's go, it has 10+ healthy active strains of pr-obiotics. Also Raw Sauerkraut is a good source.

Gut Germs? Germ usually denotes a harmful bacteria. Where is this reporter's dictionary? The usual term in describing the bacteria in the 'gut' is Flora...as it is all beneficial non-animal life-forms...Germs infect and make one ill....it is a negative use of the term bacteria....maybe I'm just a ninny for proper information relay....the world is in a state communication breakdown and confusing age old definitions is a part of it.

This article reinforces the need for fully independent non-corporate influenced science.

Also its important to re-report on this theme regularly as people need to be reminded.