constipation and antibiotics?

[EveningRain]

We just switched my DD to Augmentin from PCN. I think she was a little constipated on the PCN, but it seems worse on the Augmentin. (isn't it supposed to be the opposite problem???)

 

Any helpful hints for this?

 

(We are new to all of this...she was only on the penicillin for two weeks, so I wasn't even sure it was antibiotic related.)

 

Thanks.

[SSS]

Constipation can be yeast related, so just a reminder about giving good probiotics and very low sugar diet.

It's important to keep the bowels moving-

Natural Calm (magnesium citrate) is a good tasting powder to mix into a drink,

tasteless aloe vera juice (George's)

Oxy Powder capsules,

all else fails, Miralax, but takes a couple of days to work-

some thoughts---

[EveningRain]

Is Florastor a good probiotic if the constipation could be yeast related? (Isn't Florastor a yeast?)

 

She's taken Florastor a few times but since I thought her constipation seemed worse on those days, I decided to back off until I (hopefully) figure it out. But I'm still confused! (She can go to the bathroom, but is uncomfortable and actually feels she needs to go throughout the day, usually just a very small amount).

 

Thanks for any input.

[SSS]

Are you giving her another probiotic, a multi strain one, at least 2-3 hours away from the antibiotic?

That would be advised....

[LNN]

Florastor is a yeast-based probiotic. Some love it, because it can be taken at the same time as antibiotics without being killed (other probiotics must be taken at least 2 hrs away from an antibiotic). It's supposed to crowd out "bad" yeasts like candida. But others, like my son, can't tolerate the yeast strain in Florastor (Sacc. Boullardis). For my son, this yeast actually causes symptoms very much like a Pandas flare (tics, OCD, anger, loss of impulse control). So I'd definitely do an experiment and switch probiotics to one that contains a blend of lactobaccilus and bifido strains (I like Theralac, Kirkman's High Bifido blend and CP-1). Make sure she takes it several hours before or after antibiotics. We give at bedtime, when stomach acids are going to be low for a long time. Stomach acids can kill more of the probiotics, so giving away from meals may allow more to survive and actually make it into the GI tract where they're needed.

 

For the constipation, we use magnesium and psyllium hisk capsules. Pysillium is a fiber and helps prevent binding and hard stools. But it's like little sponges. You need to drink throughout the day so the little sponges can expand and do their stuff. Without proper hydration, fiber is of little use. Also, hydration in and of itself will help with constipation.