Antibiotics and Yeast Infections - Don't Be Misled by Myths
There are three common claims about the interaction of antibiotics and yeast infection. Each of them is grounded in the personal experience of victims of yeast infection. But two are false and can lead you to make decisions that impair your system.
Below, we'll separate the truth from misperception.
The three common claims of antibiotics and yeast infection.
1. Antibiotics weaken your immune system.
2. Antibiotics raise the pH in your body making you more susceptible to Candida.
3. Antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria.
#1 is a myth. The idea that antibiotics weaken your immune system comes from a faulty observation and a faulty analogy. We take antibiotics and our infection subsides and then rages back again. We think our immune system has been compromised and we portray it as a muscle that has atrophied because the antibiotic took over some of its work. In fact, neither is true. There are many different kinds of bacteria. Each antibiotic fights only particular kinds. Your immune system didn't get weaker. The secondary infection you got is a strain that the antibiotic couldn't fight.
#2 is a myth. Some literature claims that antibiotics raise pH levels making your body a more favorable environment for yeast infection. The idea probably arose because some antibiotics are affected by pH levels. Some, like Neomycin, become less effective at higher pH levels and may be less able to fight the Candida already growing in your system.
# 3 is true. Antibiotics kill helpful bacteria because they kill all bacteria indiscriminately. That's the function of antibiotics, to kill bacteria or keep it from reproducing.
The net effect of these three claims is that some women hold off taking antibiotics they need for fear that the medicine will promote yeast infection. It's true that prolonged use of antibiotics often opens the door to yeast infection because they kill off the good bacteria that would otherwise compete with Candida fungus.
A solution is to add a cup a day of yogurt with live cultures to your diet. Studies suggest that yogurt with live cultures add good bacteria, or probiotics, to your system. And the good bacteria in the yogurt may replace the good bacteria killed by the antibiotics. As always with medical issues, consult your doctor.
Below, we'll separate the truth from misperception.
The three common claims of antibiotics and yeast infection.
1. Antibiotics weaken your immune system.
2. Antibiotics raise the pH in your body making you more susceptible to Candida.
3. Antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria.
#1 is a myth. The idea that antibiotics weaken your immune system comes from a faulty observation and a faulty analogy. We take antibiotics and our infection subsides and then rages back again. We think our immune system has been compromised and we portray it as a muscle that has atrophied because the antibiotic took over some of its work. In fact, neither is true. There are many different kinds of bacteria. Each antibiotic fights only particular kinds. Your immune system didn't get weaker. The secondary infection you got is a strain that the antibiotic couldn't fight.
#2 is a myth. Some literature claims that antibiotics raise pH levels making your body a more favorable environment for yeast infection. The idea probably arose because some antibiotics are affected by pH levels. Some, like Neomycin, become less effective at higher pH levels and may be less able to fight the Candida already growing in your system.
# 3 is true. Antibiotics kill helpful bacteria because they kill all bacteria indiscriminately. That's the function of antibiotics, to kill bacteria or keep it from reproducing.
The net effect of these three claims is that some women hold off taking antibiotics they need for fear that the medicine will promote yeast infection. It's true that prolonged use of antibiotics often opens the door to yeast infection because they kill off the good bacteria that would otherwise compete with Candida fungus.
A solution is to add a cup a day of yogurt with live cultures to your diet. Studies suggest that yogurt with live cultures add good bacteria, or probiotics, to your system. And the good bacteria in the yogurt may replace the good bacteria killed by the antibiotics. As always with medical issues, consult your doctor.
