Health Encyclopedia > Drug Interaction by Drug Name > Antibiotics

Antibiotics

Brand Name: Bacitracin, Caci-IM®, Chloramphenicol, Chlormycetin®, Colistimethate, ColyMycin®, Furazolidone, Furoxone®, Lincocin®, Lincomycin, Linezolid, Vancocin®, Vancomycin, Zyvox®

Antibiotics Information

are used to either kill or slow down the growth of bacteria and are divided into the categories listed below.

Interactions common to most, if not all, antibiotics are described in this article. For interactions involving a specific antibiotic refer to the highlighted drugs listed below.

Aminoglycosides

Amikacin (Amikin®)
Gentamicin (Garamycin®)
Kanamycin (Kantrex®)
Neomycin (Mycifradin®)
Netilmicin (Netromycin®)
Paromomycin (Humatin®)
Streptomycin
Tobramycin (TOBI Solution®, TobraDex®, Nebcin®)

Beta-lactam antibiotics

Clavulanic acid
Cephalosporins
Imipenem
Penicillins
Sulbactam

Cephalosporins

Aztreonam (Azactam® for injection)
Cefaclor (Ceclor®)
Cefadroxil (Duricef®)
Cefamandole (Mandol®)
Cefazolin (Ancef®, Kefzol®)
Cefdinir (Omnicef®)
Cefepime (Maxipime®)
Cefixime (Suprax®)
Cefoperazone (Cefobid®)
Cefotaxime (Claforan®)
Cefotetan (Cefotan®)
Cefoxitin (Mefoxin®)
Cefpodoxime (Vantin®)
Cefprozil (Cefzil®)
Ceftazidime (Ceptaz®, Fortaz®, Tazicef®, Tazidime®)
Ceftibuten (Cedax®)
Ceftizoxime (Cefizox®)
Ceftriaxone (Rocephin®)
Cefuroxime (Ceftin®, Kefurox®, Zinacef®)
Cephalexin (Keflex®, Keftab®)
Cephapirin (Cefadyl®)
Cephradine (Anspor®, Velocef®)
Imipenem and Cilastatin (Primaxin I.V.®)
Loracarbef (Lorabid®)
Meropenem (Merrem I.V.®)

Macrolides

Azithromycin (Zithromax®)
Clarithromycin (Biaxin®)
Dirithromycin (Dynabac®)
Erythromycin oral (EES®, EryPed®, Ery-Tab®, PCE Dispertab®, Pediazole®)
Erythromycin topical (A/T/S®, Akne-Mycin®, Erygel®, Erycette®, Eryderm®, Erygel®)
Troleandomycin (Tao®)

Penicillins

Amoxicillin (Amoxil®, Trimox®)
Amoxicillin and Clavulanate (Augmentin®)
Ampicillin (Principen®, Totacillin®)
Ampicillin + sulbactam (Unisyn®)
Bacampicillin (Spectrobid®)
Carbenicillin (Geocillin®)
Cloxacillin (Cloxapen®)
Dicloxacillin (Dynapen®, Dycill®)
Mezlocillin (Mezlin®)
Nafcillin (Unipen®)
Oxacillin (Bactocill®)
Penicillin G (Bicillin C-R®, Bicillin L-A®, Pfizerpen®)
Penicillin V (Beepen-VK®, Veetids®)
Piperacillin (Pipracil®)

Summary of Interactions with Vitamins, Herbs, and Foods
(for details about the summarized interactions, read the full article)

May be Beneficial: Depletion or interference—The medication may deplete or interfere with the absorption or function of the nutrient. Taking these nutrients may help replenish them.	Vitamin K
May be Beneficial: Side effect reduction/prevention—Taking these supplements may help reduce the likelihood and/or severity of a potential side effect caused by the medication.	Bifidobacterium longum Lactobacillus acidophilus Lactobacillus casei Saccharomyces boulardii Saccharomyces cerevisiae Vitamin K
May be Beneficial: Supportive interaction—Taking these supplements may support or otherwise help your medication work better.	Saccharomyces boulardii
Reduced drug absorption/bioavailability	None known
Adverse interaction	None known
Interactions common to many, if not all, are described in this article. Interactions reported for only one or several drugs in this class may not be listed in this article. Some drugs listed in this article are linked to articles specific to that respective drug; please refer to those individual drug articles. The information in this article may not necessarily apply to drugs in this class for which no separate article exists. If you are taking an Antibiotic for which no separate article exists, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

An asterisk (*) next to an item in the summary indicates that the interaction is supported only by weak, fragmentary, and/or contradictory scientific evidence.

Antibiotics Interactions with Dietary Supplements

Probiotics
A common side effect of antibiotics is diarrhea, which may be caused by the elimination of beneficial bacteria normally found in the colon. Controlled studies have shown that taking probiotic microorganisms—such as Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, or Saccharomyces boulardii—helps prevent antibiotic-induced diarrhea.¹

The diarrhea experienced by some people who take antibiotics also might be due to an overgrowth of the bacterium Clostridium difficile, which causes a disease known as pseudomembranous colitis. Controlled studies have shown that supplementation with harmless yeast—such as Saccharomyces boulardii² or Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s or brewer’s yeast)³ —helps prevent recurrence of this infection. In one study, taking 500 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii twice daily enhanced the effectiveness of the antibiotic vancomycin in preventing recurrent clostridium infection.⁴ Therefore, people taking antibiotics who later develop diarrhea might benefit from supplementing with saccharomyces organisms.

Treatment with antibiotics also commonly leads to an overgrowth of yeast (Candida albicans) in the vagina (candida vaginitis) and the intestines (sometimes referred to as “dysbiosis”). Controlled studies have shown that Lactobacillus acidophilus might prevent candida vaginitis.⁵

Vitamin K
Several cases of excessive bleeding have been reported in people who take antibiotics.⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ This side effect may be the result of reduced vitamin K activity and/or reduced vitamin K production by bacteria in the colon. One study showed that people who had taken broad-spectrum antibiotics had lower liver concentrations of vitamin K2 (menaquinone), though vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) levels remained normal.¹⁰ Several antibiotics appear to exert a strong effect on vitamin K activity, while others may not have any effect. Therefore, one should refer to a specific antibiotic for information on whether it interacts with vitamin K. Doctors of natural medicine sometimes recommend vitamin K supplementation to people taking antibiotics. Aditional research is needed to determine whether the amount of vitamin K1 found in some multivitamins is sufficient to prevent antibiotic-induced bleeding. Moreover, most multivitamins do not contain vitamin K.

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Medication Reviews & Side Effects for Antibiotics

Write an online review of Antibiotics

Review Date: 3/22/2007
Medication: Protonix -

- Average
Medication Type: Brand Name
Length Taken: Less than 1 month
Strength: 50 mg X 1 times per day
Side Effects: None
Other Products Taken: None

I don't want to use Protonix for a long time as I don't think it is very good for me because I know it has huge side effects.

Esperanza
FL, USA

Review Date: 12/13/2007
Medication: Antibiotics -

- Stay Far Away
Medication Type: Generic
Length Taken:
Strength: X 0 times per day
Other Products Taken:

I have pneumonia and have been given 7 double dose shots of an antibiotic, with an oral medication in between. I don't know what medications they were, but today I developed a nose bleed and later almost passed out. After reviewing your website, I'm thinking I may be low on Vitamin K2. Thank you for the information, as it's not something that came up on the other googled sights. The doctor has switched me to Levaquin tablets now, and they can also have the same effect. I'm going to talk to the doctor about it. Thank you very much!

Anonymous
Wichita, KS
United States

Review Date: 5/21/2008
Medication: Isoniazid -

- Stay Far Away
Medication Type: Generic
Length Taken: Between 3 and 6 months
Strength: 300 mg X 1 times per day
Other Products Taken: no

I had to stop the medication because my side effect was tingling in my hands and feet. Can anybody help me, how long will I have these side effects. Thank you.

jutta alvarez
Germany

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The information presented in Healthnotes is for informational purposes only. It is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications. The "reviews" listed for any medical condition, prescription drug, condition or symtpom is provided specifically from eVitamins and is not associated with healthnotes.

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