Nutrition supplements with antibiotics

[hollyanna]

I’m interested in information regarding nutrition supplements taken with antibiotics. I know some foods, like dairy, weaken the effect of antibiotics. The nutrition supplements I take are mostly Standard Process which makes all products from whole foods and I want to find out what supplements can compliment or inhibit antibiotic effectiveness. I’d love a comprehensive list but am also interested individual experiences.

[Jan Lucinda1]

You are not supposed to have calcium or magnesium within 2 hours of minocycline.

[Maz]

@hollyanna wrote:

I’m interested in information regarding nutrition supplements taken with antibiotics. I know some foods, like dairy, weaken the effect of antibiotics. The nutrition supplements I take are mostly Standard Process which makes all products from whole foods and I want to find out what supplements can compliment or inhibit antibiotic effectiveness. I’d love a comprehensive list but am also interested individual experiences.

Hi Hollyanna,

The tetra class of abx are highly chelative, meaning they bind to all minerals in the gut. As Jan mentioned, calcium and magnesium and also others like iron, zinc, copper, etc. It’s okay to take these supps, but just not too close to the tetra dose, so as Jan also mentioned, a two or even a three hour window is generally a good idea (this is mentioned in Solving the Puzzling Problem of Arthritis, by Pat Ganger and Carol Lange page 221 and 276).

Taking Tetracyclines With Food

For a drug to be useful in the body it must be free (not bound or attached to another substance). Tetracyclines bind to calcium and iron much like one magnet attaches to another. This is why you are advised to take it on an empty stomach. If you eat a food with calcium in it, such as milk or dairy or with iron found in some vegetables and some antacids like Tums or Rolaids and you take the antibiotic at or close to the same time, it may bind to these elements rendering it unusable in your body. If you feel dizziness or nausea after taking the antibiotic and an hour has not passed so you can eat, try eating a cracker or a small piece of bread (gluten-free, if needed). This will often ease the discomfort and you can then eat your meal.

Potent Chelating Agents

Tetracyclines are chelating agents, meaning they bind to certain elements like iron, calcium, copper and zinc….

The list for supps and foods that contain these agents that would be chelated by tetras are pretty extensive, so a good rule of thumb is to just keep a good two-hour window either side of any supps taken and, if possible, to take a tetra two hours after a meal or a good hour before eating.

There are online databases where you can type in a food to look up its nutritional content, such as this one:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Some are common sense, but some foods contain high levels of minerals you wouldn’t expect, such as spinach, for instance, which has very high calcium levels.

I, personally, always take my tetra at least one hour before any food or two hours after a meal. I always keep a good 2 to 3 hour window either side of my tetra dose for any supps, too. 🙂

PS. I also never take a tetra close to bed-time and drink it down with a full glass of water and remain upright for a good hour or two after the dose. This is to prevent a stuck cap getting lodged in the esophagus and reflux, both of which can cause very severe esophageal ulceration and burning…bad enough to warrant an ER visit.

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