Although antibiotics are effective at fighting infections caused by bacteria, these drugs sometimes have unpleasant side effects for your digestion. Stomach pain is one of the common side effects of antibiotics. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your chances of experiencing stomach pain while on medication.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Take Antibiotics Wisely
Step 1. Follow the doctor's instructions carefully
When the doctor prescribes antibiotics, he will give instructions for taking them. Following these instructions will help you reduce the discomfort in your stomach, because generally, your doctor will give you tips to reduce the side effects of the medication.
- Your medication may have to be taken at certain times to avoid gastrointestinal side effects.
- Store antibiotics in a dark, dry place, unless there are special instructions on the label.
- Some antibiotics should be stored in the refrigerator. If your antibiotics must be stored in the refrigerator, store them in the fresh food compartment. Never freeze antibiotics.
Step 2. Know if antibiotics should be taken with food
Some antibiotics must be taken with food, because food serves as an antidote to antibiotics in digestion, so the stomach is not shocked. If the instructions on antibiotics require you to take the antibiotic with food, make sure you follow it every time you take the medication, to prevent digestive side effects.
- Some antibiotics must be taken on an empty stomach, for example ampicillin and tetracillin. The drug should be taken on an empty stomach, because food can affect the speed at which the drug reacts in the body.
- Take antibiotics that must be taken on an empty stomach in the morning, before breakfast. If you need a reminder, set an alarm.
- Some antibiotics will cause stomach upset if taken with certain foods. For example, tetracillin will cause an upset stomach if taken with dairy products. To avoid stomach upset while taking tetracillin (or similar medications, such as doxycillin and minocillin), avoid dairy products while you are taking them.
Step 3. Make sure you take the right amount of medicine every day; do not let you reduce or increase the dose of the drug
While taking the medication below the prescription dose doesn't have much effect on the bacteria you're trying to kill, increasing the dose will increase the drug's effectiveness, making you more likely to have side effects.
- If you're having trouble remembering whether you've taken your medication, hang up your calendar and cross out the date when you finished taking your medication. By looking at the calendar, you won't accidentally double your dose.
- Your prescription medication is designed for a certain amount of time to fight bacterial infections. If you don't take antibiotics as prescribed, the remaining bacteria in your body may restart the infection.
Step 4. Increase the number of good bacteria in the body
In addition to killing bad bacteria, antibiotics may also kill good bacteria in the body. If the good bacteria in your body are attacked, your stomach may react. Try to return the number of good bacteria to a healthy threshold to deal with stomach pain.
- Yogurt is a great source of probiotics, or good bacteria. While you usually only need to eat a serving of yogurt to enjoy its benefits, try eating 3-5 servings of yogurt each day while you are on antibiotics to restore healthy bacteria in your body. For best results, find yogurt with live, active bacteria.
- Onions can also be a good source of prebiotics. Prebiotic bacteria provide nutrition for probiotic bacteria, which is obtained from raw yogurt or sauerkraut. Consume 3 large cloves of garlic a day to maintain a healthy threshold of good bacteria.
- Good bacteria can also be found in miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir.
Step 5. Tell your doctor about your experience taking antibiotics
If you have ever had stomach pain from antibiotics, you should mention it to your doctor. Your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative.
- Your doctor may also adjust the dose of your medication, so you don't feel sick to your stomach.
- Certain antibiotics may cause allergies. If you feel itchy or find a rash on your skin while taking antibiotics, call your doctor immediately.
Method 2 of 2: Overcome Stomach Pain
Step 1. Drink chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is an herbal drink that can work as an anti-inflammatory. If your digestion is grumbling from a bacterial imbalance due to medication, chamomile tea can help.
- Boil water, then pour in a bag of chamomile tea.
- Cover your teapot and wait 15-20 minutes for the tea to dissolve. The longer you dissolve the tea, the stronger the tea will taste.
- Add a spoonful of honey or other sweetener to taste. However, the tea is already sweet even without being sweetened.
Step 2. Use a warm compress on the stomach
A hot bottle or electric compress can help soothe your stomach, so you can feel better. If the pain in your stomach is caused by cramping caused by antibiotics, the warmth from the compress will soothe you and help you feel more comfortable.
- If you don't have a warm compress, fill a cloth container (or sock) with dried pinto beans or rice. Cover the container (either with a tie or with a safety pin), then heat the container in the microwave for 30 seconds (or until the filling is warm).
- Don't let your warm compress get too hot. Make a compress until it is warm.
- Find a comfortable place to lie down, then place the compress on your stomach for about 15 minutes. Repeat this step as desired.
Step 3. Drink starch water
Starch water is leftover water when cooking rice. Drinking starch water will calm the stomach, by making a "fort" in the stomach wall.
- Make starch water by cooking 1/2 cup of rice (plain white rice can also be used) with double the amount of water you need to use (for 1/2 cup of rice, 2 cups of water is used). Boil the rice and water mixture, then reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft.
- Pour the rice into a colander, and use the rice for the next serving. Collect the starch water in a bowl or other container.
- Transfer the starch water to a glass, and serve warm. If you like, you can add honey.
Step 4. Drink warm ginger decoction
Ginger soothes the intestines, and is a well-known stomach cramp remedy. Ginger is also good for calming the body. Drinking ginger decoction can relieve stomach cramps caused by antibiotics.
- Wash, peel and roughly chop 2.5-5cm of ginger. Boil 1-2 cups of water, then add the ginger. The more water you add, the thinner your stew will be, but if you leave the ginger in the stew, the flavor of the stew will be stronger.
- Boil the ginger for 3-5 minutes, then let the ginger soak for 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the ginger stew from the stove, discard the ginger, then pour the stew into a glass or pitcher.
- You can add honey or other sweetener if you like. Some people like to add lemon to the ginger stew, which also helps relieve stomach aches.
Tips
- Avoid using antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Antibiotics should only be used when a bacterial infection occurs. Without a bacterial infection, antibiotics will only attack the good bacteria, and cause new diseases. Also, bacteria may mutate and develop resistance to antibiotics, and when you really need an antibiotic, your doctor may increase the dose.
- Remember that antibiotics cannot get rid of viruses.
Warning
- Don't share antibiotics. Use antibiotics as prescribed.
- If you want to take other medicines to reduce stomach pain, tell your doctor. Some stomachache medications can interact with antibiotics, and affect their effectiveness.
