Not All Antibiotics Are Bad for Gut Dysbiosis

Antibiotics get a bad rap these days, especially when used outside of acute infections.

If you look up gut dysbiosis, you’ll almost always find antibiotic usage listed as a main cause. Little is ever mentioned about how antibiotics can also help heal dysbiosis…

I’ve mentioned several times in other posts how dysbiosis is often caused initially by infections. Infections can wipe out whole species of beneficial gut bacteria. (Yet Google, Mayo, and many online resources constantly blame antibiotics without mentioning infections.)

So I’m going to set the record straight…

Infections: viral, bacterial, and parasitic, can all decimate key gut species that are vital not only to digestion, but to immune function and overall health.

If you’re reading this, you likely know exactly what I mean.

You’re living it.

Because of the many warnings around antibiotics, many practitioners overlook the potential role of certain ones (like Rifaximin) that can actually help the gut heal.

I know, because I’ve lived it.

I spent years trying every type of herbal remedy to combat my gut dysbiosis and IBS. Only to find my joy of eating shrinking down to almost nothing… for years.

Then Long COVID gut dysbiosis took everything to an entirely worse level.

This led me down many paths to eventually finding daily use of Rifaximin has been a real game changer in my healing.

Yes, you heard that correctly, longer-term, daily use.

It has helped calm my inflammation, decrease my bedridden pain episodes, and expand my diet.

You might be asking why is this?

Because Rifaximin helps reduce lipopolysaccharides (LPS): toxins released by certain gut bacteria that cause inflammation in the gut lining. This inflammation can make the gut barrier more permeable, allowing these toxins to enter the bloodstream and affect the whole body. (You can read more about that here: https://drrachaellarson.com/blog/what-if-many-long-covid-post-infectious-symptoms-are-coming-from-your-gut)

LPS creates a vicious cycle of inflammation, pain, and widespread symptoms that make you feel like you’re losing your body and life.

Yet, antibiotics can play an important healing role here. Just no one talks about it.

Rifaximin has been a key healing tool for me. Of course, it’s not the only piece, but it has been a significant one.

It’s different because it isn’t absorbed into the bloodstream and stays in the gut. Some research even suggests it may help support a more balanced microbiome.

So if you’re finding your food options shrinking, social life becoming difficult, and pain interfering with daily living… it may be worth talking with your doctor to see if this could be a helpful option for you.

If you’re ever needing support, encouragement, or help with next steps in your healing journey, I offer personalized consultations: https://drrachaellarson.com/book-consultation

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