Your gut microbiome, which is home to trillions of microbes, plays a key role in everything from digestion to mood. When it\u2019s out of balance, with too many \u201cbad\u201d bacteria, it can fuel inflammation and even contribute to chronic diseases.\n<\/p>\n
Some habits support a healthy gut, like eating plenty of fermented foods\u2014but certain medications can tip the scales in the wrong direction. Here are four common drugs experts say could disrupt your microbiome.\n<\/p>\n
1. Antibiotics <\/p>\n
Antibiotics are perhaps the most well-known medications for causing gut troubles.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotics, like azithromycin (Z-pack) and erythromycin, work by stopping bacteria from growing and, at higher doses, can also kill bacteria\u2014both good and bad. Paradoxically, a 2022 research review suggests that antibiotics can sometimes create conditions that allow harmful bacteria, such as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), to thrive.\n<\/p>\n
Antibiotics can also stimulate gut motility on their own, contributing to unwanted gastrointestinal effects, said James Cox, MD<\/a>, a board-certified gastroenterologist and assistant professor at Texas Christian University.\n<\/p>\n Because of these potential effects, when prescribing antibiotics, physicians may recommend consuming foods like yogurt or kefir, which contain probiotics<\/a> (live cultures) that can help replenish the microbiome with beneficial bacteria.\n<\/p>\n The good news is that the impact of occasional antibiotic treatment on the microbiome is usually short-lived. \u201cUsually the symptoms of a short-term course [of antibiotics] are only during the taking of the medication,\u201d Cox told Health. \u201cIt would be rare, but not impossible, to develop a long-term condition after a short change in the microbiome.\u201d\n<\/p>\n 2. Proton Pump Inhibitors <\/p>\n Another potential gut disrupter? Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium, which treat gastroesophageal reflux disease<\/a> and stomach ulcers by suppressing stomach acid.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n But stomach acid plays an important role in gut health: it aids digestion and acts as a barrier against harmful bacteria we might ingest, preventing them from reaching the gut and potentially disturbing the microbiome.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cOftentimes, PPIs are overused because they\u2019re very easily accessible,\u201d said Jasmohan Bajaj, MD<\/a>, a professor of medicine in the gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition division at Virginia Commonwealth University. \u201cThat could have an impact on your gut microbiome and could be associated with future problems with infections.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cTalk to your practitioner to see if you still need that PPI,\u201d he suggested.\n<\/p>\n 3. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors <\/p>\n Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, and other mental-health conditions. They work by increasing the activity of serotonin, a \u201cfeel-good\u201d neurotransmitter. But most serotonin is actually produced in the gut, not the brain, so SSRIs can potentially alter the gut microbiome. They may also have an antimicrobial effect.\n<\/p>\n However, just how these medications change the microbiome isn\u2019t fully understood\u2014and it\u2019s possible that the effects may even be positive. \u201cWhether we\u2019re changing the brain-gut axis or whether it\u2019s a change in our mood or affect, we\u2019re just not sure,\u201d Cox said.\n<\/p>\n 4. Digoxin <\/p>\n