Adult Probiotic oral: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD (2024)

FAQs

Why do cardiologists warn against probiotics? ›

But, when it comes to pre-and probiotics, cardiologists are warning they aren't a treatment for elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or other heart health markers. The health benefits of probiotics are also strain-specific, so taking any probiotic off the shelf won't guarantee results.

Some medications that may interact with certain probiotics include: antibiotics, antifungals (such as clotrimazole, ketoconazole, griseofulvin, nystatin).

Ask your doctor if taking probiotics is a good idea for you. In general, probiotic foods and supplements are thought to be safe for most people, though some people with immune system problems or other serious health conditions shouldn't take them.

When first using probiotics, some people experience gas, bloating, or diarrhea. Changes in the gut microbiota can result in bacteria producing more gas than usual, which can lead to bloating. However, these side effects usually clear up within a few days or weeks of taking the probiotics.

There's a small risk of adverse side effects for people with weaker immune systems. This includes people taking immunosuppressant drugs, people with critical illnesses and infants who've been born prematurely. The risk is that a probiotic product might contain a harmful type of microbe along with the helpful types.

The FDA is aware that certain probiotic products used in hospital settings to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis have contributed to invasive disease, including one infant death in 2023, and have been associated with more than two dozen other reported adverse events in the United States since 2018.

They work in totally different ways, so they have no interaction. That's great! It means adding a probiotic to your Vitamin supplement routine is generally no problem at all! Whether you take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, B Vitamins, or even minerals like Magnesium, Zinc, or Iron, your probiotics won't bother them.

You might have stomach upset, gas, diarrhea, or bloating. Those symptoms usually go away after your body gets used to them. If you have an immune system problem or another serious health condition, you may have a greater chance of issues. Some reports have linked probiotics to serious infections and other side effects.

A general recommendation is to choose probiotic products with at least 1 billion colony-forming units and containing the genus Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacillus or Saccharomyces boulardii, some of the most researched probiotics.

These probiotics can produce histamine during the fermentation process. Histamine belongs to a group of chemical messengers in your brain called biogenic amines. Amines can change how much blood flows to your central nervous system, triggering a headache if you're sensitive to histamines and other amine substances.

Do probiotics have side effects on the heart? ›

The baseline HR of participants in almost all trials was within the normal range from 68.8 to 90.0 bpm. Most of the studies reported no significant side effects of probiotics supplementation.

Probiotics are a natural, safe option to add into your daily regime to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and contribute to heart health. Probiotics can influence our cholesterol levels by: Reducing the absorption of cholesterol from our food. Increasing cholesterol levels used in the body to make bile.

Possible harmful effects of probiotics include infections, production of harmful substances by the probiotic microorganisms, and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes from probiotic microorganisms to other microorganisms in the digestive tract.

Eating food that contains probiotics—consumable live bacteria—has been linked to healthier blood pressure in previous studies. “Yogurt is the clearest example of a probiotic,” says Pluznick.

Probiotic supplements may be harmful for people who are immunocompromised. Whether from a digestive condition like short bowel syndrome, an organ transplant, an autoimmune disease or cancer, anyone with a compromised immune system may react poorly to probiotic supplements.