Feeling unwell on antibiotics is common due to gut bacteria disruption (causing nausea, diarrhea), your immune system clearing debris from the infection, and the medication's direct side effects like fatigue or skin issues, but it can also signal a serious allergic reaction or a secondary infection like C. diff, requiring prompt medical attention. Contact your doctor if you have severe symptoms like trouble breathing, hives, severe abdominal pain, or fever.
Side effects of antibiotics
Most antibiotics do not cause problems if they're used properly and serious side effects are rare. The common side effects include: being sick. feeling sick.
Cefalexin can treat a wide range of bacteria, so it works well for a variety of infections, such as chest, skin or urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cefalexin can only be given as capsules, tablets or a liquid, but some other antibiotics can be given as injections.
Your immune system uses a lot of energy to fight infection. Antibiotics may also disrupt the balance of “good” bacteria in your gut, which can affect digestion and energy production. In some cases, mild allergic responses or interactions with other medications can lead to feelings of low energy.
Your healthcare provider may take a sample of your infected tissue and send it to a lab. There the type of infection can be figured out. Tests can also show which antibiotics will kill the germs. You may have an antibiotic-resistant infection if you don't get better after treatment with standard antibiotics.
An allergic reaction to antibiotics occurs when your immune system produces antibodies in response to taking the medication. Antibody production typically occurs because your body is reacting to something it perceives as an invader, such as an illness, but when it reacts to medication, it's an allergic reaction.
The "90/60 rule" in antibiotics is a guideline stating that infections from bacteria deemed susceptible in lab tests succeed about 90% of the time with appropriate treatment, while infections from bacteria classified as resistant still respond successfully in about 60% of cases, bridging the gap between lab results (in vitro) and real-world outcomes (in vivo) by acknowledging factors like the immune system, drug penetration, and patient conditions.
Feeling worse? More important, perhaps, than when you'll start feeling better, is what to do if you begin to feel worse. Depending on the severity of your infection, if you are feeling worse after one to two days of taking antibiotics, or less time if you have worrying new symptoms, you should go back to your doctor.
Common fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and kombucha. Consuming these foods can help replenish the gut microbiota with diverse and beneficial bacterial strains, aiding digestion and supporting the immune system.
While taking antibiotics, it's important to stay hydrated to help your body flush out toxins and waste products. Proper hydration ensures that your kidneys can filter out the antibiotic and its byproducts effectively, reducing the risk of kidney damage or unwanted side effects.
Cefalexin is not effective against infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), most Enterococcus, or Pseudomonas. Like other antibiotics, cefalexin cannot treat viral infections, such as the flu, common cold or acute bronchitis.
The strongest antibiotics available include carbapenems, vancomycin, fidaxomicin, tetracyclines (eravacycline, omadacycline, tigecycline), and macrolides (erythromycin). These antibiotics are chosen based on their broad-spectrum activity and effectiveness against a wide range of bacterial infections.
Serious cephalexin side effects are rare, but possible. They include seizures, infectious diarrhea, and bleeding. Severe allergic reactions can also happen.
Antibiotics can disrupt the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which may contribute to nausea and diarrhea. Probiotic-rich foods can help restore gut flora and support digestion. Yogurt with live cultures, kefir, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi, and miso are excellent sources of probiotics.
Our results show that, among the side-effects of different classes of drugs such as anti-convulsants, anti-hypertensives, antibiotics, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, and anti-inflammatory, also vertigo or dizziness are included.
The 20-minute rule for eating is a mindful eating strategy suggesting it takes your brain about 20 minutes to receive fullness signals from your stomach, so eating slowly, taking at least 20 minutes for a meal, and waiting 20 minutes before seconds helps prevent overeating by aligning consumption with satiety, reducing unnecessary calories, and improving digestion.
Fatigue may affect up to 1 in 20 people who take a specific antibiotic called vancomycin. But in most cases, you feel tired because you're sick and your body is trying to recover. Getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated can help you regain your energy and feel better.
High acid foods – Citrus fruits and juices like orange and grapefruit, soda, chocolate and tomato products have a high acid content, which could decrease how much medicine is absorbed into your system for certain antibiotics.
Antibiotics can have side effects such as diarrhoea and feeling sick. These side effects are usually mild and should pass once you finish your course of treatment. If you get any additional side effects, contact your GP or the doctor in charge of your care for advice.
It typically takes 1 to 3 days to begin to feel better after starting an antibiotic. Symptom improvement is a sign that your antibiotic has set in and it's working as it should. But you may not see the full benefits until you've completed your entire antibiotic prescription.
How long antibiotics stay in your system depends on the type of antibiotic you are taking, plus additional factors like dosage, metabolic rate, age, and body mass. Common antibiotics may stay in your system for up to 24 hours after your final dose.
However, the patient may not feel better for the first 2 to 3 days because the effect of the medicine also depends on the type of infection the patient is treating. Most antibiotics should be taken for 7 - 14 days. In some cases, shorter treatments (for example, taking antibiotics for 5 days) also give full effect.
MRSA is one of the most common antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Symptoms of MRSA infection often begin as small red bumps on the skin that can progress to deep, painful abscesses or boils, which are pus-filled masses under the skin.
Prescribers can act as good stewards by following the 5 "D"s of antimicrobial stewardship; right Drug, correct Dose, right Drug-route, suitable Duration, timely De-escalation to pathogen-directed therapy.