Thyroid and antibiotics

[Sailing14]

I have been prescribed antibiotics but have developed acid reflux since starting them. Is it okay to take lansoprazole short term hopefully? And also, will it affect my thyroxine absorption?

I know to leave a two hour gap between thyroxine and medication.

Thank you for your help

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’ve started taking a probiotic that is designed to be taken along with antibiotics when I take antibiotics and I’ve found that helps. I also try to eat something when I’m taking antibiotics - the practice nurse said that was ok even if it said to take them on an empty stomach. Lesser of two evils really.

That and I don’t eat things that I know will aggravate it like chocolate and anything fizzy, I eat small portions and I don’t lie down too soon after eating.

[TiggerMe Ambassador in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Sounds sensible... I'm sure I've read that somewhere in the world they issue you with probiotics alongside any antibiotics

[Kimkat in reply to TiggerMe]

I always take a course of acidophilus after antibiotics to try and replace the good bacteria that the antibiotics kill off

[bikebabe]

ask pharmacist to check interactions between type of antibiotic and the lansaorazole as some don’t do well together.

[Chett]

Hello Sailing14, I can get very painful heartburn with antibiotics. So I ordered some enteric coated capsules from Amazon to put the antibiotic in. It works for me.

[WildDeer]

You could try Aloe Vera tablets, or drink the juice , which works for me, and worth trying before embarking on Lanzaprasole.

[am111]

short-term PPI is fine. Generally, longer term PPI is not recommended. I don't think PPIs interact with thyroxine medicine. There are some studies that show that the interaction is very mild. At least for me, it did not make any difference.

[Kimkat in reply to am111]

I’ve been on PPIs for years, if I stop taking them I have all sorts of problems with acid

[am111 in reply to Kimkat]

There is a rebound reflux for one or two weeks, sometimes up to a month, when one stops, after which it becomes better. Have you tried stopping for a few weeks. PPIs can lead to some vitamin and mineral deficiencies long-term, as a low stomach acid can mean these nutrients are not broken down to be absorbed.

If you do take PPIs long term, make sure you test for Calcium, magnesium, B12 and Iron, possibly some other nutrients as well.

[Kimkat in reply to am111]

I always have full tests for everything every 4-6 months, so I’m on top of that but yes I stopped once for a month and my throat was so sore I could barely swallow. I do have a hiatus hernia

[am111 in reply to Kimkat]

Vit D and B12 deficiency can cause hiatus hernia and a weak LES. You should supplement these regularly and keep them high in the range to strengthen your oesophageal muscles. You might be able to control the symptoms by eating lighter foods, chewing gum, raising the head side of your bed, not eating 2-3 hrs. before sleeping etc. Longer term PPI use is not recommended and you might consider surgery to fix your hiatus hernia if you cannot manage even after all these things.

[Kimkat in reply to am111]

Yes, I’m aware of all of the above. My vitamin D and B12 are both high. The Ent consultant told me that I should keep on with omeprazole as my oesophagus could get damaged if I don’t.

[am111 in reply to Kimkat]

I am not convinced that your ENT is correct, but then I may be wrong. If you get some research articles on this, let me know as I also have the same problem but am able to manage with these different strategies. Also, my GERD flares up when B12 deficient and gets much better automatically once on regular B12 supplementation, so have needed to use PPIs only for the short term (well, longest was about 6 months).