The importance of antibiotics in the treatment of a wide range of diseases cannot be overestimated. However, before you start taking them, it is essential to understand that only a doctor can prescribe antibiotics. Self-medicating and taking antibiotics randomly can severely damage your health. ## When and how to take antibiotics The timing of taking antibiotics depends on their components and is always mentioned in the package insert. There are three ways of taking these medicines: with a meal, one hour before a meal, or 1–2 hours after a meal. Some antibiotics shouldn't be taken immediately after a meal since foods prevent the medicines' absorption and reduce their effectiveness. In this case, you should wait a couple of hours. Some antibiotics are better absorbed with foods, it reduces antibiotics’ negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract. It is essential to observe the timing between taking antibiotics to keep their permanent concentration in the body. However, if you have missed a dose, you cannot take a double dose. You shouldn't stop taking medicine even in the absence of symptoms since pathogenic bacteria don't die immediately—they simply become less active. If you stop treatment early, the bacteria will become resistant to the antibacterial drug, and the antibiotic will not be effective. The disease will return and become more severe, while the doctors will have to find a new treatment. ## What foods should be avoided? Having a proper diet is one of the most important aspects of treatment by antibiotics. Antibiotics have a negative effect on the liver. Therefore, during treatment by antibiotics, it is recommended to avoid foods that make the liver work harder. These include: - Canned - Smoked - Fried and fatty foods - Tinned food - Semi-processed food products - Fast food - Chips - Cookies and bakery - Sweets - Ketchup - Mayonnaise - And alcohol. In addition to a negative effect on the liver, fatty food takes longer to digest and keeps the medicine inside the stomach for a longer period of time. As a result, the medicine changes its composition and loses its effect. ## What foods should be eaten? During the treatment, it is necessary to cut down on fiber as it decreases the absorption of antibiotics. After you stop taking the antibiotic, it is recommended to eat foods rich in fiber to help the gut bacteria return back to normal. Antibiotics destroy gut bacteria, which is why you need to take probiotics during treatment. It is necessary to wait three hours between taking antibiotics and probiotics. Probiotics can be found in large quantities in dairy products such as kefir, yogurt, cheese, and fermented baked milk, so you should add them to your diet. The most important thing is to avoid taking them together with the medicine. Taking antibiotics may lead to a deficiency in vitamins K and B12, which means that you should fill your diet with salad, spinach, cabbage, cucumbers, beef, veal, and salmon. After you finish taking antibiotics, you should restore the level of folic acid in your body, which is necessary for the cardiovascular system and the brain. Folic acid is contained in large quantities in peanuts, beet leaves, spinach, and broccoli. ## What can you drink? You should take antibiotics only with non-carbonated water. During the course of antibiotics, you should drink as much as possible—up to 0.8 gallons of liquid per day. It can include cranberry or huckleberry drinks, tea, and natural juices—but these should be taken separately from the medicine. Grapefruit and orange juices, which are rich in vitamin C, are especially useful.