Swedish Study Finds 1 Antibiotic Course Can Alter Gut Microbiome for Years

6 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 25

Nearly 15,000 people were analyzed in a Swedish study published in Nature Medicine, which found some patients had gut microbiome changes that persisted years after a single antibiotic course.
Three broad-spectrum drugs—clindamycin, flucloxacillin and fluoroquinolones—drove most of the long-term shifts, while amoxicillin, macrolides such as azithromycin and cephalosporins showed more modest effects.
A 2023 meta-analysis found probiotic supplements taken with antibiotics do little, and a 2018 Cell study suggested they may even delay a return to baseline microbiome composition.
Doctors still advise taking antibiotics when clearly needed, but using the narrowest effective option and avoiding them for viral illnesses can limit unnecessary gut disruption and resistance risks.

Antibiotics may damage your gut for years. Beyond yogurt, what foods can actually fix it?

A 'good bacteria' pill can delay gut recovery. Which specific strains are the exception, and for whom?

Your antibiotic prescription is linked to a global health crisis. How does one pill contribute to millions of deaths?