Can I Take Vitamins If I Am Taking Antibiotics?

When you're taking antibiotics, be mindful of the fact that your supplements may not play well with your antibiotic. Take a close look at your medications and your supplement list to determine whether you should continue taking vitamins and minerals while taking the antibiotic.

Not all antibiotics and supplements interact the same way. But depending on what supplement you take, and what antibiotic you're on, certain vitamins and minerals may alter the way your body absorbs the antibiotic. Also, an antibiotic can deplete certain nutrients.

Tell your doctor or health practitioner when you are prescribed antibiotics if you take supplements or multivitamin with minerals. This way, they can advise you on whether to continue taking the supplements while on the antibiotics.

Read more: How to Mix Vitamins and Antibiotics

Certain vitamins can reduce the ability of tetracycline to treat your infection. Other antibiotics in the tetracycline class of antibiotics include doxycycline and minocycline. Vitamins can also reduce the ability of doxycycline and minocycline to treat your infection. Talk with your health practitioner about taking tetracycline, doxycycline or minocycline and vitamins together.

Magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron supplements interfere with tetracycline, making it less effective, along with folic acid and other B vitamins. If you continue to take B vitamins while taking tetracycline, take them at a different time.

Taking vitamin C may increase the levels of tetracycline in your body, as well as decrease the effects of vitamin C.

Amoxicillin, part of the penicillin class of antibiotics, is used for ear and sinus infections. It is a member of the penicillin family. Augmentin is a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate for people who are resistant to amoxicillin.

If you're taking amoxicillin or augmentin, taking bromelain and vitamin K at the same time may interfere with your body's absorption of the antibiotic. If you want to continue taking these, discuss this with your doctor.

Read more: Vitamin C & Amoxicillin

The cephalosporin class of antibiotics includes cephalexin, which is sold under the names Cefanex, Keflex, Keftab and Biocef, and cefdinir, which commonly trades under the name Omnicef.

These antibiotics may reduce your body's absorption of vitamin K from your diet. Check with your doctor to see if you need to increase vitamin K.

The flouroquinolone class of antibiotics includes the trade names Cipro and Levaquin. Taking calcium, copper, fennel, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and dandelion supplements while you're taking Cipro or Levaquin may inhibit the work of these antibiotics.

The Trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole class of antibiotics is sold as Bactrim, Cotrim, Septra and Sulfatrim. Taking magnesium and zinc may slow the body's ability to absorb these antibiotics.

There may be some upsides to taking certain vitamins if you're taking tetracycline. But because some supplements make tetracycline less effective, make sure you check with your doctor before taking vitamins with tetracycline.

Taking large quantities of niacinamide, a type of vitamin B3, while taking tetracycline, may suppress inflammation. This can actually be a good thing if you have bullous pemphigoid, a benign, autoimmune blistering disease of the skin. It can also be a good thing if you have dermatitis herpetiformis, a rare but serious autoimmune chronic skin condition that causes uncomfortable rashes.

Eating a healthy diet, with a variety of vitamins and minerals from food, can help if you're taking antibiotics. Some supplements, especially vitamins C, D and E, can act as natural antibiotics, although you should check with your doctor whenever you think you may need antibiotics.

Read more: What to Eat While on Antibiotics

Some vitamins and supplements are good to take with certain antibiotics. Probiotics, for example, can help. Taking antibiotics can sometimes trigger yeast infections, and probiotics can counteract that effect.

Another is vitamin K. Excessive bleeding is sometimes a side effect of antibiotics. You should check with your doctor to see if taking vitamin K is recommended while you're on your course of antibiotics.

Folic acid can sometimes be beneficial if you're taking antibiotics for a short period, because the antibiotic may lower your body's ability to absorb B vitamins. Again, check with your doctor if you want to take folic acid while taking an antibiotic.