Why is vitamin K affected by antibiotics?

Why is vitamin K affected by antibiotics?

Antibiotics — Antibiotics, especially those known as cephalosporins, reduce the absorption of vitamin K in the body. Using them for more than 10 days may lower levels of vitamin K because these drugs kill not only harmful bacteria but also the bacteria that make vitamin K.

Why might long term use of antibiotics lead to a vitamin K deficiency?

Since the introduction of the broadspectrum antibiotics it has become possible to greatly reduce the bacterial content of the intestine and, as a consequence, to decrease the amount of vitamin K produced. The fact that this can occasionally produce a severe hemorrhagic diathesis is attested by the following case.

How do antibiotics affect vitamin levels?

A direct and concomitant vitamin depriving action occurs when an antibiotic blocks the production of vitamins by the enteric flora. A different mode of action occurs in the drug induced folic acid deficiency, which in turn induces a deficiency of vitamin B12.

What causes a vitamin K deficiency?

The most common causes of vitamin K deficiency are insufficient dietary intake, inadequate absorption, and decreased storage of the vitamin due to liver disease, but it may also be caused by decreased production in the intestines.

What medications should not be taken with vitamin K?

Medications known to interact with Vitamin K (phytonadione)

• anisindione.
• cholestyramine.
• colesevelam.
• colestipol.
• dicumarol.
• mineral oil.
• orlistat.
• sevelamer.

Can antibiotics cause vitamin deficiency?

Taking broad-spectrum antibiotics long term can lower your gut bacteria, which may result in vitamin K deficiency.

What is the major symptom of vitamin K deficiency?

The main symptom of a vitamin K deficiency is excessive bleeding caused by an inability to form blood clots. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) , vitamin K deficiency is very rare in the United States. Most people get enough vitamin K from their diets.

What causes vitamin K to become less effective?

Other antibiotics may cause vitamin K to become less effective in the body. Fat malabsorption leading to vitamin K deficiency may occur in people with: a disorder in the intestines or biliary tract (liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts) Newborn infants are at increased risk for vitamin K deficiency for a variety of reasons:

Can a vitamin K deficiency cause excessive bleeding?

A higher dose may be necessary if the mother has been taking anticoagulants or anti-seizure drugs. If left untreated in adults, vitamin K deficiency can result in excessive bleeding and become dangerous. But in almost all cases, vitamin K deficiency is treatable. In infants where VKDB is identified and treated quickly, the outlook is good.

What happens if you take antibiotics for a long time?

Antibiotics, even used for short periods of time, let alone for life-long therapy, raise the issues of both toxicity and the emergence of bacterial antibiotic resistance. (Bacterial antibiotic resistance means that the bacteria do not respond to the antibiotic treatment.)

Which is a risk associated with the use of antibiotics?

Although antibiotics are, in general, safe, they also have many risks associated with their use, including the development of allergic reactions, Clostridium difficile infection, and antibiotic resistance, as well as a higher price tag. As such, many clinicians prefer prescribing a shorter treatment course.

What happens when you use antibiotics for a long time?

If you use antibiotics for a long period of time, you can easily develop a resistance, which means that a certain antibiotic does no longer work against a certain bacteria. This is one of the serious side effects of long-term antibiotic use.

Why are antibiotics bad for the immune system?

This means, that antibiotics, especially those taken for a long period of time have a negative impact on the normal flora of the gut. The immune system is known to rely heavily on the balance between the good and bad bacteria.

When is it best to not take antibiotics?

If a physician tells a person that an antibiotic is unlikely to be helpful, it is in that person’s best interest to not take the antibiotic. With that said, there are clearly situations where antibiotics are necessary to treat bacterial infections, such as of the lung ( pneumonia ), skin, or urinary tract.

How many people died before the use of antibiotics?

Before antibiotics, 30 percent of all deaths were caused by bacterial infections. Thanks to antibiotics, previously fatal infections are curable. Today, antibiotics are still powerful, life-saving medications for people with certain serious infections.