Joseph: I would be glad to pay! But you have already started the regimen. If there are any effects on microbiome they may be rapid and it will be a bit late for testing.
If DAV works it will be worth any side effects on the microbiome many times over, but the dangers of these can be real, even if (mostly?) reversible over time…
I don´t know if the research showing gut bacteria being wiped out from tetracyclines (doxy is one) impacts everyone (see at the end of this post) or a minority. Doxycycline Reviews & Ratings - Drugs.com shows about 30% reporting (considerable) side effects. Unknown whether more could have unreported or unknown and presumably not severe microbiome changes.
What appears important is to take probiotics during and after antibiotics.
What You Should Eat During and After Antibiotics (healthline.com). “research shows that taking probiotics while or after you’re taking antibiotics can help preserve the bacterial diversity of your gut. It also [seems to reduce the amount of [antibiotic-resistant genes in your gut (Antibiotics Diarrhea: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention)
(Prescribing an antibiotic? Pair it with probiotics - PMC)
[(Europe PMC)
Conclusion. Addition of probiotics to antibiotic interventions seems to preserve alpha diversity and ameliorate the changes to gut microbial composition caused by antibiotic interventions”. However, “Probiotic co-administration with antibiotics seemed to prevent some, but not all, of the gut microbial diversity and composition changes induced by antibiotics, including restoration of health-related bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii”.
The research above seems to be based on probiotic supplements. I don´t find research on natural probiotics and antibiotic use, but these are for general health purposes stronger and better than supplements and my guess is that they should be better for antibiotic use too. Perhaps they can restore all of gut microbial diversity? (Top 5 Reasons Sauerkraut Outperforms Probiotic Supplements ~ Tara Bianca)
Sauerkraut (fermented, non-pasteurized cabbage) and kimchi belong to the strongest probiotics; yogurt may be fine too, but is weaker. The dangers of microbiome changes would not prevent me from starting DAV, but I would take high-quality sauerkraut continuously, a few times per day, , and for a considerable time after the end of DAV. A table spoon each time (starting with a teaspoon for a beginner). It may be overkill, but to feel safer, I might add the highest-quality probiotic supplement. Sauerkraut (+ supplement) to be taken about four hours after a dose of antibiotic, since this can kill the bacteria of the probiotic.
PREbiotic, high-fiber foods to feed the beneficial gut bacteria is important to eat.
On the microbiome effects of antibiotics
In a recent study published in the journal Nature, an international research team based primarily in Germany looked at how 144 antibiotics commonly used in humans impact our gut health. Most importantly, they found that two classes of antibiotics — tetracyclines and macrolides — create “collateral damage” by wiping out good bacteria in the gut, leaving it open to gastrointestinal ailments and recurring infections from a type of bacteria known as Clostridioides difficile (C. diff).
Another study, on mice and not specifically on tetracyclines:
The effect of antibiotics on the gut microbiome: a metagenomics analysis of microbial shift and gut antibiotic resistance in antibiotic treated mice | BMC Genomics | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
Results these findings were the result of a 3-day treatment regimen in experimental animals.
After treatment, each antibiotic produced increased relative abundance in different species but also shared a large common list of species that were eradicated or undetectable after treatment
There is a longitudinal decrease of gut microbiota diversity after antibiotic treatment. Various ARGs (antibiotic resistance genes) are enriched within the gut microbiota despite an overall reduction of the diversity and total amount of bacteria after antibiotic treatment… .
