There is not much evidence that yogurt helps diarrhea, but it is theoretically possible, and you have nothing to lose by trying it.

Augmentin is an antibiotic combination that contains amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. The combination of two antibiotics in one pill increases the number of bacterial species that can be treated compared to amoxicillin alone. Diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal symptoms occur frequently with Augmentin. The symptoms can be severe enough to prevent people from taking the drug for the entire duration of therapy.

Yogurt has been promoted as a treatment and in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Yogurt is actually fermented milk. It is made by adding bacterial culture (that contains bacteria called Lactobacillus and others) to milk and allowing it to sit in a warm place for several days. So, the container of yogurt is actually filled with bacteria. While that may not sound very appetizing, these bacteria are normal inhabitants of our gastrointestinal tract and perform a number of services for us, including helping in digestion and preventing other less desirable bacteria from setting up shop. In theory, yogurt should work for the diarrhea caused by antibiotics.

Most antibiotics used today kill lots of different kinds of bacteria. These are called broad-spectrum antibiotics. While they do kill "bad" bacteria, they are indiscriminant and also kill "good" bacteria. This allows bad bacteria to flourish in the intestine. That is what causes the diarrhea. Eating yogurt might theoretically replace the good bacteria, making less room for the bad ones.

Despite the promotion that yogurt helps antibiotic-induced diarrhea, there hasn't been much evidence that it actually works. One study that did support the use of yogurt was published last fall. About 200 hospitalized people who were treated with a variety of antibiotics were divided into two groups. Patients in one group received yogurt daily and the others didn't. About 12 percent of the people who ate yogurt had diarrhea, compared to 24 percent of those who did not. I did not find a study that specifically looked at yogurt and Augmentin-induced diarrhea, but it is worth a try.