Probiotic - anybody taking it on a regular basis?

[Disappointed]

So many brands to choose from, how to decide which is right for you?

[ERD50]

I'd first need to decide that any are right for me.

-ERD50

[Animorph]

I liked Align when I started. Recommended by my colonoscopy doc. They seemed to make some difference, though I'm off on a different direction now. My doctor had his own brand that seemed to work just as well. I tried one brand before Align that didn't seem to do much. I've been off them at times, without a big effect. Avoiding some foods is helping me more. Maybe when I get that figured out, I'll know if the probiotics are really doing anything useful.

[obgyn65]

Not on a regular basis - only prn.

[Midpack]

DW takes a probiotic daily (Florajen3, requires refridgeration) and it's clearly helped her. However, she's had some pretty serious intestinal problems, she wouldn't be using probiotics otherwise. She'd also contend not all probiotics are created equal. YMMV

[donheff]

DW takes one. I will pop one now and then when I'm standing next to her when she is taking hers.

[noelm]

I take it because I have Ulcerative Colitis and I take VSL #3 DS, super expensive, ~$115 for 20 sachets but if you want to take it just for maintaining your gut flora or getting it upto the snuff after antibiotic use, you should go for Benebiotics, Best bang for the buck.

Align is one of the worst i.e. money down the drain. There is one called as Florastar (or something like that) that is good too but I guess, it needs to be stored in the fridge all the time. Benebiotics is fine at room temperature (unless you are in south and upto 80F). I use it for DS (4 yrs old) and if you order from their website, you can save a bit. Benebiotics contains prebiotics i.e. the stuff on which probiotics grows well.

If you have any specific condition, you may have to tweak it, otherwise add S. boulavardi (most likely this spelling is wrong) as well.

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by noelm There is one called as Florastar (or something like that) that is good too but I guess, it needs to be stored in the fridge all the time.

DW takes Florajen3 and it's been effective for her, indeed needs to be refrigerated at home and the seller. But again, neither of us would take a probiotic 'just because'...YMMV

[Sue J]

I'm almost 4 weeks into taking acidophilos. For many months I had developed a pattern of dealing with constipation for 2 or 3 days and then having a day where I just GO all day. Pretty annoying! I take fiber caplets daily, drink lots of water, exercise, etc. and the pattern persisted.

I looked into Activia yogurt but I like my yogurt plain, not sweetened and Activia gets expensive for 3/day. Instead, I made sure to eat salad daily and eat Dannon Plain yogurt.

I was at the gynecologist and mentioned my digestive pattern and that the Dannon yogurt may be helping. She suggested that eating yogurt does not provide enough of the culture that's needed and to try a probiotic.

The probiotic I'm trying is Walmart's Spring Valley brand Acidophilus, 1 Billion Active Cultures, $4.84 for 30 caplets. I've had no negative side effects and over the last couple of weeks, I think I see some improvement. Hard to tell if it's from the acidophilus or from other things. I just bought more and I will continue with it for at least another 60 days, just to give it a try.

[rockymountainhigh]

I agree, there doesn't seem to be any standard for determining what to take so you have to go by trial and error. I talked to a clerk at Natural Grocers who said she heard that one should take probiotics with at least 10 billion CFU's per day,... but what strains?

I started near the top as far as number of strains and quantity. I decided to go with Nature' Way Primadohilus Optima taking one a day at 35 billion CFU's (colony-forming unit) each and 14 strains. I noticed a marked improvement in elimination but the cost for 60 capsules is around $45 and since it needs to be refrigerated I didn't want to go online to purchase it.

after going through three bottles I decided to try another brand, Jarrow and purchased their Jorro-Dophilus +FOS and take six a day at 3.4 billion CFU's each with six strains. It doesn't seem to be as effective so I think I am going back to the Nature's Way when I finish the bottle.

Unfortunately I don't really know why the Natures Way works better, is it the delivery system, the strains, or the number of CFU's?? I would like to cut down the cost so I might try a Natures Way product with fewer strains and go from there.