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]

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.

 

[rockymountainhigh]

Went off the probiotics because I wasn't sure they were doing anything and I wasn't wasting my money. Boy was I wrong my system went to pot, back to the way it was while I was growing up which wasn't good. I have Celiac disease so my digestion is not optimal even off the gluten and I now know the probiotics do definitely help in a big way. I am back on the Nature Way. I bought Sam's Club Simply Right 4X Probiotic (Align) that doesn't need refrigeration because I was going to CA for Thanksgiving and I didn't want to worry about the "guys", that's what the bacteria are lovingly called in the probiotic community, on the driving trip. I also occasionally get a liter of kefir to aid in my recovery. So far so good.

 

[Marita40]

I posted nearly a year ago about contracting c-diff. After many months I finally was cured. I still take probiotics and will continue. I take Florastor and Jarrow S. Boulardii. I also drink homemade kefir daily and Greek yogurt.
My doc's were divided on the efficacy of probiotics, but they all recommended the S. Boulardii--good science behind it.

 

[Buckeye]

I posted nearly a year ago about contracting c-diff. After many months I finally was cured. I still take probiotics and will continue. I take Florastor and Jarrow S. Boulardii. I also drink homemade kefir daily and Greek yogurt.
My doc's were divided on the efficacy of probiotics, but they all recommended the S. Boulardii--good science behind it.

Love my Florastor from Costo dot com.

 

[Sue J]

I tried acidophilus for a few months and I wasn't convinced that it made a difference. Instead, I've been drinking kefir milk since March and I'm very pleased with the results. I've read about making my own but I've been buying Lifeway Kefir in the plain low fat version. They have many flavors but those have extra carbs and calories so I stay with the plain low fat. Good stuff!

 

[rockymountainhigh]

Thanks Marita40 I will have to give S. Boulardii a try.

 

[Marita40]

Sue, about the only pleasant thing that came from my sickness was discovering homemade kefir. It is nothing like store-bought kefir. Just buy some good grains (I got mine for $10. on Craigslist) and you're set. I use skim milk and let mine ferment for about 48 hours. SOOO good! It is now a permanent fixture in my daily diet.

 

[imoldernu]

As needed...
ColonClenz -- Walmart... $10 - 75 capsules -- Herbal
Works....

 

[sengsational]

I used Culturelle lactobacillus at 10 B per day and it seemed to help maintain a steady throughput, but it's hard to tell. Certainly no issues, but that might have happened anyway, since I might go a month without issues. Seems like I paid 25 bucks for 30 at Walmart. I'm on my second box, but I've stretched it out almost two months.

Kefir sounds cool...I might need to head in that direction. Can you use commercial kefir to start your own fermentation? I know, google is my friend!

Anybody brew/drink kombucha? Results?

As to buying probiotics that are a mix of different organisms, I'm thinking more might not mean much. Not that the human body is like my beer fermenter, but in the case of beer, if you pitch two yeast strains, usually one strain will completely dominate. It was counter intuitive to me, but I've come to think that's the way it works.

 

[Marita40]

You need kefir grains to make homemade kefir. The commercial stuff doesn't include the grains. You can order grains from amazon.com, but I didn't have success with the ones I bought there. I then found them locally on craigslist. I'm about to sell or give away some of mine since they've quadrupled in size!

 

[martyp]

Some info regarding probiotics from HHS:

Oral Probiotics: An Introduction | NCCAM

 

[ERD50]

Went off the probiotics because I wasn't sure they were doing anything and I wasn't wasting my money. Boy was I wrong my system went to pot, ...

Maybe your system does need the probiotics, but I wouldn't make that call just because you saw effects from going cold turkey. Any abrupt change can cause problems.

A better test would be to cut the dose by 5-10%, go for two weeks and cut 5-10% again, repeat if you are doing OK. That gives your body time to adjust.

-ERD50

 

[martyp]

Here is an interesting article about gut bacteria.

Extreme Diets Can Quickly Alter Gut Bacteria

Extreme Diets Can Quickly Alter Gut Bacteria | Science/AAAS | News

 

[F4mandolin]

Prune juice in the A.M. for me.....

 

[Alan]

Prune juice in the A.M. for me.....

A warrior's drink - Worf, SNG

 

[meperki]

Once a day, Members Mark (Sam's Club) and have been for a year. Has made a huge difference in regularity/elimination. Can't imagine going without it.