Acidophilus causing a flare-up?

[misterquin]

I recently added the probiotic acidophilus to my already long list of meds and have found that since I started taking it, I've gotten painful diarrhea and cramping every morning where I hadn't before. My diet or meds haven't changed so I'm pretty sure it's the probiotic causing it. Is this happening because my gut is "getting used to the probiotic," or should I stop taking it?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Jessi]

hmmm..... That never happened to me. That's an odd one. Maybe it's coincidence?

 

[Crohn's 35]

I'd have to say this is a first. I know it can cause bloating at first but it is fighting the bad bacteria. I think too what Jessi said. It could be the brand you are using. Try going off it and see what happens.

 

[Guest9283]

No, but everytime I tried to use it, I would get bad acne on my face. Then the acne would go away after i stopped. I attempted 3 times over a couple years. Weird.

 

[David]

What brand are you taking? And is it a pill or some other form?

 

[misterquin]

@David

Im taking a generic pill form of it. Supposedly it doesn't have wheat or soy or milk or anything, but could it be that it's a generic brand?

 

[David]

Im taking a generic pill form of it. Supposedly it doesn't have wheat or soy or milk or anything, but could it be that it's a generic brand?

I'd be curious what the "inactive ingredients" are. I also tend to not trust generics (and some name brands for that matter) as their quality can be very low and they often have terrible inactive ingredients.

Heck, I could start a supplement company in my garage tomorrow, throw some nice looking labels on some bottles, and you'd have no idea I was cutting the tumeric with sand laden with chicken poop from my back yard. These things are so unregulated that you kind of have to stick with very trusted brands or nutraceuticals (supplements made in an FDA approved lab) which is what I try to stick to.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Misterquin, this is just my personal experience - but, I had noticed that after taking probiotics for a few months, my acid reflux was gradually getting worse. After doing some googling, I discovered that probiotics such as acidophilus can in some cases worsen reflux. Here's the link that I found in my googling:
http://www.heartburn-remedies.com/p...o-probiotics-help-[wiki2="GERD"]gerd[/wiki2]/
I stopped taking probiotics and for the most part things have improved. I've been having some reflux issues again lately but I think that's due at least partly to exercise (which usually mildly flares up my GERD, but I hadn't exercised in 2 weeks due to bronchitis) and Halloween candy (chocolate + peanut butter = reflux hell!).

I don't know if probiotics can make your symptoms worse, but if they can worsen reflux in some cases then it wouldn't be a stretch to guess that they could worsen other things in some people as well. Personally, I'd stop taking them for a bit and see how you do. If you want to try probiotics again, perhaps switch to a different brand in the future and see if that does you any good. As David alluded to, not all supplements are created equal, and my understanding of probiotics is that you get what you pay for. So the more expensive the probiotic is, generally speaking, the better quality you're getting.

 

[misterquin]

All of you have been really helpful, and I decided to stop taking them. Haven't had the cramping or diarrhea, so its safe to say that brand does not agree with me. I may look into a better brand with less filler as I've seen some researching showing acidophilus can be very helpful.

 

[David]

So I can keep track for future issues people might have, would you mind posting what the inactive ingredients are? As is there any sort of name to the product? Thanks

 

[QueenGothel]

The GI told me that it could give my DD belly aches for the first two weeks. To start slow and add more until the whole dose is given. Reason being the acidophilus is killing acid bacteria and loves this environment pushing bad bacteria out. This is why the D occurs. But this is a good thing. But to take it slow.

 

[Hope345]

My daughter is having a flare, possible flu and we are not sure if the probiotics could be making it worse.
I want to make her better, but she is not doing well.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

My nutritionist told me that sometimes probiotics do make people worse but that is unusual.

The normal side effects from probiotics include gas and bloating but are usually only temporary.