Probiotics

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My doctor prescribed me a certain probiotic, but insurance won't cover it, and it's like $150, so I can't afford that. The other one he told me to get is OTC, but it's still pricey.

I'm just wondering what probiotics you use and how much they are, and honestly how much of a difference you feel when you are on them, I've never taken them before.
 
When I went to mayo they said probiotics aren't found to be helpful for crohns. If i get on an antibiotic I use VSL#3 tho. It's around $50
 
I make my own Kefir. It has more strains of bacteria and yeast than OTC probiotics. It cost $12 for the Kefir grains and then I use organic milk to culture(you keep reusing the kefir grains). I make smoothies out of it. The kefir you buy at the store will not be nearly as potent(only 10 strains max and not as many live cultures). I also make my own yogurt-the only cost being milk and a small container of organic yogurt at the grocery store. If you are lactose sensitive then you can just culture longer to reduce the lactose content(that is what the bacteria feed off of). When I drink the kefir I have almost normal looking BM's. I just started drinking it again since I had my reconnection surgery. So far I am only 2 weeks out from surgery and my BM's are less painful and less frequent. Could be just natural healing or the kefir/yogurt may be helping?
 
Probiotics is an approach that seems like it should work, but so far it mostly hasn't. The success that has been observed is primarily for UC. For Crohn's it's been a disappointment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4734995/


Looks like most of the studies done for CD with probiotics were 1 or 2 strains (and a small sample size). As they state in the article "The use of probiotics in patients with CD has produced ambiguous results and the available trials are small, with very few double blind, randomized, controlled trials[54]." I would say 1 or 2 strains would be ineffective at colonizing the colon and I'm not surprised there wasn't clear results. To increase efficacy you need to use a probiotic that is multiple strains, active and live cultures, and the diet needs to be altered to in order to maintain those strains within the GI tract.
 
Anyone here on antibiotics current or past that uses probiotics with the abx?

Just wondering about timing/effectiveness with the two
 
Anyone here on antibiotics current or past that uses probiotics with the abx?

Just wondering about timing/effectiveness with the two

If I go on antibiotics I take Saccharomyces Boulardii. This is a beneficial yeast that won't be killed by the antibiotics(as long as you aren't also on an anti-fungal). I also continue my probiotics but not sure how effective they since the antibiotics will kill these good bacterial too.
 
The VLS #3 is the one he prescribed and here it is almost $300 for 3 boxes. I don't work more than 12 hours a week usually, and just can't afford much of anything which is awful. I have some samples he gave me awhile ago I never took that I'm going to try to see if they make a difference before I spend a bunch of money on them I think. This loop of being unable to work a reasonable amount due to the illness and needing money to get better from the illness is just awful!
 
It is especially important to take probiotics when taking Antibiotics and for a few months even after you stop taking antibiotics. You should separate them by two to three hours from taking the antibiotics.
 
Probiotics are available in non-prescription form. They are called greek yogurt. My surgeon recommended them after my resection five years ago and it has helped my piping.
 
My mom just turned me on to this website. You can look up any supplement and see how it's been ranked after testing. Here's their list pf popular probiotics: https://labdoor.com/rankings/probiotics

My doc recommended I take Culturelle. I have no idea if it's doing anything, but I figure it can't hurt. I do notice if I haven't taken my vitamins, though.
 
probiotics and crohn's

My doctor prescribed me a certain probiotic, but insurance won't cover it, and it's like $150, so I can't afford that. The other one he told me to get is OTC, but it's still pricey.

I'm just wondering what probiotics you use and how much they are, and honestly how much of a difference you feel when you are on them, I've never taken them before.

Probiotics are a HUGE help for Crohns. I used to spend a lot of money on high end brands at the pharmacy because I noticed right away you do get what you pay for. That is until a friend turned me on to making my own kefir. It's easy to make and is far more potent than store bought kefir and probiotics. I can not begin to describe how much Kefir has changed my life for the better. I make a coffee cup amount of smoothie with my kefir before every meal and the results... Wow! I prefer dairy based kefir tasts a lot like yogurt. Important side note... kefir grains eat all the lactose and fat from the whole milk so the resulting drink is lactose and fat free.
 
Probiotics are a HUGE help for Crohns. I used to spend a lot of money on high end brands at the pharmacy because I noticed right away you do get what you pay for. That is until a friend turned me on to making my own kefir. It's easy to make and is far more potent than store bought kefir and probiotics. I can not begin to describe how much Kefir has changed my life for the better. I make a coffee cup amount of smoothie with my kefir before every meal and the results... Wow!

I have to agree. I've been making homemade kefir and drink a smoothie each day using about 8oz of the kefir with two tablespoons of homemade yogurt. It really helps solidify my BM's-they almost look normal when I'm drinking my kefir. It is very easy to make and costs less than commercial probiotics. You also can control the quality of the milk you use(i use pasture-raised whole cow milk). Since the bacteria "eat up" the lactose it is also good for lactose sensitive people. I would warn people to start slowly on kefir or any probiotic. Try a little at a time and increase the amount slowly. Depending on your microbiome there can be a Herxheimer reaction that could occur as the beneficial bacteria crowd out and kill the toxic bacteria/yeast.
 


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