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Probiotics

Hi everyone!
I have read in so many articles to take a probiotic, once I get to the pharmacy I have no idea which one. Is there any that are beneficial for crohns? Anything you can recommend?

thanks!
 
It depends. I think most GI doctors who recommend probiotics recommend either VSL 3 or Visibiome, and they are expensive. New research is showing that probiotics are not effective for Crohns. There is a really smart person here called Kiny, that has posted some info about it.

Other than that, if you wanted cheaper options the mainstream one like Culterelle, Florastor, or Align are probably the safer option because they are pretty widely known and respected as being what they say they are.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Vsl#3 was closed by fda (due to medical claims -company had studies but was sold and new owners changed the formula so no longer valid claims )
Original vsl#3 owner started a new company visobiome which did have the original formula and studies to back it up

visobiome works better for UC in general
My kiddo has been on prescription strength visobiome (vsl3 prior to that ) for years
Pretty pricey but for him it helps a lot
We tried stopping it more than once
It does take two months to get full effect
You can buy over the counter version as well which is weaker probiotics but leaps and bounds above the others
Prescription strength has 900 billon
Otc has 450 billon
Must be cold to keep the probiotics alive
Dry stuff generic on the shelves has about 30 billon so ….

so for him it helps his crohns
May not help others …..
 
Hey penguin, when you say helps can you elaborate. I was on visibiome for months and didn't really notice anything. Again, I am mild, so maybe it helped and I didn't notice. Just curious on what changes you saw when your little one is taking them.

Thanks
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
His crohns is mild as well
But has a ton of EIM s hence the biologics /mtx
Dx at age 7
Now 17 so not so little any more

He has hard to treat rectal prolapse/temesus/constipation /abdominal pain -spasms
Which if all the stars are aligned
Biologics/mtx and probiotics/daily miralax then that all goes away
If one thing is missing ….
Probiotics minor return of spasms /rectal prolapse /temesus
Gi thinks his crohns behaves more like UC so hence. Adding the probiotics which for him
Stops symptoms when taken with other meds
If others meds are not right (dose frequency etc) then probiotics are useless as well for him
Took years to get the right combo

for now
Stelara every 4 weeks
Mtx once a week pills
Miralax/visobiome (1 packet ) daily
Plus a second biologic for auto inflammatory disease
But it works
 
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