Probiotics

[Lam123]

Hi Everyone,
I have read that probiotics re helpful but when I go to the store I have no idea what to buy. My GI hasn’t been much help, can anyone tell me a brand they use? Or what to look for?

 

[lukesjr]

GIs normally recommend Visibiome or VSL 3. Both are very expensive, but some people swear by them. I take Visibiome but I cant say it helps or not, just recommended by my GI. I have very mild crohns that is either in remission or I am just asymptomatic, so its hard for me to take something and say "wow what a change".

I would stay away from the random brands you find on amazon, stick with the big names. Here are some of the more well known probiotics.

Philips colon health
Culturelle
Florastor
Align

(I have taken all of the above at 1 time)

there are literally 1000s of probiotic brands. If you have the money, I recommend trying Visibiome for a month and see if it helps. If cost is a factor, try one of the 4 above. My Mom's GI told her to take Florastor. So those are the only 2 GI recommendations I actually know of. My first GI was like yours, he said take a probiotic. Had I known more at the time I would have called him on it.

 

[my little penguin]

So my kiddo started on vsl#3 (no longer in business in the US ) -this requires a prescription in the US for “double strength “ packets -900 billon
We stopped for a while thinking it did nothing and pricey
Started up again and things improved
Stopped due to owner change to visobiome
He got more rectal issues so back in on it for good
Visobiome double strength -also requires a prescription in the US
Not covered by insurance but
Cheaper than over the counter when we use an app coupon - BuzzRx has the cheapest coupon right now at Walgreens
But we constantly check other prescription apps since they change every few months

 

[Lam123]

So my kiddo started on vsl#3 (no longer in business in the US ) -this requires a prescription in the US for “double strength “ packets -900 billon
We stopped for a while thinking it did nothing and pricey
Started up again and things improved
Stopped due to owner change to visobiome
He got more rectal issues so back in on it for good
Visobiome double strength -also requires a prescription in the US
Not covered by insurance but
Cheaper than over the counter when we use an app coupon - BuzzRx has the cheapest coupon right now at Walgreens
But we constantly check other prescription apps since they change every few months

what is the difference between prebiotic and probiotic?

 

[lukesjr]

I like to think of it like this, prebiotics are things the bugs in our gut eat, probiotic are the bugs.

A lot of new info has shown that prebiotics can help. Different types of prebiotics help different bugs. I know for me, finding the right fiber (prebiotic) helped me a lot. I took benefiber and it caused me a lot of gas and I saw little improvement. Psyllium husk fiber pills have been really good, no gas, I have been taking them forever and they seemed to have helped. I say seemed, because I did a lot of things at one time so I am not 100% sure what helped the most.

 

[lukesjr]

I have used drugstore brand probiotics capsules in the past and I have also used VSL in the past.
I can't say that I felt any better or worse using either of them.

I thing I have to agree. Lately I have been on visibiome and really stepped up my fiber intake and I feel 100%. I think if you can find the right fiber and combine it with a good probiotic, it might help, who knows. Trial and error. I would say whatever you do, do it for a month. Probiotics and fiber are not drugs, they take a long time to work.

I have told my gi dr for the last 10 years I feel 95%. I used 95% because sometimes I would get gas, I would have not fully formed stools, etc. I couldn't eat things like onions without gut pain, etc. Now I eat most everything, although I am a little scared of spicy food and bleu cheese, they were my big problem foods from the past. Maybe I should go get some spicy buffalo wings and test my stomach to the extreme!

 

[lukesjr]

I was taking Phillips Colon health after a major surgery, but my GI at a large IBD study center is not convinced about them and does not suggest them.

Yea, I am not sure on any of the probiotics. I would say if you are going to try one, try one of the big name brands and stay away from the no name stuff. Philips Colon health is a big name brand and is recommended by some GI's.

 

[Lam123]

Yea, I am not sure on any of the probiotics. I would say if you are going to try one, try one of the big name brands and stay away from the no name stuff. Philips Colon health is a big name brand and is recommended by some GI's.

So would you recommend probiotics or prebiotics? Or both?

 

[lukesjr]

I don't really know your particular situation, but my GI recommended fiber for me. Fiber was one of the only things I noticed that helped me, but Psyllium husk not benefiber. Some people on here can't eat fiber at all, some diets recommend low fiber as a treatment. So all I can say is try it and see if it helps.

I bought psyllium husk fiber from Costco and I take it 3 times a day (5 pills 2grams) but I am going to start take it 4. I also take 1 pill of visibome at night a couple hours after dinner.

My number one recommendations is to try one thing at a time so you can see what is helping. Try fiber first. Main reason is its cheap. Give it a couple of weeks and introduce it slowly over your first week up to the recommended dose on the bottle. If that is helping then try a probiotic on top of that. Supplementation is not a drug, it takes along time.

 

[my little penguin]

^^yeah that
We tried “fiber” for ds first - disaster
Many types
Then probiotics on and off
Finally are at a sweet spot
Of the right probiotics as well as fiber in the right amount from food (oatmeal , chickpeas(hummus) etc)
Everyone is different

 

[Lam123]

I don't really know your particular situation, but my GI recommended fiber for me. Fiber was one of the only things I noticed that helped me, but Psyllium husk not benefiber. Some people on here can't eat fiber at all, some diets recommend low fiber as a treatment. So all I can say is try it and see if it helps.

I bought psyllium husk fiber from Costco and I take it 3 times a day (5 pills 2grams) but I am going to start take it 4. I also take 1 pill of visibome at night a couple hours after dinner.

My number one recommendations is to try one thing at a time so you can see what is helping. Try fiber first. Main reason is its cheap. Give it a couple of weeks and introduce it slowly over your first week up to the recommended dose on the bottle. If that is helping then try a probiotic on top of that. Supplementation is not a drug, it takes along time.

I can’t do a lot of fiber, I do find I have figured that part out, how much I can tolerate without issues. Just trying to figure out if it’s best for me to take probiotics or both probiotics and prebiotics

 

[Jo-mom]

Also there are two types of fibre and usually soluable fibre is the better for crohn's people (bananas, oatmeal, psyllium) than the insoluable. Soluable (also known as bulk) works by bulking the stool but people have to make sure they drink lots of water when aking things like psyllium.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/insoluble-soluble-fiber

 

[lukesjr]

I can’t do a lot of fiber, I do find I have figured that part out, how much I can tolerate without issues. Just trying to figure out if it’s best for me to take probiotics or both probiotics and prebiotics

I couldn't do a lot of fiber in the beginning either, you have to work up to it, if it will work. The disease is different for everyone, Jo MOM is right also, benefiber is likely not great for you. Try Psyllium.

I drink a lot more fluids also, water all day long. Again, fiber is a prebiotic, it feeds the probiotic. No one on here, including me, has the go to answer. We all have what has worked for us individually. You have to figure out the what, when to take it during the day, and how much.

All I can say is my GI doc said fiber and visibiome. I have been doing well on that.

 

[Scipio]

I bought psyllium husk fiber from Costco and I take it 3 times a day (5 pills 2grams)....

Same here. I take psyllium. It seems to help.