Problems with probiotics

[flowergirl]

problems with probiotics

does anyone else seem to find that taking probiotics actually makes it worse? i've tried all different kinds of probiotics, different brands - they all seem to make me way more inflamed and i produce a whole lot of mucus. at first i thought it was just that herxheimer? effect, but that's supposed to resolve itself in a couple of weeks.

most people seem to have such positive experiences, and before i started having symptoms i was taking acidophilus everyday with no problems, but now it seems to mess me up. and the more i take the worse it gets.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

For awhile I was taking probiotics every day, but didn't really notice any difference in my guts. I did, however, notice that my acid reflux/GERD was getting gradually worse. I did some googling, and discovered that in some cases, probiotics can actually worsen GERD! So I stopped taking the probiotics and am going to discuss this with my GI when I see him later this week. If you're noticing worsening symptoms on probiotics, I'd say stop taking them. It's not like steroids where you need to taper or anything like that. From what I read about GERD and probiotics, it said that ideally you should take probiotics for a few weeks and then stop for a few months and see how you do - that'll ideally allow the good bacteria you've introduced to your system to take root and thrive on its own. Maybe give that a try?

 

[scoutfinch]

True for me. Every time I eat yogurt, I get abdominal pain and nausea a few hours later and it will last a few days. Now, it's not necessarily certain that it's the probiotics in the yogurt causing this, but I've since stopped eating yogurt.

 

[flowergirl]

yogurt also bothers me. although that could be the dairy and/or the probiotics.

 

[Beach]

Probiotics didn't help me much either. They didn't hurt my gut though, but recall getting a headache from them and turning pale in color.

 

[bamboling]

I have heard both ways for probiotics. I want to try them, but a little nervous which group I will fall into. I did buy some activia, but stopped eadting it because I decided to try no lactose.

 

[SGFpilot]

Probiotics seem to do wonders for me. I take a strong multi probiotic called Primal Defense, by "Garden of Life" It has about 15 different strains of bacteria and has about 20 billion live cultures. I also eat yogurt daily.

 

[tek254]

I was on them but stopped on G.I.'s advice. He view was not enough research yet plus I didn't see any difference. I liked the taste.

 

[Beach]

Read this news last night about Crohn's, antibiotics and the importance of healthy gut flora. As mentioned earlier, probiotics didn't help me, but maybe can be of help for some people.

"Antibiotic Use Tied to Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis"

excerpt:

Published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the study looked at 24,000 people from the one of the largest IBD databases in North America.
"It's a well-done study that has a strong well-maintained database that allows the authors to get quality data," said Dr. Jean-Paul Achkar, who studies the genetics of IBD at the Cleveland Clinic and was not part of the study.
"They even tried to adjust for non-antibiotic prescription history, and still antibiotics came out as being associated with increased risk of IBD," he told Reuters Health.
An estimated 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD, with approximately 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis - the two main forms of IBD -- cause chronic inflammation in the intestines, triggering symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss.
The cause of IBD is unclear, but some scientists think IBD may result from the immune system overreacting to viruses or bacteria in the intestine.
"There is growing evidence that alterations in the balance of normal intestinal bacteria could lead to the development of IBD," said Achkar.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/...d-to-crohns-ulcerative-colitis/#ixzz1ZACFcdAN

 

[flowergirl]

which is interesting because my symptoms started (at least noticeably bad symptoms - who knows if i had it very mildly beforehand) 5 days into a round of antibiotics for a strep like illness.

i absolutely think the antibiotic at least triggered my crohn's, if not directly causing it.

 

[izzi'smom]

My dd's doc recommended VSL #3 and Florastor. He also said that there is valid research stating that it helps some people...however, if it is likely to help it will become obvious quickly We have recently stopped taking it.