VSL#3 for Crohn's...bad?!

[Sea_Star]

I was excited to start this probiotic recommended by my new GI, but I saw a comment on this forum saying their Dr. said it could have a negative effect on ppl with Crohn's?! Their website (VSL) does say for IBS, Jpouch, and UC...so I wonder....

how could it be negative/bad for Crohns...?:eek2:

 

[ronroush7]

I take it every day and have no bad effects.

 

[DustyKat]

VSL#3 would have to be the most GI recommended probiotoc I have seen on this forum.

I asked our GI about probiotics in general and VSL#3 in particular. His view about probiotics overall was there was no evidence to suggest that they were effective in Crohn’s disease but felt they did no harm if we wanted to use them. As to VSL#3, he said that studies showed that they were useful for those with liver problems but that was about it.

Dusty. xxx

 

[wild_one353]

wont kill you, I've taken it before. try and see what happens. im taking a different brand and does help some parts of my well being.

 

[afidz]

If I'm not mistaken, Jennifer takes that probiotic and she has Crohn's

 

[ce1210]

I have used VSL#3 and it seemed to help me some, but I have found other cheaper options that work better...inner eco coconut water kefir and anything with lactobacillus rhamnosus help me the most

 

[hugh]

There is a question about bifidum bacteria.
VSL#3 is not allowed on the SCD diet because there are reports of this particular bacteria causing trouble but i don't know how common it it (i only know one person who's life turned to **** on it and know of many who claim it helps.....)
Have you considered fermented foods?
-Larger range of bacteria,
-Higher doses of bacteria,

Whatever you do, Start at a low dose and build up

Two Criticisms
(1) When asked about using probiotics without dietary modification, Elaine Gottschall commented:
"If you are not on SCD and are sending loads and loads of fermentable carbs down to the colon as most people are . . . the probiotic bacteria/ae will make things worse . . ."
source: www.scdiet.org
High dosage probiotics such as VSL#3 were not studied at the time of the quote above--VSL#3 replaces a signifcant number of the intestinal flora.

However, Elaine's criticism appears to hold true given that roughly 1/3 of the test subjects experienced bloating and the wide variety of results ranging from remission to worsening of the disease. It would be interesting to know the diets of the study participants.

(2) VSL#s contains strains of bifidus. Elaine had also observed that the probiotic strains of bifidus were not always beneficial. In an injured intestine, extra bifidus in the form of probiotics had a tendency to cause bifidus overgrowth, and further imbalance.
http://www.scdrecipe.com/blog/archive/2007/06/04/probiotics-only-vsl3-two-criticisms/

 

[Jennifer]

My GI wanted me to take it. I never noticed any change (good or bad). It's rather overpriced for something that's not proven to help induce or keep you in remission and tastes like sour milk. All the research I've done on probiotics all end by saying that more research is needed on whether or not they're actually doing anything for Crohn's patients (one study here shows that those who used probiotics did about as good as those in the placebo group http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18646162). Clearly I missed that thread you saw because this is the first I've heard of someone saying it was bad for Crohn's patients. There are so many different strains out there and one study showed that the probiotic Saccharomuces boulardii (S. boulardii) does not prevent relapse for those with Crohn's disease. https://m.gastro.org/news/articles/...t-prevent-relapse-in-crohn-s-disease-patients

If you think it might help with symptoms then you could try it and see how you do but I wouldn't count on probiotics alone.

 

[Trevor]

I do take prescript-assist and bio-kult and I feel they do help. I use to take VSL but the cost/taste/mess plus the info sighted above made me stop. I never noticed it helping really, either.

Fermented foods

 

[ronroush7]

My doctor has given it to me both as pills and as powder. The powder tastes good in cereal.

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