Purpose / Effects of Probiotics?
Wed, July 20, 2016 1:13 PM
I've just started taking a prescription probiotic called VSL #3. My doctor prescribed the 450 Billion CFU packets and I'm on my third day now.
I've taken plenty of OTC probiotics in the past but they never seemed to do much for me. Sometimes they made me feel bloated or gassy but it was hard to tell if they were doing anything at all, good or bad. I was reading a review for VSL and it said the first few days you'd be going to the bathroom a lot, but I have barely gone. In fact, I sort of feel constipated. When I do go to the bathroom it just looks small, like there's no way I'm completely evacuated(I have problems with that normally).
So what should I be expecting when taking a probiotic, especially one this powerful?
pozcharJoined Jul 20, 2016
Tue, August 02, 2016 3:19 PM
Reply posted for pozchar.
read my replies from oldest (bottom) to newest (top).
had to do reply like this to get around the 2,000 word limit... and sorry about the table, it didn't really paste well.
Joined Jul 21, 2016
Tue, August 02, 2016 3:18 PM
Reply posted for pozchar.
You can do your own at-home trial (2 weeks on one probx, 1 week wash out (no probx), 2 weeks on the next one, etc, assuming, of course, that you can tolerate a week off, other wise just do them all back to back, 3 wk each, and only evaluate how you feel at least 4 days after starting a new probx). Or, if there is one that you feel works for you, then just use that. Generally don't take any that have less than a billion bacterium because a bunch will die off in your stomach en route to the intestine.
I know that doesn't really answer your question, but I hope it may inspire new questions. I really believe that exact compositions are not going to help you make the best choice, it's going to be your body that tells you. Do you find that probiotics help alleviate your symptoms?
Joined Jul 21, 2016
Tue, August 02, 2016 3:18 PM
Reply posted for pozchar.
You'll notice the same strands. I was trying to figure out what strands would and wouldn't work for me, but without VSL#3's ratio breakdown, I couldn't proceed further.
I have a friend in the field and she wronte the following to me a while back:
The truth is that the field of probiotics is still exceptionally young. The data that is out there is generally observational in that we can see that they are beneficial and we can show that inflammation is reduced in the colon (sometimes) but we really don't know which bug is or isn't important. We're just not there yet. Apparently, my fellow GI grad student that I was speaking to yesterday, a recent study came out on UC and probiotics where they could not find a beneficial effect in patients with UC. And then there are the studies that show that UC patients improved on probiotics. It's all anecdotal. This is why I wouldn't be overly concerned about the exact composition of the probiotics you're taking, and rather just be sure that you have lots of the Bifidos and Lactos (which they all generally have) and go with the one that makes you feel the best. There is one scientist in Guelph whose whole study focus is on the microenvironment created by your bacteria and she is trying to move away from the "one bug cure" to an "ecosystem cure" (and so far it has worked in C. difficile patients where probiotics fail).
Joined Jul 21, 2016
Tue, August 02, 2016 3:18 PM
Reply posted for kidd.
UDO'S CHOICE
Bifidobacterium breve HA 129 45,900,000,000 45.00%
Bifidobacterium longum HA 135 20,400,000,000 20.00%
Bifidobacterium bifidum HA 132 15,300,000,000 15.00%
Lactobacillus casei HA 108 8,160,000,000 8.00%
Lactobacillus rhamnosus HA 111 4,080,000,000 4.00%
Lactobacillus acidophilus HA 122 3,060,000,000 3.00%
Lactobacillus plantarum HA 119 3,060,000,000 3.00%
Lactobacillus salivarius HA 118 2,040,000,000 2.00%
102,000,000,000 100.00%
ULTIMATE FLORA COLON CARE
Bifidobacterium longum HA 135 23,800,000,000 29.75%
Bifidobacterium bifidum HA 132 12,000,000,000 15.00%
Bifidobacterium breve HA 129 12,000,000,000 15.00%
Lactobacillus acidophilus HA 122 12,000,000,000 15.00%
Lactobacillus plantarum HA 119 8,400,000,000 10.50%
Lactobacillus casei HA 108 5,400,000,000 6.75%
Lactobacillus paracasei HA 196
Joined Jul 21, 2016
Tue, August 02, 2016 3:14 PM
Reply posted for pozchar.
Hey -
I wasn't aware this could be prescribed. Where do you live?
If you've never taken a probiotic before then you can expect to have some disrupted bowel habits for a week at least. You might have a lot of gas, maybe some cramps and all the other things that you might expect. But, after things settle down, you should notice some improvement. I did. I tried VSL#3 a while back. I could only get it from a health food store near me. I wasn't super impressed and didn't notice much difference but it has been "proven" to work in others. The potency is super high which is good!
I tried to break down what was in VSL#3 and compare it to what I am taking because there's a lot of similar strands... I called the manufacturer but they wouldn't help me... Here's what i got (i take Udo's choice and Ultimate Flora Colon Care...)
Joined Jul 21, 2016