Have You Ever Tried A Probiotic? Did It Help?

Polls relevant to Microscopic Colitis, and related issues, can be posted here, to allow for the collection of data that might help to shed some light on this disease, and it's treatment options.

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What were your results from taking a probiotic?

I thought it was very beneficial.
7
13%
It seemed to help somewhat.
10
18%
I couldn't tell if it helped or not.
18
33%
It seemed to have a slight negative effect.
3
5%
It made me sick.
6
11%
I've never tried one.
11
20%
 
Total votes: 55

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tex
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Have You Ever Tried A Probiotic? Did It Help?

Post by tex »

Hi All,

We often discuss probiotics, but I've been wondering how many of us have found them to be a benefit. If you've ever used probiotics, please add your results to this poll. If we get enough favorable responses, then we'll do a poll on the type or brand of probiotic that seems to help the most people.

If you tried more than one probiotic, please base your response on the one that seemed to provide the most benefit.

Thanks,
Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by artteacher »

Tried every brand possible. They all make me very sick. Marsha
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Post by thedell19 »

I use VSL#3 and I found it to be the only thing besides Entocort that has made me feel remotely better. I know iFlora is another good one for a little cheaper that contains No allergins. I think Primal Defense is GF, Culturelle is one Dr Fine recommends but has trace amount of casien, Florastor is a yeast, and many others. Have you tried one?
Dr Fine test shows positive for gluten and casien but negative for soy, eggs, and yeast
Maybe its UC maybe its MC? Who knows at this point, but at least I know my intollerances now... so heres to the road to healing!
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Post by Liz »

Tried a couple but neither did anything for me

Liz
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Post by tex »

Andrew,

If you're asking me, no, I've never tried one. I wasn't aware that they might help, when I first started getting my symptoms under control. Later, (about a year and a half ago), I felt like experimenting, and was considering trying one or two, but first I decided to try an enzyme supplement, and it made me so sick that I decided to shelve the whole project.

I believe that if I ever had to take certain oral antibiotics, though, I would definietly try some, in order to try to preempt a reaction from the antibiotics.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by grannyh »

If DanActive qualifies, I love the vanilla. Have been taking one bottle a day for about 4 months. Don't know if it does anything special for my guts but I have great fingernails...LOL

My GI doc suggested it since the cultures are live....
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Post by tex »

Yes, I think DanActive qualifies, since it's advertised as a probiotic drink.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by thedell19 »

Yeah DanActive qualifies but its bacteria count is very low compared to other probiotics. I used to drink it and made me feel slightly better but I gave up all dairy a while ago so I stopped that.

Tex what enzyme did you use? I use Natrol Digest Support with Amylase, PRotease, Cellulase, Lipase, Maltase, Glucanase, Xylanase, Pectinase, Phytase, Lactse, Sucrase, and Protease II. Besides the VSL and the Entocort it is the only other thing that has made my digestion slightly easier. IT contains no allgerins (soy, gluten, dairy, etc)
Dr Fine test shows positive for gluten and casien but negative for soy, eggs, and yeast
Maybe its UC maybe its MC? Who knows at this point, but at least I know my intollerances now... so heres to the road to healing!
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Post by tex »

The one I tried is called CompleteGest. It contains everything that you named, except Glucanase. Xylanase, Pectinase, Sucrase, and Protease II. It is free of sugar, salt, yeast, wheat, gluten, corn, soy, dairy products, artificial flavoring, and preservatives.

I only took one capsule, (thank goodness), with breakfast. I don't recall the exact timing, (it's posted somewhere), but in something like a couple of hours, I started vomiting, and this was repeated every couple of hours or so, for the rest of the day. It took several days to get over it. Anyway, my system didn't like something about it, so I decided that I could get along just fine without enzyme supplements.

Tex
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It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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Post by cludwig »

Hi Tex,

I tried country life acidophilus that I got at whole foods in the refrigerater section. I opened the capsule andpoured out half. It gave me more gas and bloating and made my stools looser. i only took it 4 days tho. This is gross ......but those days my stools had lots of air bubbles floating to the top of the water. Sorry....I told you it was gross. Thought that was strange . When I'm better healed I will try again as I read that Dr. Fine thinks it is important part of healing the gut.


Cristi
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Post by Lucy »

Hi Cristi,

Should you ever decide to try a probiotic again, you might consider another brand found in that same refrigerated section of Whole Foods -- Bluebonnet MILK FREE chewable acidophyllis. I've been giving them to my mother this week while she's been on Amoxicillin, and have had good success with it. She gluten sensitive as well.

A week after my thyroidectomy, I had to be on telemetry for an arrhythmia after my good gut bacteria got killed off by one of the two antibiotics that it was safe for me to take due to previous reactions to others.

While on that unit in the hospital (readmitted), the antibiotic was restarted after IV antibiotics to stop the 102 F fever that was contributory to the arrhythmia.
After that, I was put right back on the antibiotic and immediately began having straight water from the bowel with "accidents," so I refused the next dose until the doc came and discontinued it officially. This diarrhea was MUCH more watery than my usual diarrhea, by the way.

At that time, I had no idea I had any food reactions, nor M.C., for that matter, so I begged for someone to go to the kitchen and bring me some live culture yogurt.

Welp, I've learned that the charge people on telemetry units are unaware that "heart patients" even HAVE guts, but I was fortunate to have a nurses aid who understood my dilema, and brought me a HUGE container of the stuff, every bit of which I ate. It was amazing how fast I improved, diarrhea wise, despite the "allergy" to casein in all dairy.

Since my innards had been cleaned thoroughly from all the water passing out of it, the antibodies were mostly washed out as well, so it was a little honeymoon period before the more typical diarrhea came back with all that that brings with it. I'm sure that this "hospital strength yogurt" was probably one of the higher organism counts compared to other live culture yogurts, but I was amazed.

I take an occasional one of the Milk-Free ones described every now and then, if I'm noticing a bit of gas for some reason, but this symptom is probably just related to changes in my diet from day to day. It usually gets better after taking the probiotic, but perhaps it would've anyway.
I suppose i feed the bugs a bit too well by eating lots of rice, chips, etc. occasionally, but rarely eat sweets other than cokes.

Just thought I'd let you know that there is the Bluebonnet MILK FREE version at Whole Foods, at least they carry it here. It seems to be a good brand for vits, etc. Companies just down the highway from here, matter-of-fact.

Best wishes.
Yours, Luce
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Post by cludwig »

Thanks Luce,


I was just heading out to whole foods so I will look for that brand. Thanks for the tip.


Cristi
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Post by Lucy »

Cristi,

That one may not do anything noticeable for you, but if you tolerate it, it will hopefully put the right bugs into your gut. Be sure to keep this probiotic at the temperature stated on the bottle -- refrigerator should do it though. I lost most of one bottle when we had to evacuate (and cut off the electricity before the last of our family left here) before Rita, so I hope you won't ever find yours below temperature.

Best of luck,
Luce
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Post by cludwig »

Luce,

I went to whole foods yesterday and couldn't locate that brand. It was crazy crowded there so i couldn't ask for help. I'll try to go during the week next time instead of on the week end.

Sorry to hear that you were affected by Rita. I hope things are going well for you now.

Thanks,
Cristi
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Post by Lucy »

Cristi,

Rita didn't hit us as it went over to the La. border at the very end. We weren't able to predict that at the time, so it was necessary to leave due to having a handicapped person. She wouldn't have been able to tolerate the heat without power for who knows how long, had it come ashore over here.

We may not be so fortunate this year, although, so far, the prediction is for fewer than we had last year, but then the predictions HAD been lower at the beginning of last season, so you never know.

Wow, I need to call around to get some new boards cut for the windows. Now they can be fixed so that they just attach to something on the outside of the house without having to renail them -- they just fasten back on each time, apparently. It would be nice if I had some like this as I and one other person could easily throw some on the windows at the last minute before evacuating. It may be LOTS harder with my mom this year, and more people will be leaving earlier, so we'll have to go even earlier than that, so may be more than one false alarm trip this time.

I hear that we're due for another cycle like the 1930's, and that means it could last another 15 to 20 years! Guess I'll have to rent a van with a lift if Mom gets much worse, or even an ambulance, but not sure where we'd go. Right now I have a friend in Ft.Worth where we were at a Hampton, but she came over to help and visit almost every day of that week. and was available to us, even offering to take us in. She might go to Va. for the summer, so might have to head over to Abilene if my sister and bil go there again. BIL has family there, sooo.. Just a longer distance to drive from here is all, but with Mom, I'd feel better with someone to help out, just in case.

Will just take it a step at a time, but have to think ahead a little bit because things can change really fast with these patients.

Thanks for your concern!
Yours, Luce
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