# Probiotics Confusion



## adrienlee (Jun 15, 2009)

Hello,I am from Canada and the two probiotics that I'm able purchase here in pharmacies are VLS#3 and Florastor. I was wondering, which of these priobiotics would be most effective toward reducing nausea and rapid colonic transfer time? Does anyone know? Thanks,Adrien


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I don't know if there are a lot of clinical trials for very specific symptoms like that.I would think either of them could work, both seem to be good brands. There is a lot of trial and error to see what works for you.


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## adrienlee (Jun 15, 2009)

Thanks a lot, Kathleen. I think that I'm going to give the Florastor a try first and then move on to VSL#3 if I don't see any improvements.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiThe following advice is a combination of being backed up by clinical trials, and based on what i have observed. *Florastor*Florastor is more suited for D as it is a yeast more than a bacterial suppliment. it is also lyophilized,so it is better preserved than it would be if you where eating it in a natural form. there has been some debate over the cryodesiccation of the yeast but it appears to be as efficient as supplying it in its naturally available form fruit like lychee, although you would have to eat alot of them to achieve the same amount as you get in florastor. slowing down rapid transit is something that seems to occur after teh guts floral balance has been restored so may take some time. *VSL#3*VSL#3 is a good all rounder with a frankly unnessecary amount of cultures per dose, but it is harmless so you have nothing to loose. because it contains a cocktail of bacteria it has a broader spectrum of treatment effects on teh GI as a whole. The nausea may be helped by an additional probiotic called Lactobacillus Plantrum 299V, this hasnt been proven but the public voice is pointing to it for nausea treatment. again if it is going to work for you it may take some weeks to notice a difference.If you are new to pro biotics there are a few things that you should know. Soon after you start taking them you may feel worse than you did in the first place. this is sadly perfectly normal and is called the HERX reaction. google it for more info. it should pass on its own in a few days to a week.Unless told otherwise by the manufacturer you should take your probiotic on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before food with some water. this allows teh capsual or powder to get through the stomach as quickly as possible.If you are suffering from an immune illness, pancriatic illness or any life threatening illness, you *SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR* before taking ANY probiotic. in these instances they may do more harm than good. After you start taking teh probiotic you may have to wait as long as a month before you start to see any difference in how you feel. if you still dont feel any better after that, move on to the next one. if one dosent work, it dosent mean that they all wont work for you, you just may need to try a few to find the right one. cheersIan


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## adrienlee (Jun 15, 2009)

Wow. That was so helpful, Ian. Thank you!!!I bought the Florastor yesterday so I am going to try that out for a month. I am scared of feeling worse but hopefully it will work out. If not, I will move on to the VSL#3. And I'm sure that this is a stupid question, but for what duration should you take probiotics? A few months? A year? For the rest of your life? That is a point of confusion for me. You seem to know just about everything about probiotics, so maybe you can help me out with that question.Thanks so much,Adrien


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiInitially you should take the probiotics (one that works for you) for about 6 months, then give them a break. If your symptoms retrurn, start taking them again. if your symptoms dont return it is up to you weather you take a maintenance dose on a daily or weekly basis. the problem with all bacteria in the body is that it only sticks around for x amount of time before being flushed out of teh system, so eventually you may need to put some more back in. this could be a few weeks or a few months. the body will allow bacteria to re grow in the gut so when you get a good balance in there again, it is very possible that your body will continually allow replenishment of teh bacteria until you next have a GI bug or a very stressfull period in your life. these are just a few of the reasons why probiotic therapy is a very personal thing and is alot of trial and error. after you have been taking them and stop, listen to teh signals that your body is sending you and experiment. it is also worth remembering that if you take a probioitic every day for the rest of your life, it wont hurt you in the slightest, it is extremely difficult, almost impossible to overdose on probiotics, (I have tried as a scientific experiment) and even if you do manage to, its not dangerous, you will just have a rough few days (possibly a very rough few days!) but we are talking trillions of bacteria, far more than are in VSL#3 or florastor.Dont worry about feeling worse when you start teh pro biotics. if it happens, just take it a day at a time. if it gets too much, simply stop and take a week off of them. then re start the probiotics using the "Quarters" rule.week 1. a quarter dose dailyweek 2. a half dose dailyweek 3. a three quarter dose dailyweek 4 and beyond a whole dose daily.this will ease you in to teh probiotics more easily and should limit teh herx reaction.cheersIan


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