# Activia causing problems?



## shalan123 (Mar 7, 2009)

I've been eating Activia successfully for about 5 or 6 weeks now. I was really excited, it seemed to be working. I was eating mostly normal. Then three days ago, I had my normal cup of Activia, chicken noodle soup, a few croissants, and peanut butter crackers. I had pretty bad stomach cramps and went to the bathroom twice, both normal large bowel movements. I didn't think much of it, I was constipated for two days before, and I figured my body was just letting it out. The next night, I ate Activia and some goldfish and chips. I had bad stomach cramps again, and had diarrhea twice. Then the next night I didn't each much, just a few pieces of toast and I think a handful of goldfish and of course Activia. That night I was fine, a little cramping but nothing to bad. Tonight, I had two pieces of toast, a handful of goldfish and a corn muffin. I had bad stomach cramps again and diarrhea three times. I'm starting to think it's the Activia. My parents and boyfriend think I should stick with it, that maybe my body is readjusting again. But I just hate hate getting sick, and if it's making me sick it's not worth it. I'm unsure what to think. Could my body be okay with it for those 6 weeks and now decide it can not tolerate yogurt anymore? I know it's happened with other stuff, so maybe. Or do you think I now have too many of the good bacteria it's supposed to give you? I don't know if that happens or not? Do you think I should keep eating it? I would love some advice please







I'm trying to decide whether to eat more tomorrow night.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Activia is supposed to help get things moving.Some IBSers find an all starch all the time diet tends to increase diarrhea, even if we think it should be too bland to cause problems.You might try a couple of more balanced meals, maybe even low carb, just some lean protien (like a skinless chicken breast) and a steamed veggie you usually tolerate (like green beans, spinach or carrots). Sometimes IBS-Ders do much better on a low carb approach.


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## Ohiomomof2 (Jan 24, 2009)

Kathleen makes a good point about the carbs, it is worth a try. Another thing is maybe you no longer need the activia every day. Maybe you can cut back to every other day or a couple times a week and see how that goes? I have not tried the activia; but you might have a point in that perhaps your system doesn't need all of the extra bacteria anymore. Personally, I don't usually do well with taking something every day. Even before I had IBS, if I had a high fiber cereal EVERY day, it would loosen things up too much. Another theory is that we can develop sensitivities to things we eat a lot of; some people can't tolerate certain foods each and every day but do fine when they follow rotation type diets. I hope you feel better soon.


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## Epona (Jul 27, 2000)

I've tried Activia too..... I love the taste of it.... but it seemed to make my diarrhea and cramping worse, but I have pretty bad IBS-D.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Considering the clinical trial evidence on their website is all about speeding things up so treating constipation it wouldn't be the product I would use if I had a lot of diarrhea.http://www.activia.us.com/pdf/Act_scientific_summary.pdf?v1There aren't blatant about it in the ads, but anything about "regularity" is typically about treating constipation, not diarrhea.


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## shalan123 (Mar 7, 2009)

Well I figured it helped more with constipation then diarrhea, but I alternate between the two anyways. I figured it would help some what, and it did. Till recently, that is lol. And I did consider the maybe I have too much good bacteria idea, I think that might be it. I have not ate any tonight and I feel fine. Carbs have always been a safe food for me though, when my stomach gets bad it seems to tolerate the carbs. But tomorrow I'm going to try adding in more foods. Thanks for the advice, I think I'm going to back of the activia for a little bit and see how I feel.


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## IBD/IBS Author (May 24, 2007)

Keep in mind that Activia and such yogurts are chocked full of sugar and other junk as well as probiotics. I've honestly never heard that you can have too many good bacteria in your gut - you can definitely have too many bad bacteria, and that can be what causes issues for some. I have heard, however, of many people who have had worse IBS issues after eating Activia for a month or more. If you want to eat yogurt to populate your gut with good bacteria then buy a good quality PLAIN yogurt like Stonyfield Farms or Mountain High. Or, better yet take a good quality probiotic. In all honesty the carbs you're eating, like Goldfish, might not be your friend either. Goldfish have tons of preservatives and fake ingredients. If you're trying to get your gut on track stick to real food - food with no labels or with labels that include ingredients you can pronounce and understand. Try eating the BRAT diet - bananas, white rice, applesauce, toast, and augment with broiled white fish, broiled chicken breasts, good quality yogurt, etc. And keep a food diary on a daily basis where you record everything you eat or drink and how you feel afterwards and throughout the day. Do this for at least 2 weeks, a month or more is even better, and you might just see a pattern between what you're eating and how you're feeling.


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## riddick (Dec 30, 2008)

Goldfish and chips!!!!!!!We do fish and chips in the uk.What in blue blazes is goldfish and chips!! When i hear goldfish i think of the tropical fish. . . . . .please tell me it's not!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I think they mean the goldfish crackers.http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductLanding.aspx?catID=722


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Riddick,I thought of exactly the same thing Goldfish and Chips!I was going to say that that wouldnt do much for my IBS D


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

I am not sure...but isn't Activia using a probiotic with Bifidus? either actiregularis or esensis or something like that?It that case I can tell you I had a very bad experience with that probiotic and am not using it anymore. I know they're saying a probiotic will either help you or will have no effect but this is not what happened to me. I had bad D after using a probiotic with bifidus. It is possible this probiotic helps those with constipation and not diarhea.


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## CatUK (Dec 15, 2006)

I'd say stay away from the Activia. I took it for 2 weeks to do the 2 week plan they tell you to do. A week in I started to feel more gassy and bloated. By day 11 I was feeling sick all the time, had cramps, was rushing off to the loo etc and felt awful. I thought maybe just my IBS was playing up but then I realised it was happening everytime I had an Activia yoghurt. It's now been 2 days without and I still have the side effects from this awful thing. Have since googled and thousands of posts have come up with people experiencing the same thing on it (even a lawsuit mentioned with Activia). It cane take over a week to get out of your system as well apparently. I will not be touching Activia again


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