# Align daily log



## alignment

I suffer from gas (passing wind 30-50 times a day) and leaky gas. I've been diagnosed as IBS-D but my symptoms are not typical. Gas is the main issue and if I can solve that problem then I'm not bothered by the other things. The 'other things' are somewhat loose stools, incomplete emptying and undigested food in my stools.Anyway, I've just finished my first week of the probiotic Align and thought I'd keep a daily log for the next 3 weeks. So far it hasn't helped at all. On the first day I suffered from increased gas and diarrhea. The diarrhea has now gone and the gas is now back to about normal, or maybe a little bit worse than normal. This is expected, but in the next week I should start to see some improvements.


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## alignment

Day 8: Had a bit of gas this morning but after a rather loose bowel movement I haven't had much gas for the rest of the day. It's difficult to say if this has anything to do with Align as the gas problem varies from one day to the next anyway.


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## John W

I too am trialing Align at the moment and it's been one week now. I've had increased pain and D and am using more imodium than usual. Strangely it seems to have improved my sleeping. I fall asleep easier and sleep longer. But ofcourse this may just be a co-incident. As with almost everything IBS, there's no certainty.


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## alignment

It should be interesting to compare results as we both started at the same time. I also got an increase in D but no change in my sleep patterns. I wish it would as I wake up several times a night.Day 9: Two bowel movements in the morning (about normal for me) followed by a morning and afternoon of worse than average gas. I was able to pass gas easily though which saves bloating and embarrassment. All in all, a fairly normal day.


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## alignment

Day 10: another normal (for me) day. I passed a lot of gas in the morning and my insides are rumbling so there's plenty to come.


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## AllStrZ

I'm on my fifth day of Align and so far so good. My bowel movements have been solid, pebble like at times but not soft like it used to be. I do notice an increase of gas but it feels better then what I used to go through. I hope I continue to improve with this.


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## alignment

Day 11: Normal day. Two soft BMs and lots of morning gas. Not too bad since.I'm glad things are working out better for you AllStrz.


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## grumblytummy

I just started align too! I'm on day two. Yesterday (day one) I had some extra gas and I felt terrible last night - my whole body was achy all over. Today I had lots of urgent BM's in morning. It was very hard to get out of the house to take my daughter to school. I also have usual gas (which is a lot).


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## alignment

Sounds similar to what I suffered in the first couple of days but then everything went back to normal.Day 12: Normal day again. One BM and lots of gas.


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## joelcoqui

Please tell me what the ingredients are to the ALIGN


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## grumblytummy

I want to add that after I posted yesterday I got lots of gas and big time D (second day in the evening). I usually have the D in the morning not at night. Today is day 3 and so far I have tons of gas and very loud tummy noises.


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## grumblytummy

joelcoqui said:


> Please tell me what the ingredients are to the ALIGN


Align only has one probiotic strain - Bifantis. I got the following from their website. Probiotic Strain: Bifantis (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624) 1 x 109 colony-forming units (1 billion) (4 mg), microcrystalline cellulose (for even dispersal of cultures), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule shell), sugar, magnesium stearate (for even dispersal of cultures), milk protein†, titanium dioxide, sodium citrate dihydrate, propyl gallate (antioxidant stabilizer), FD&C blue #2, FD&C blue #1, riboflavin (colorant)


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## grumblytummy

It does bother me that they use sugar in the ingredients. Even a little can cause gas in some people!


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## alignment

Day 13: 2 BMs, the second loose and urgent, and lots of gas. This was a worse than normal day for me.


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## grumblytummy

As I reported day 3 was very gassy but I didn't have any BM's. Day 4 was gas, gas and more gas with one or two BM's that weren't urgent (pretty good for IBS-D!). I am having lots of gas pain though. I'm nervous because I have plans with friends in the coming days and with this much gas and pain I don't think I can make it. Align, PLEASE work!


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## alignment

Day 14: Just one BM and quite a lot of gas in the morning. Hardly any gas since though.


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## joelcoqui

Instead of spending a fortune on Bifantis,,,buy the pure probiotic without all the added ingredients. Try Saccharomyces boulardii which is the same as Florastorfor the D predominant ibs.


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## IanRamsay

HiYou may all want to try a single strain B Bifidus strain in a powdered form with out teh sugar and with out the oxides and colourings. cheersIan


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## grumblytummy

Ian - I think I will look for something like that. My doc gave me two weeks worth of Align samples so when I'm done with that hopefully I can find Binfantis by itself.


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## grumblytummy

Day 5 - normal stool (yeah!) but the gas...uh...too much!!!


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## grumblytummy

Oh, I forgot to add that I've been burping a lot since starting Align. I normally don't have that problem. Has this happened to anyone else?


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## alignment

I burp a bit a few minutes after taking Align but don't have any other problems.Day 15: The start of week 3 when, according the leaflet, I "should be experiencing a noticeable improvement" in my digestive health. I'm not. One small BM and not too much gas in the morning but it was all trapped and came out later (the gas, that is).


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## grumblytummy

Day 6 - no D or urgent stool but still very gassy.


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## alignment

Day 16: I had to get up early this morning and, as usual, this caused digestive problems. 3 BMs and a lot of gas.


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## alignment

Day 17: Slept in today and had just one BM and not too much gas. A fair bit of gas in the morning but overall a better than average day.


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## alignment

Day 18: 2 BMs and lots of gas. Same old story.


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## grumblytummy

Day 7 & 8 - I seem to be constipated now. Lots of gas still.


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## alignment

Day 19: 1 BM, lots of gas.


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## grumblytummy

Day 9 - lots & lots of gas. Still constipated.


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## alignment

Day 20: 2 BMs, lots of gas.


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## alignment

Day 21: 3 loose BMs caused by me eating a mildy spicy and milky soup last night and lots of gas.


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## alignment

Start of week 4 so according to the leaflet my body "is well on the way to the full benefits of Align". I haven't yet noticed any benefits of taking Align and unless there's a miracle improvement in the next week, never will.Day 22: 2 BMs, lots of gas.


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## alignment

Day 23: A lot of gas this morning and 2 BMs. Second BM was loose and lots of gas which seemed to empty me for the rest of the day. I think this maybe a result of the exercise I did last night.


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## alignment

Day 24: 5 BMs and very bad gas all day. Today was a bad day with soft BMs and gas lasting all day. Worse than average.


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## IanRamsay

HiIt seems that The "miricle" align ( i use that word, miricle, holding in a laugh" is not helping you in teh slightest. save your self some money and go to teh healthfood shop, and get a simple powdered bifidus pro biotic and if you want to be adventurous, a powdered acidophilus pro biotic as well. take them both on an empty stomach 30 minutes before food in a small amount of water. if after 2 weeks you have seen no improvement what so ever, change the strains for two different ones. do this every two weeks untill you find a strain or strains that work for you. and it will be a damn site cheaper. in an ideal world you should aim for about 4 billion cultures to start with and then on week two double it. as you are already used to taking pro biotics you shouldent have to bother with teh quarters rule. also you NEED to avoid any probiotic that has FOS or INULIN or any pre biotic in it as that more often than not will cause even more gas.cheersIan


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## alignment

You're right, it looks like Align has failed. I might as well finish the last 3 capsules but after that I'll be looking for alternative probiotics to take. I think a lot of the scientific evidence claiming Align is the only probiotic that works is from corrupt scientists and a lot of the online reviews from people claiming Align cured all their symptoms are bogus. It's just a big company trying to make a quick profit from probiotics.Probiotic supplements are not widely available in the country where I live. There's just one supplement containing Lactobacillus acidophillus, Bifidobacterium longum and 10% FoS. Is FOS really so bad for gas? Of course I can always order something else off the internet. I think I've only seen bifidus in Activia yoghurt and powdered milk for mothers and babies over here.Day 25: 3 BMs and lots of gas.


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## alignment

Day 26: 4 BMs, lots of gas. I ate some live yoghurt in the evening. This may have helped the following day.Day 27: 2 BMs, a fair bit of gas but below average.


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## grumblytummy

Days 9-18more of the same. The gas is getting worse!


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## alignment

Day 28: 3 BMs, lots of gas.It's all over. So much for the miracle cure. Align was absolutely no help at all for my gas, except perhaps to make it worse and give me more frequent BMs. It's interesting that grumblytummy is reporting similar results. Probably the studies by "scientists" and the "it really works!" reviews on Amazon are just part of Procter & Gamble's marketing machine.


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## Kathleen M.

It does work for me, I know it works for other peopleHowever I also know people that have other probiotics help but don't find Align does.There are some people that do not get better from any probiotic.No one product works for 100% of people. If it works for 60-70% of people in a clinical trial that is a very good result and reported as it works. It is rare to find anything in a clinical trial that works for a higher percentage of people than that. I really do not think they faked the studies or anything, especially since they were published in the medical literature rather than just self published on their website like some products do.


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## grumblytummy

Well, I'm starting week four now and still the same. The gas is so bad it's hard to go on with this. I just don't understand. If probiotics are not supposed to produce gas (b/c they are good bacteria) why I'm I getting so much gas??? I've tried other probitotics before (unfortunatley I don't remember which ones) but they NEVER work and all they do is give me more and more gas. I'm just going to have to starve myself with a practically zero carb diet and be miserable so I can be among people. Why is it that all the probiotics say that some people may experience increased gas for a few days or so. Well I'd say three plus weeks is more than a few days! O.K. - I'm mad. I wonder if there is any probiotic in the world that will help me. I really don't think so. ~I feel hopeless.


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## grits91058

You have given Align more than enough time to show positive results. It is clearly not working for you. It's main bacterium ingredient is Bifidobacterium infantis, from what I can tell from their website, and that is clearly not the bacteria you need. There are hundreds of different strains of probiotic bacteria. Let me tell you what is working for me. My GI doc suggested I try probiotics to address my increased bloating problem, so I had a long conversation with an employee at one of my local health food stores who gave me some very good information. She also suffers lots of digestive problems so she was sympathetic to my issues. She suggested this certain brand and - I swear - it is like a magic pill. The brand is Ultimate Flora by the Renew Life Company. It is a probiotic that needs to be refrigerated. It has fourteen strains of probiotics (several different strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium - b. infantis not being one of the strains). It comes in several different dosages: Adult Formula - 15 billion cultures; Senior Formula - 30 billion cultures; and Critical Care Formula - 50 billion cultures. I started with the Critical Care - worked great at first - too great to the point of diarrhea (which I have NEVER suffered from). I scaled back to the lower doses and take the Senior Formula which is 30 billion cultures. I take it at night at least a couple of hours after I have eaten. I also take either Amitiza or Zelnorm (I switch back and forth). I have suffered for years with chronic constipation caused by pelvic floor dysfunction. I am addressing the PFD with botox shots, but now need to straighten out my messed up digestive system from years of laxative overuse. Lately I had suffered a real increase in bloating, which is why I asked my GI doc what to do. What these probiotics have done for me is amazing. Not only have they almost completely gotten rid of the bloating, they have increased the motility in my gut which means I get the urge for a bm much earlier in the morning - rather than 3-4 hours of waiting. If you google Renew Life products you can read more about them and find a store in your area which carries it. I promise, I am just amazed at the positive difference in my life in just the last couple of weeks. What we all suffer from is a digestive system that has lost the good bacteria through years of using different medications. The probiotics repopulate the intestines with the good stuff we need to function. Hope you find this info useful.


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## grumblytummy

I have officially given up on Align. Sadly another hope dashed against the rocks. I will try not to get my hopes up too high for any other product - but hope is what keeps me going and if I get rid of that I will sink into depression.Thanks for your reply Grits. I will put Ultimate Flora on my "to try" list. Hopefully it will work.


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## IanRamsay

Hiare you taking any FOS or INULIN in teh probiotics that you are taking? FOS and INULIN csn cause horrendous gas that wont stop untill the FOS or INULIN is taken away from the system.cheersIan


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## cherrypie09

Hi IanYou said get a probiotic powder, 4 billion cultures a bifidus and or acidophilus, if you buy both can you mix them together to take them or mix and drink one at a time., I live in Gloucester uk. can you just go to a health food store and ask for the powders, and do they sell them without the sugars, fos, and inulin in them. I need a good one reccommended for IBS-D.Cheers


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## IanRamsay

hiYou can mix untill your happy, as many as you like. only very good healthfood stores with naturopathic practitioners instore will be able to advise and order the powders with out FOS and inulin. find a good one and ask.cheersIan


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## cherrypie09

Thanks IanYou told me once about Cytoplan Cytobiotic strong multi probiotic powder, does that come minus all the bad stuff,(inulin, FOS,Sugars). or would that be too strong to try the first time, or maybe reduce amount to start with. Thata the one you use isnt it, so it must be good.


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## IanRamsay

HiThe cytoplan powders are extremely strong, and do come with FOS, But if yiu give them a ring they should also be able to supply it without teh FOS. if you do take it, start off with a quarter dose for a week or two, then a half dose for a week or two and then three quarters etc etc. best to see how you go and adjust the dosage to suite you.cheersIan


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## alignment

Someone earlier in this thread mentioned Saccharomyces boulardii and some people in the gas forum report success with that in treating gas (using the brand Florastor). It's meant for IBS-D which seems ideal. Other probiotics have generally made my D worse. I might give it a go.


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## SuzM

I had the worst night of my 3-month ordeal last night. This morning, Dr. Donohue had a column about IBS in our newspaper. He recommended Align, so I ran out and bought it. That puts me on day one, with a check in the worst-case box.I'm optimistic because I'm convinced my attack was brought on by antibiotics for a bladder infection, so I'm confident probiotics will restore balance to my system. Gas isn't a problem for me, and my D is under control with Psyllium. What I want from Align is to get rid of the pain and bloating. Fingers crossed. I'm also encouraged by the post about improved sleeping. Most nights I'm up 4 times and that's a real drag. I won't post every day -- only when there's a dramatic improvement (or downturn) to report.


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## cubsfan77

I just started two days ago as well. I will post periodically to update progress.


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## SuzM

cubsfan77 said:


> I just started two days ago as well. I will post periodically to update progress.


Great! We can compare notes. I did sleep better last night and have more energy this morning. It could be a fluke, but I'm encouraged anyway. How are you doing so far?


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## cubsfan77

I can't notice much yet, we shall see!


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## SuzM

I just took my 3rd pill. The good news is that urgency and frequency were helped instantly, which resulted in improved sleep. The first night I got up twice and last night only once. That's down from 3-5 times a night for the past 2 1/2 months.The bad news is that pain and bloating have gotten worse, resulting in extreme discomfort. That was predicted in the literature, so it wasn't a surprise, I was just hoping to skip that step.







No news on other symptoms. I still have good days and bad days.


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## cubsfan77

I'm on day six, and no real significant improvement or side effects to report.


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## SuzM

I'm just starting Day 5. Gas pains are new and uncomfortable, but everything else is stable.


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## IanRamsay

Hi allPlease remember that it may take up to 4 weeks to see any improvement when taking probiotics. and the herx may last for as long as two weeks if you are unlucky!cheersIan


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## SuzM

IanRamsay said:


> Hi allPlease remember that it may take up to 4 weeks to see any improvement when taking probiotics. and the herx may last for as long as two weeks if you are unlucky!cheersIan


Thanks, Ian. I'm still optimistic.


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## SuzM

It's been 10 days now. I haven't had a really bad day in a week and I haven't been able to say that for 2 1/2 months. I am encouraged.


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## SuzM

Align is working for me. My pain is down about 80%, bloating down about 30%, fatigue, lethargy, weakness, and dizziness are almost gone completely, and I can eat small amounts of many questionable foods. I even took an Aleve for a nasty headache and had no ill effects.







ONE HUGE WARNING! I had half of a bologna sandwich 2 days in a row and it sent me right straight back where I started from. It was awful. I'm sure it was the preservatives in the luncheon meat, destroying the probiotics in my system. It took 2 more days to get it out of my system and set me right again. I should have known better. BTW, it was NOT the beef that did it. I had a small piece of steak 3 days in a row with no side effects. Now I know that I must be very careful with processed foods. Preservatives are a no-no. (BHT didn't bother me, so I'm thinking the culprits are nitrites and phosphates but I don't know much about these things.)


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## Guest

I'm now in my actual 4th week of taking Align but since week 3 I've been taking it every other day, mainly because of the cost. I also cut down because I feel that since I'm not having episodes of D, the bacteria are not being washed out of my system. It seems to be working for me in several ways:It's evened out the extremes, especially the D... Movements are now giving me some notice and are more formed and solid. Also, I can have one and be done, and not continue to have them one after the other (like spasms).I've had to take precautionary Imodium a few times but in nowhere near the quantities I was taking to halt a full-blown episode.I have a longer stretch of days when I don't have to take Imodium.I can eat a wider variety of food, like veggies and I even had sausage AND eggs for breakfaast with no problems that day or the next. This is HUGE for me... especially the egg thing...Overall it's been an improvement for me.


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## Mabel

HI,I'm new hear, I'm also trying Align and I have had three bouts with ungency to go to bathroom and gas. Do you know ig this is normal with Align/







Thanks, Mabel


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## Mabel

I just posted on here. I have only been taking align for a week. Where like me at first.Mabel


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## IanRamsay

HiIt MAY be caused by something caused by teh herx reaction. google it for info.cheersIan


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## SneakerPimp

I'm glad I read this thread. I had been thinking of trying Align but what with most people saying it didn't work for them or gave them bad gas, plus the cost...I think I'll just try that Ultimate Flora someone mentioned before. Probiotics in general do seem to help me, I just need to be a bit more strict about taking them every day. Maybe I'll go out on Monday and ask. I went to the health food store nearby and the guy wasn't very helpful when I said I had IBS...he just gave me a sheet saying I needed to adjust my diet so I was eating more alkaline and less acidic food...I don't eat much acidic foods and the stuff he was saying I needed to eat (like cauliflower, coffee, and brocolli) are foods I absolutely CANNOT eat! Coffee? Are you kidding me?! Then I asked him about enteric coated peppermint tablets and he said I didn't need the enteric coated ones, which I know for a fact that when you have IBS they HAVE to be enteric coated or they basically won't work. I lost a lot of confidence in that store, let me tell you. There is a smaller, family run store nearby so maybe I'll go see them.


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## McGruber

I've actually been having a good experience with Align. I didn't really start to see any decent results until about a week in though. It has helped quite a bit with gas and abdominal pain, as well as with forming stools. I'm skeptical as too how long it will last, but so far I've been pleased. I wouldn't dismiss Align until I tried. It almost certainly won't be helpful unless you watch your diet, but it might end up improving things. The cost obviously is a deterrent but I'll gladly pay a dollar a day for some relief.


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## qivanaman

Qivana is new. The pill is specially coated to get past the stomach acids. it will get the good germs to the intestines. I am very interested if it really works. I have some samples if people want to try it.


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