# VSL 3



## yellow11

Hi,

I am wondering is anyone else on here taking the probiotic vsl3 or for that matter any other strong probiotic and is it working for them. I was taking vsl3 on and off for a while but for the last few weeks have been taking one sachet (unfortunately I can't afford to take more than that as it is very expensive) every single day for the last few weeks. I will say that in one way it probably is making my leaky gas worse. I'm getting a lot more of the normal type of gas and have noticed an increase in reactions as well. However I did read that when you start taking probiotics that it can make things worse initially as your intestines start to get used to them.

On the plus side the cramps that I very often get in my stomach seem to have gotten a lot less over the last while.

I'd love to find out how long do you need to keep taking them until it starts to reduce your odour (assuming of course they actually do work). To be honest i've let my diet slide in the last while also so I know that doesn't help things but if anyone has had any good or bad experience after being on vsl3, florastor etc for a few months I'd love to hear from you thanks


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## thickthighs1

I have not taken vsl3but I;ve been on florastar for two months,,it has worked for me.Im gluten and sugar free..the only sugar I eat is from fruit.I do eat a "honey" flavored cereal.
When I first took the florastar,for three days I felt bloated then I was ok..it does not affect me adversely anymore.Recently I tried ACV (the organic kind) and that helps with indigestion and GERD.
They have reduced the smell to nothing as of today...


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## Enkidu

Hi yellow11 (or anyone who could get it Ireland),

Where did you buy VSL3 in Ireland? On their UK website it says they only deliver in the UK. Can you walk in an Irish pharmacy and order it? Can I ask my gastroeneterologist to perscribe it for me?


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## cation

I took VSL 3 for about 6 weeks and didn't notice any improvement (in LG or anything else). I took Florastor for maybe 2 months and also had no change. I doubt my diet was spectacular when I was taking either of these though.


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## yellow11

HI Enkidu,

From my experience anyway there are very few pharmacies around that stock vsl as a matter of course. However a few of them I've been in to said that they would have absolutley no problem ordering it for me specially so I really don't think you would have too much problems getting your hands on it if you contact a few of your local pharmaces.

Ok thats the good news, the bad news is the f**king price of it. I was in one of the few pharmacies I know that stocks it regularly (the pharmacy in the Ardkeen shopping centre in Waterford city if you live relatively nearby) and was quoted for one packet which contains ten sachets FORTY euros to buy it. It was around thirty euros per pack a few months ago so it must be going up all the time. I've found another pharmacy though that says it could order three packets in for me for one hundred euro so I really would urge you to shop around and not just take the first price you are quoted though unfortunately that hundred euro for three packets is probably close to the best price you can get. I don't know can you get it on perscription, a gastroenterologist recommended I take vsl3 but he didn't prescribe it to me as such. Maybe if you are friendly with your local gp s/he will do it for you.

It's interesting, vsl3 is pretty highly recommended by a lot of people but Dr Lachmann who is the only specialist in the Uk dealing with the odour disorder tmau says that for the sake of your pocket you should buy a cheap probiotic because if it works as its supposed to then the bacteria from the probiotic should start to grow and colonise once inside your gut. Don't know how accurate that statement is but that's what he said anyway. One thing to warn against though is to ignore any probiotics you see lying on a shop shelf, they should always be refridgerated. A good tip re probiotics is that if you put one in a glass of milk and leave the glass in the fridge then if its effective the probiotic should ferment the milk into a type of yogurt. thats one way of telling how good a probiotic may be.


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## Enkidu

Thanks yellow11,

I will ask around in Dublin pharmacies. Did it work for you? Did it help with the smell? The price is a bit tough. The probiotics that I'm taking now has the same bacteria, but way less/capsule and it wasn't in a fridge in the pharmacy. For how long should I wait before it turns the milk into yoghurt? I think if I wait long enough, milk would turn into yoghurt without anything anyway


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## yellow11

Hi Enkidu,

Guess it would alright, I think it's said if you leave the glass overnight then there should be kind of fermentation happening.

To be direct no unfortunately they haven't worked as of yet. However to be honest I haven't been as diligent taking them as I had originally planned. While I wanted to take two a day i just couldn't afford it all the time and some weeks I could only take one every two days as I had a lot of other expenses. In the last few weeks I've gone back to taking them regularly daily. Also in the last while I've starting taking another probiotic called symprove - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2210477/Symprove-The-probiotic-supplement-halts-symptoms-IBS.html

From the article it seems quite promising though it will take a while to work apparently. If you go onto their website they provide a list of shops in Ireland as well as Britain that it's stocked in. As of now I'm taking a drink of symprove and a sachet of vsl3 everyday.

I should say I hope my current lack of success shouldn't put you or anyone else off trying vsl3, for one thing I ve had this problem for many years now so I guess it will take an absolute minimum of a number of months at least to try and turn things around. Also I must confess like everybody else this condition really gets me down so i do usually have a few drinks on the weekend and also comfort eat rubbish which I know is very foolish and is not giving the probiotic much of a chance to work. I'm trying to go alcohol free for a couple of months now and hopefully also cut out most confectionary and stuff, whether my resolve will hold is another matter.

Definately I wouldn't get any probitoic that's not refridgerated, maybe you would also like to get some natural antibacterials like grapefruit seed extract or ginger to try and kill of the bad bacteria in your stomach?


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## westr

do ireland have holland and barratt? if so you cant go wrong with the 20 billion acidophilus probiotic, i take 2 a day along with acv tablets (spaced apart as to not kill the probiotic with acid). sorts me right out.


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## Enkidu

westr said:


> do ireland have holland and barratt? if so you cant go wrong with the 20 billion acidophilus probiotic, i take 2 a day along with acv tablets (spaced apart as to not kill the probiotic with acid). sorts me right out.


Yes, we have H & B here. Does the 20billion one work against the smell for you? Do you need to take the acv too? After using up several bottles of Bragg's Apple C.V. with no improvement I'm a bit reluctant.

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A good podcast episode called: Should I Take Antibiotics with Probiotics?

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/prevention/should-i-take-antibiotics-probiotics?page=all


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## yellow11

Thanks for your tip Westr, sorry I must have missed your post first time around. I did take acv in liquid form once before but had a really bad reaction from it. Maybe if I take it in tablet form maybe on a weekend to get used to it, things would work out better


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