# ALIGN...what's your experience?



## 18122

I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:*1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*​I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


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## 18704

Hi Nicole







Since you said "Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about."...here I go







Have not tried Align but from what I have read on it it's just a probiotic made by Metamucil (Procter & Gamble). It contains just one specific strain of bacteria and that is Bifidobacterium infantis. I assume the side-effects, if any, would be the same as any other probiotic...possible gas and bloating in the first week as your body adjusts to the bacteria colonizing in your intestines.There are already quite a few other probiotics on the market that contain the Bifidobacterium infantis strain. They also contain other strains, so they are not limited to just this one specific bacteria. The names of some of these other probiotics are Ultimate Probiotic, Primadophilus Optima, Daily-Dophilus, ParaZYME, Probiotic IB and FiberSMART which a combination of Flaxseed fiber and a few strains of probiotic including Bifidobacterium infantis. There may be more but the ones I mentioned are the ones I'm aware of that contain Bifidobacterium infantis. What's different in regards to Align and these other probiotics is that Align has the financial backing and marketing power of Metamucil (Procter & Gamble) behind it so I'm sure it will be more visible (advertisement-wise) than any of the older ones that have been around longer. I don't think any of these small companies can compete against Procter & Gamble.







Good luck on your testing and looking forward to reading if it helps you







As for me, I am doing excellent using Florastor which is a non-pathogenic yeast based probiotic that has been used and recommended by Drs. in Europe for over 50 years. Florastor has made a huge difference for the better in my IBS-D symptoms, especially with the terrible gas, intestinal discomfort and bloating I had. It's also reduced the amount of times I have to go to the BR and has eliminated the urgency. Here's a link to their Canadian website as their US site is down for maintenance at this time: Florastor. Here's a PDF about Florastor, clinical testings, etc. in case you'd like to read up more on it. It's made by Biocodex, Inc. and their laboratories are in France.There's big thread that has a lot of Florastor info that's still going in our main IBS forum if you'd like to go through that when you have some time: 'Another Probiotic Question'


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## LindaT

NicoleT said:


> I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:*1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*​I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


I just started taking this on 5/29 so I don't have a lot to report yet. I got a free 2 month supply from P&G so unless something unpleasant happens I plan to use it for the full timeSide effects - the first two days I had an acidy stomach. This may be due to the upper digestive issues I currently am dealing with, or could be the Align.Yes still taking itOne of my main issues is trapped gas and that does seem to be doing better.I was just finishing up on an 8 week prescription of Nexium, but have been off of that for 4 days. I am also drinking Kefir product I get from Trader Joe's that has all sorts of Lactobacillus strains in it.


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## 18122

Wow! Thank you for the response. That's very interesting stuff. I have another question for you. Did you get painful cramping and if so, did you feel like Florastor was helping with that as well?Thanks so much for replying to my post.







-Nicole


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## 18704

NicoleT said:


> Wow! Thank you for the response. That's very interesting stuff. I have another question for you. Did you get painful cramping and if so, did you feel like Florastor was helping with that as well?Thanks so much for replying to my post.
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> -Nicole


Hi Nicole







I have never had very painful cramping with my IBS-D but I did have abdominal discomfort, severe gas and stomach bloating/distention. I have noticed though that certain medications or supplements that work for others have given me painful cramping. These are:1. Immodium - Immodium does not help my 'D' at all but it does give me cramps and much stomach distress. These symptoms go away as soon as the Immodium is out of my system which is usually a day or two.2. Lomotil - Same as Immodium.3. Calcium (Caltrate 600-D) Severe stomach aches, hypersalivation and painful cramping. Have tried it on a few occasions with the same results every time even though I have always made sure I took it with full meals. Symptoms stop a few days after I stop taking it.4. Acacia fiber - Painful cramping, extreme bloating and gas, much worse than I would normally have. It took quite a while after I stopped supplementing with Acacia before the symptoms went away.Florastor has eliminated all my discomfort, gas and bloating. Even though I still do have D I only go 1-2 times a day now in comparison to before which was 6 (on a good day) or more times a day. My stools are still not normal (soft and at times still watery) but since I go much less daily this is no longer an issue for me. Also Florastor has gotten rid of the urgency I used to have so I can take my time a bit more in getting to the BR when I do need to get there







I started taking Florastor (yeast-based) along with Flora-Q which is another probiotic (bacteria-based like ALIGN is). Since Florastor is yeast based there was no conflict or worry about maybe taking too many probiotics when I started taking the two together. After 3 months of both with wonderful results, just 2 weeks ago I started getting a bit burpier than usual, which hadn't happened since I started them. I am quite sure that the Florastor is the reason for the excellent results so I dropped the Flora-Q and the burpiness went away by the next next day and hasn't been back since. My husband mentioned it was probably because the Flora-Q probiotic bacteria colonize your gastrointestinal track and maybe after 3 months it could be overkill continuing to take them...I think he hit the nail right on the head. Because yeast based probiotics (Florastor) do not colonize your intestines you will have to take these daily to maintain it's benefits. If you stop taking Florastor, according to their website and leaflets, the yeast start dying off and clear your body within 5 to 7 days.If your trial is a personal one maybe you can start your ALIGN test and add Florastor to it also. Don't know what benefits you'll get from ALIGN but I'm sure you'll be impressed with how much better you'll feel taking Florastor.With Florastor, if it will work for you, you should notice results in the first week you start it. I felt positive results the next day after I started taking it and within a few more days I felt great. Many of the others on this forum that have started taking it seem to say the same thing, they've reported quick positive results also.


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## Moises

1) Have you tried it?Yes.2) How long did you use it?About 5 months.3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?Probably not. Since there is always some kind of digestive upset going on, it's hard to say for sure.4) Are you still taking it?Yes.5) Did it help you? I saw improvement after taking it. The question that I cannot answer with certainty is whether the improvement was caused by Align. For further details, see answer to next question.6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?My biggest problem is burping. Secondarily, I have had bad diarrhea in the past. The really bad diarrhea was cleared by a low-carbohydrate diet. I still had minor diarrhea, which was not something I was actively concerned about.Around the time I started Align, I adjusted my diet. The diet consisted primarily of meat and some low-carbohydrate cooked vegetables. The big change was in the carbohydrate-dense foods I ate. Following the published diet of Pimentel, I ate refined wheat flour, white rice, or lactose-reduced dairy as my carb-dense foods. I limited my daily carbodhydrate intake (excluding fiber) to 72 grams.What I discovered was that any vestiges of diarrhea were totally eradicated. My stools have been completely formed for months. I am 51 years old and this is a new experience. Unfortunately, my burping is still a problem. I would gladly suffer some diarrhea if I could get rid of this burping.My now normal stool is either the result of (1) Align, (2) a meat and refined grains diet, or (3) the combination of (1) and (2). The next step is to change my diet to what it was before these changes: meat, cooked low-carbohydrate vegetables, and 72 grams/day of carbs from some combination of Ezekiel bread (sprouted whole grains), fresh fruit, and nuts or nut butters. If the occasional diarrhea returns, then I know either that Align did nothing and it was all the result of my dietary modification or that the improvement in my diarrhea was the combined result of both Align and the dietary modifications.This should teach me to fiddle with more than one variable at a time!7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?


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## Guest

1) Have you tried it? . Yes2) How long did you use it? . One day, one dose - took it in the evening3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? - Terrible - so bloated the next day. With all of my IBS symptoms - I have never been so miserable for so long! - It felt like I had some kind of virus - I was so physically worn down! - No gas, just PAIN. About 8 hours after I woke up - I'd had enough of the bloat...so I started taking PEPOGEST - took about 8 in 3 hour period - no help. It took about 36 hours to get that feeling out of my body.4) Are you still taking it? . No5) Did it help you? . No6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? Not at first - I took the PEPOGEST later hoping it would help take the edge off of the side effects I got from the Align.7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up? . One dose was enough for me - If my doctor insists that I keep taking this, I'll change doctors - cause I know he's not going to dope me up so I can sleep through the misery.


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## wearyone

Hi NicoleT - I started taking Align the end of July and have been on it ever since. The first two weeks or so were the worst with lots of gas, bloating and a really weird sensation of urgency where I would rush to the bathroom but nothing would happen. All of these passed after three weeks, and I really feel it has helped a lot, and I am still on it.I also started Citrucel fiber in July which has helped too. And my doctor started me on cholestyramine this month which has helped the most. I'm now close to normal.One note about Florastor: When I tried it, it gave me a yeast infection (I'm certain it was the Florastor and not just coincidence). I posted a blog about this under "Probiotics" and one woman responded that she also had the same experience several times with Florastor. It did, however, improve the D greatly. Wearyone


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## code9

NicoleT said:


> I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:*1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*​I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


1) Yes.2) A couple months, I believe.3) No.4) No.5) No.6) Just the normal stuff I always take, lomotil/codeine/klonopin7) A couple months, iirc.Later


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## Mikeman

"One note about Florastor: When I tried it, it gave me a yeast infection (I'm certain it was the Florastor and not just coincidence). I posted a blog about this under "Probiotics" and one woman responded that she also had the same experience several times with Florastor. It did, however, improve the D greatly. Wearyone"Hello Wearyone --Florastor, although a yeast, should not give you a yeast infection. Yeast infections can occur from an imbalance in your GI tract, so possibly whatever is causing your D is causing you to get a yeast infection. Florastor is Saccharomyces boulardii lyo, and yeast infections are caused by candida albicans, a completely different strain. Studies in animals show that S.B.lyo actually _kill_ candida albicans if taken enough! I know that in Europe, pharmacists even suggest taking Florastor to battle yeast infections because through food competition, Florastor kills it.


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## Gutguy22

I have tried lots and lots of probiotics and Florastor might be the only one that did absolutely nothing for me. I will be trying Align next.


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## 20960

1) Have you tried it? Yep2) How long did you use it? I have been on it for about 2 and a half months3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? Alil bloating in the first weeks and burping instead of farting :] 4) Are you still taking it? yes 5) Did it help you? Yep havnt had D or C since i started it im still anxious and a lil unconfortable though.6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? Lexipro (anxiety meds) and immodium every other day.7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?


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## starwoman

Hi Nicole,I have been doing a lot of research on Align, and what I have read, it says it is very positive for people with bowel problems.I would love to know how you went with it.As I live in australia, they dont have any here, and the shipping is very costsly, so before I put myself to all that expsense I would like to know if it has improved your poisition regarding dirrhea please.Kind regards,starwoman


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## starwoman

Hi Moises,I am eager to be able to get some Align, but I live in australia and cant get it from here.I have suffered with Crohns for 47 years, tried almost everything, still have it. However I have done a lot of research on Align and it seems to be very positive for our illness.Regarding your burping, heartburn etc, I have just started takiing a natural product called Losec in Australia it is also called omeprazole and it is a magnesium that cuts out the acid, I have not had the burping or heartburn since I have been useing it. I think it would be most helpful to you for your burping etc. it is quite inexpensive here in australia.Good luck, Starwoman


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## Kathleen M.

While they may not have the exact strain there are companies in Australia that sell that specieshttp://www.bioceuticals.com.au/product.asp...p;productid=221 has a mix with B. infantis in it.While the strain in Align does well in clinical trials it is like any other probitoic and it will work better for some people than others and I think many people find there is more than one product that will work for them, even if it is only a few of them.


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## starwoman

Thankyou Kathryn,For your input, however I range that company Biocueticals, andalthough the Bacterium Infantis is listed in one of their products, they said they are out of that product and only will sell to Practitioners anyway, and the Bacterium was only a small amount added to the other products in the strain.So its still back to the drawing board.Thanks so much anyway.starwoman


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## Kathleen M.

If there is one there may be others. I didn't spend a lot of time googling around.Align only has one strain but has the same 1 billion per tablet I thought they had in that product of that species.


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## starwoman

thankyou Kathleen,I will keep searching in australia for the probiotic with the most bacterium Infantis.Kind regards,Starwoman


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## starwoman

Attention Gilly from AustraliaThanks so much Katherine for your direction, I believe I have come up trumps.Did a few more searches in australian google and found the strain of Bacterium Infantis that is in Align in the product made by Natrem called Life Start, usually for babis, however also for adults looking for this same strain that Proctor and Gamble use in Allign.Gilly this product is available in most health food shops that stock Natrem products, for around $34.00 australian............ look for Life Start by Natrem.I am hopeing it will now improve my condition now that I have just taken my first dose.thinking positive now.Good luck everyone,starwoman


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## 22541

1) Have you tried it? yes 2) How long did you use it? I am on day 6 3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? OMG yes....I have such bad gas and abdominal craps 4) Are you still taking it? I want to give it at least a month but not sure if I can 5) Did it help you? Not yet 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? imodium


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## starwoman

Hi Gut Guy,the type of probiotic that has the same bacteria as align is helping me........starwoman


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## NancyCat

1. yes2. since yesterday (2 days)3. bad taste in my mouth/stomach feels very hard and is crampy mid-abdomen4. not sure how long i will try it, the benefits would have to be great cause this taste is awful/similar to being on antibiotics5. hasnt helped @ all yet/actually have more pain6. elavil, paxil, klonipin, fibercon, levsin (as needed)


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## OccasionalIBS

I guess I'm the only one with no side effects. It took about 2 weeks to help with the urgency, but I'm still a litle urgent. When I'm on it I don't have D. I sometimes have constipation, but for 3 days instead of my normal 5 so that's better. When I went off the align, I immediately had D, so it must have been working to bulk me up! I have been taking it faithfully ever since, and no D. When I go back to school in the fall, I think I may still need immodium to help with the urgency. That means I'll be constipated but it's better than D! Still waiting for my miracle cure...


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## Opiate83

I've been on Align for about 2 years... It comes with the chart to monitor your progress which helped at first. At first it caused some bloating and discomfort, but having had IBS since I was 13, it was manageable in comparison. After that second week, I felt phenomenal... I had energy back and confidence.My diet before Align consisted of safe foods only. For me that was really limiting! But I was able to eat different foods. I could have bacon and eggs again for breakfast without worry, or I could add pepper to my food or eat popcorn again. I even went on vacation for a week and only brought 4 pills and the last three days were fine. This was after about a year on it daily. It's not ALL happy though. Having had it play a MAJOR role in my life so far, I've discovered 2 very important things about Align. The first being that if I were to have a money crunch and have to skip it one month, it would take the entire 2 weeks to adjust in my body again. I make this point to stress that it's a treatment, not a "take one of these and call me tomorrow" drug. The second thing I noticed is that eventually, your experience with it plateaus. Meaning, your individual physiology will only improve so much. For me, my urgency and bloating went away completely, but I'm still left with constipation that only a healthy (healthy for my guts) diet and water will take care of. You might find that your experience will be totally different. It may take longer or shorter for you to feel better. Also, this type of a pro-biotic is a completely natural thing in humans, or rather, it should be! So if I'm having a particularly bad day, I take an additional pill... Sometimes this helps, sometimes not, but it's there if I need it, and it never hurts me to try it. Bottom line for me with Align is that I really couldnt live my life with the halfway normal guts I have now without it. It took a bit for me ot adjust to, but, when I did, it changed the way I could live... And no, I dont work for them (laughs)


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## texasgal

Hi from Texas, i just bought align, but have not started it yet. have you started it yet? What can you tell me. thanks


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## ibskill

I have had Post-Infectious IBS with alternating C & D for the last seven years. Soluble fiber, dietary restriction and frequent exercise helped significantly over the years. Since last year the Sustenex probiotic helped provide tolerance to many foods, particularly spicy foods, but was nowhere close to keeping my IBS manageable. In October this year I discovered Align. Almost immediately I made a seemingly remarkable recovery. I had not had these energy levels since before my IBS days. My symptoms were gone and I no longer had trouble tolerating all kinds of food. My elation did not last long. Within 10 days of starting Align I started getting a terrible case of hyperacidity. It felt like I had rivers of acid flowing in my stomach and saliva in my mouth. It didn't matter how much I ate. And heaven forbid if I skipped a meal. This acid turned out to be even more debilitating than my IBS ever was, making me extremely fatigued with a huge amount of bloating. And if I exercised the acids became that much worse. Right now I am experimenting with taking Align every 3-4 days to make the acids more tolerable. I am also taking Zantac to reduce acid production. So long as the acids are kept in check with Zantac and anti-acid pills (Rolaids) I feel great, just like in my first 10 days with Align. I have never had such a hyperacidity problem before. Has anybody else had similar symptoms with Align? Any suggestions? I am seriously considering dropping Align altogether if I can't figure out a more permanent fix to the hyperacidity (it's not GERD, no reflux, just flows down to the intestines and burns there and causes bloating).


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## faze action

*1) Have you tried it?* yes*2) How long did you use it?* been about 6 1/2 weeks so far.*3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?* no side effects at all, but I started Align after a course of antibiotics, so the bacteria were likely wiped out or reduced to a low level anyway. *4) Are you still taking it?* yes*5) Did it help you? * can't say. It certainly hasn't made things _worse_, but I've not noticed any further improvement beyond what the ABs did for me.*6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?* no. Finished a course of rifaximin prior to starting the Align though.*7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?* I'm still taking it, but I have a follow up in mid-January, so I may or may not continue with it, depending on what my GI feels I should do.


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## idkwia

I tried Align for 2 months and whilst it didn't give me any unwanted side effects at all it didn't make any improvement either. In fact I could not tell that I was taking it.


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## julianaraymondo

Started taking Align 4 days ago. Had also started taking Dr Mercola's probiotics about a week before that (bought from red23) which also have Bifida in it ? what strain, plus lots of other bacteria, felt slightly better but unsure if due to to these or not as have been even more cautious with diet.However, since adding Align my appetite is not very good and I feel sense of needing to go to the loo more (resisting, as normally makes my gut even more irriitable). Can't be sure it is the Align though.Has anyone else noticed this (appetite down & more urgency)?Julianaraymondo


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## faze action

I'm now off Align. My doctor wants me to give my system a break for a couple of weeks, and then he may start me on a different probiotic...I didn't notice any change at all (positive or negative) the entire time I was on it.


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## Shug

I've been on Align a little over a year now. It has by no means cured me, but it's by far did the most improvement, even over two different prescription medications I had tried previously. Mainly, I have less episodes, and when I do have them, they're not as urgent as they were before. Which is a major plus - I used to never have much "warning" about having to go pooh, but now most days I know well in advance. On that note, most of my bm's are solid. When I do have problems now, it seems like it's not immediately after eat like I had previous to Align, but more like 3-4 hours after eating. Also, when I do have a problem now, while it isn't as urgent, it seems more time consuming in the respect that I will have more stomach cramping and it may go on for 20-30 minutes before I actually have a bm. Previously my stomach problems were more instant and within 10 minutes I was normally back to normal. I take the Align with a chewable Caltrate Calium, the purple bottle that has Vitamin D and minerals with it. I have came to the conclusion that the combination of two is what is helping me the most.If I forget to take my align, it's normally not a big deal the next day, but the second day it is. Having said all of that, while I'm very happy with the product, it's higher in price than I believe it should be - $30 for 28 day supply is starting to strain my budget. I'm considering trying out some of the other lower priced probiotics on the market to see if they provide similar, or even better results. That's actually why I stopped by here today, to see if anything was being posted about Culturelle.


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## Rubin10

I've had a very good experience with ALIGN Then I've read about FloraSource and thought " let me try" One deviation from my diet and I am in level 9 pain. I'll go back to ALIGNIf anybody tried Flora Source What is your experience ? please.


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## mah

NicoleT said:


> I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:*1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*​I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


I took Align for almost three weeks and had to stop. It caused me to have severe constipation and horrible stomach and abdominal pains to the point at which I could not even leave my house. None of these side effects are listen in Align's advertisements. When I stopped taking the Align, the side effects disappeared in two days. I am currently just eating Activia and searching for something that will not give me as much pain as Align did.


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## Sudden Change

Mikeman said:


> "One note about Florastor: When I tried it, it gave me a yeast infection (I'm certain it was the Florastor and not just coincidence). I posted a blog about this under "Probiotics" and one woman responded that she also had the same experience several times with Florastor. It did, however, improve the D greatly. Wearyone"Hello Wearyone --Florastor, although a yeast, should not give you a yeast infection. Yeast infections can occur from an imbalance in your GI tract, so possibly whatever is causing your D is causing you to get a yeast infection. Florastor is Saccharomyces boulardii lyo, and yeast infections are caused by candida albicans, a completely different strain. Studies in animals show that S.B.lyo actually _kill_ candida albicans if taken enough! I know that in Europe, pharmacists even suggest taking Florastor to battle yeast infections because through food competition, Florastor kills it.


The information provided above is absolutely incorrect. Many people have complained that Florastor had given them a yeast infection and have been told it is simply impossible. The fact is, while Florastor does contain a good yeast* that little asterisk is important. If you have a sensitivity to bakers yeast or brewers yeast than you are highly susceptible to getting a yeast infection. Yeast ontop of yeast sensitivity activates the overgrowth of candida. Im sorry to all who have gone through this the hard way and for those of you that haven't, double check about your sensitivity to yeast before investing in a product that makes faulty claims and the general population has no knowledge about (as in the comment above). Best of luck everyone.


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## paraAdrian

I wasted money on that for nothing it didn't do nothing to help me. I took a for a whole month and never got eny improvemnt for my a abdominal pain ,bloating,distended belly.


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## PD85

This is a good thread so I will add my experience to it. I am IBS-D.1) Have you tried it?Yes, twice.2) How long did you use it?The first time for about 20 days, the second time for only 4 days.3) Side effects?Yes, bloating, gas, and lots and lots of pooping!4) Are you still taking it?No.5) Did it help you?No, definitely not. The first time I tried it was about a year ago and I don't remember what it did for me then. I think I remember I stopped because it was making me a little constipated and bad sense of incomplete evacuation. But at the time I wasn't very smart about my IBS so I have no idea what other supplements or dietary restrictions I was on, and so I decided to try it again. This time it was the exact opposite, bloating, gas, and more pooping than normal. 6) Taking anything else?This time I was not using any other supplements. 7) How long did you try it before giving up?Took it for 4 days but had to stop. This morning is 2 days after stopping and I had a nice sense of evacuation in my 3rd stool of the day. I took 1 tbsp of benefiber last night so that may be the reason for that.I was really hoping Align would work for me, but alas no probiotic has ever worked for me. I always get gas, always more pooping, and always having generally more symptoms than normal.


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## arsenal009

I used to have diarrhea twice a day. After taking Align, I had diarrhea only twice a week. I definitely recommend it to anyone who had the same problem as me!Cheers.


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## PiggieSwim

1) Have you tried it? Yes2) How long did you use it? 2 weeks3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? Increased Diarrhea majorly on a daily basis4) Are you still taking it? No5) Did it help you? No6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? Caltrate7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up? 2 weeksNow trying Florastor and seeing great results in helping control the D.


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## Goodwin17

It seems like everyone has different experiences with Align. I started taking it about 2 months ago. I have noticed no difference in D, but I have always had a significant amount of gas. Align has almost gotten rid of my gas. I'm really thrilled about it. The Align was the only new medication I started recently, but I also take Prozac, Hyoscamine, and Immodium (daily). I think the price is ridiculous, but I'm willing to spend it to keep my gas at bay.


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## Jeffrey Roberts

*Attention Canadians*Sources are telling me that Align will be coming to Canada in January 2012.Jeff


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## capnannie

NicoleT said:


> I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:*1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*​I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


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## capnannie

1 yes2 2 days3 really awful gas, bloating and feeling of needing to go to the loo4 no stopped yesterday. and still suffering .5 no6 no7 might try it again another time when i can stay home for the repirted two weeks it takes for the side effects to posibly go. but not at the moment. really very disappointed. and they are soooo expensive.why does it not explain the side effects properly on the box


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## bluenurse

capnannie said:


> 1 yes2 2 days3 really awful gas, bloating and feeling of needing to go to the loo4 no stopped yesterday. and still suffering .5 no6 no7 might try it again another time when i can stay home for the repirted two weeks it takes for the side effects to posibly go. but not at the moment. really very disappointed. and they are soooo expensive.why does it not explain the side effects properly on the box


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## bluenurse

walmart and target now have Align knock offs. I switchedd to walmarts brand and I don't notice a difference form the Align brand. I have taken Align for over a year now, and while it hasn't solved all my problems , it sure has helped. I didn't notice any excessive gas when I started. I just always have a lot of gas. So for 28 pills of Align, I save $12 with the Walmart brand.


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## wwfd362

I have suffered with IBS-C for many years. Saw this thread and decided to try Align. I took it for 3 days. I started cramping and urgency. Now I have IBS-D! How do I get it to stop! Help!


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## BQ

wwfd362 Obviously stop taking it for a bit. How long ago was the 3 days???


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## Dreyfuss

bluenurse said:


> walmart and target now have Align knock offs. I switchedd to walmarts brand and I don't notice a difference form the Align brand. I have taken Align for over a year now, and while it hasn't solved all my problems , it sure has helped. I didn't notice any excessive gas when I started. I just always have a lot of gas. So for 28 pills of Align, I save $12 with the Walmart brand.


Do you have a name for these store brands? I went online and was unable to find them.


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## TVgirl

I took for 3 days. Had horrid herxheimer reaction. Body ache , low grade fever, chills, abd pain diarrhea. So i stopped.


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## PD85

Dreyfuss said:


> Do you have a name for these store brands? I went online and was unable to find them.


I don't see it online for target but in the store it's next to all the others.


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## _fish_

Hi Nicole and Everyone Else,I've had IBS-D for around four years, and it has been a miserable journey, but you all know that already. At first I thought that this was an allergy, so I eliminated foods, like wheat. I also tried to eliminate stress through yoga, etc. But no matter my level of stress of what I had eaten, I might have an attack. And sometimes when I ate bad food and was under a lot of stress, I'd feel fine. The more research I did (especially on the short-term beneficial effects of antibiotics), the more I became convinced that what I had was a bacteriological problem, so I tried a variety of different probiotics and even started eating a lot more yogurt, kim chee, vinegar, pickles, and other fermented foods. Some of this helped a little bit, but no really good results. For me at least, the only thing that has worked consistently is Align. I felt better after 2 days and I've been going strong for a month and a half, with no problems at all. After I worked my way through the whole 42-day course, I've even gone off them, and the microbes seems to have established themselves in my gut. I feel MUCH better, so I'm a big fan. You all know already the horrible difficulties with IBS and that what works for one person does not always work in another. We all have distinct gut flora and distinct gut mechanics. I just put this message out there to note that with me there is no doubt IBS was microbiological and also to give people hope that there might be a probiotic or series of probiotics that works for them. -Fish


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## Jeffrey Roberts

Good news for Canadians!Align is now available in Canada, as of July 2012, at drugstores and supermarket pharmacies.http://www.aligngi.ca


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## Sherlock

I just found it at CostCo. $42.99 CDN for 49 capsules (a seven week supply). Started it today.


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## NancyCat

1)Have you tried it?/yes 2) how long did you take it? 3 days 3) did you have side effects/ YES, a horrible taste, extreme bloating, felt just terrible and could NOT tolerate it 4) are you still taking it/NO 5)did it help you/NO it made me worse w/terrible C 6)were you taking anything else while taking align/yes, paxil, klonipin as needed and 2 fibercon/day Having said that my gastro who is one of the very few IBS "experts" around told me that it takes a full month before you realize the benefits from it, however like I said I couldnt take it for more than the 3 days that I did. My IBS altrenates.Hi Kathleen







this is OLD member NancyCat, lost my passwd and changed interent providers so I had to register as a new member


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## Kathleen M.

I'll see if I can get you set up to be NancyCat again. Should be able to make the old account your new information and see if I can merge or delete the new account.I've got the accounts merged and set to your new email address. I think. I did reset the password and you will be getting an email from me in a minute or two with the password. Please change at your earliest convenience.


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## insertnamehere

*1) Have you tried it?* yes
*2) How long did you use it?* Almost done with my first 4 week pack
*3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?* Maybe a little gas/nausea the first few days, but I was having that from my ibs, anyway, so I can't really say if it was from the Align or not.
*4) Are you still taking it?* Yes
*5) Did it help you? *I think so. My gastroenterologist recommended it during my recent 2 month flareup (possibly the worst I've had), which they think was triggered by post-nasal drip from seasonal allergy/sinus issues (I'm often fairly normal between flareups). So it's hard to say if the Align helped or if the flareup had run its course. Since taking it, though, my bowel frequency has gotten a lot more normal, and the bad abdominal/side pain I was having has largely gone away along with a lot of the nausea, bloating, and loss of appetite. Still have off days, but doing better. Again, though, was it the Align or just the flareup calming down? Your guess is as good as mine.
*6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? *Just the usual assortment of allergy/thyroid/sinus medication...and a gummy fiber supplement, which also may have helped.


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## Sherlock

I just wanted to post an update. I have finished the seven week supply of Align and I will be buying another box! I started it over a three-day weekend just because I wasn't sure what I was in for (especially after reading all the posts here) and didn't want to have to deal with unexpected symptoms at work.

The only thing I was taking for my IBS was one Immodium before I left for work each day. I figure I'm a pretty good test subject without all the other meds in my system that other people have to take. I stopped taking the Immodium to test the Align.

The first few days I was visiting the bathroom probably 4 or 5 times a day, which is more than usual. I didn't have any nausea, bad taste, or painful cramping, although there was some bloating. In the following days I started noticing that the usual sharp pains I used to get before needing to run to a bathroom were absent. And although the feeling of needing to go was all of a sudden, I wasn't needing to run. There was no extended time in the bathroom, either. It was in and over with....and I was beginning to think that Align had actually chased my IBS away after 19 years of having it control my life. I was dancing on the ceiling!

In the second week, still without the Immodium, I was struggling with the sudden and more frequent trips to the bathroom. Still none of the usual sharp pains or noisy gurgling that used to alert me to trouble pending. *It was like someone had put my gut on mute.* I started taking my one Immodium before work again, just so I wasn't faced with having to excuse myself from meetings, and perhaps still feeling like I needed that security.

Seven weeks later, I can say that Align is the best thing that has happened to me IBS-wise. I take the daily capsule with my dinner. Zero side effects. I go to the bathroom every morning - no cramps, no pain, no gurgling. I am still taking that one Immodium before work or if I have to have dinner out on the weekends, but there have been days when I forgot and I was okay without it. I am amazed at how silent my gut is.

I am working on the psychological aspect of all this. After 19 years of thinking one way and being worried about when and where an attack might hit, I still make sure I know where bathrooms are, big retail and grocery stores still make me a bit anxious, and the wrong food will still set me off. However, there have been several instances when I knew it was anxiety and I was able to calm myself down and get through it without finding a bathroom. Even at a recent dentist appointment.

Next steps for me are to continue taking the Align daily and work on dietary changes to add bulk with the end goal of stopping the Immodium altogether.

I do recommend if you try the Align to give it a fighting chance. A few days is not indicative of how it might work for you. It takes time to populate your gut, and other medications you are taking could be impacting how you feel.

I shared my experience because if one other person tries Align and gets results like I have, it was worth it.


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## someday

*1) Have you tried it?* Just started taking it.​*2) How long did you use it? *9 days so far​*3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? *It wasn't too bad. Just gas but nothing more than I'm used to.​*4) Are you still taking it? *Yes​*5) Did it help you? *Week 1 was wonderful! 1 bowel movement a day, after the first 3 days or so, no gas no bloating..​*6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? *Immodium daily prior to Align. The first few days I stopped the immodium since I was working from home for a few days. I started the immodium back up when I had to go into the office.​*7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up? *I plan to give it a fair trial. But as of right now, I'm not too sure. As I mentioned the first week was bliss! I went from 4 immodium daily to 1 and was confident that I could eventually stop taking it all together! Today was the first day without it (immodium) and I have had nothing but D all day!







It's a set back to my confidence level, but again I plan to use the entire box before I dismiss it. I've read here in countless posts that for most it took a full month to really see a change. I guess I was just spoiled by that first week.


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## Helen C

NicoleT said:


> I'm going to be trying *Align* shortly and writing about my experience on my blog.I want to know:
> 
> *1) Have you tried it?2) How long did you use it?3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?4) Are you still taking it?5) Did it help you? 6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*
> 
> I want to know your experience to see how mine will compare. Feel free to share anything I didn't ask about.*Thanks!*


1)Tired it - Yes 2)4 weeks of use 3)Perhaps a bit of gas, nothing major 4)Yes still taking it 5)Yes I firmly believe it helps quite a bit 6)Yes also taking Omega 3-6-9.

Perhaps it is the combination of the two that makes this work so well for me. Have not experienced any serious constipation, this has actually made my bowel movements quite regular. I must say that I am lactose intolerant but this has not caused me an issue with Align, perhaps whatever milk products are in there are small enough to not have any serious adverse reactions. I will also say that I do regularly drink lemon juice every day, (sometimes watered down concentrated lemon juice and sometimes fresh squeezed lemon juice; I add water to both to make it a bit easier to drink), along with plenty of water to reach my daily quota of fluid intake. My great results could be a result of all three things combined.


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## kem60

I wanted to give my testimony for people who are thinking about using Align. 

I had a very bad bout of the Norovirus in late December which lasted 10 days. It was the diarrhea form and it was simply too horible to even describe.

Before this I had never had any bowel problems (I am middle aged) or food allergies.

When the Norovirus finally cleared, I was left with what my doc said was "IBS-PI". I suddenly had all the symptoms you all know and love: gas, bloating, excruciating pain and cramps, et al. This was all day, every day, for 5 days before I thought I was going to lose my mind if I didn't find something to relieve it.

Doc said try Align. So I went and bought some. After 3 days, I had the mother of all "die-off" reactions, which lasted a week. Fever, body aches, flushed red face, brain fog, plus all of the IBS symptoms magnified x3. The night before it ended, I was freezing even though it was 80 degrees out. I got into bed and simply passed out from the pain. Woke up 2 hours later, and don't remember a thing. Went back to sleep and the next morning, it was like magic. ALL symptoms were gone. All of them. It was like it never happened.

So the next day, I felt so amazing that I decided to test it. We went out to dinner and I ate all the bad foods: wheat, dairy, sugar, raw vegetables. When I got home - nothing. No reaction. I think it's gone!

So the moral of this boring tale is: if you decide to try Align and it gives you problems in the beginning, keep taking it. Tough it out through the pain and discomfort. I ate a lot of Advil and Tylenol during the die-off period. Sometimes they helped and sometimes they did not.

I wish someone would have written something like this that I could have read when I was in the middle of the worst of it, but since I couldn't find anything, I will write it.

I am a biotech/pharma stock investor/trader and as such, I tend to give more legitimacy to the products sold by established pharma names over mom and pop operations. The fact that Align is a P&G product convinced me to choose it and I am very glad I did.


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## azntenshi

Does Align really work well with IBS-D?


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## marieashley

*1) Have you tried it?* Yes

*2) How long did you use it? *I'm finishing up my third week on it now.

*3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they? *I don't think so.

*4) Are you still taking it? *Yes

*5) Did it help you? *The first week went well, I was going pretty regularly. But then as that week came to a close the pain started up again, I was constipated for the week, and then this week I'm having a lot of awful pains...so while it might not be making things worse, I'm not sure that it's still helping either.

*6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align? *I was taking Linzess until a week before I started Align, and now I'm just taking my standard birth control pill.

*7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up? *Still taking it, and I plan to finish out my 6 week supply and start something new if there are no improvements.


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## MaximilianKohler

*1) Have you tried it?*

Yes.

*2) How long did you use it?*

6 weeks

*3) Did you have side effects, if yes, what were they?*

Nothing negative.

*4) Are you still taking it?*

Yes.

*5) Did it help you? *

Yes! It's the best probiotic I've tried... other probiotics give me gas and soften my BMs too much. Align makes them perfectly consistent every time. I've mainly had IBS-C most of my life but I was getting bouts of diarrhea after taking some anti-biotics and Align completely stopped it.

People who claim 1billion probiotic count is too low to have any effect are completely wrong. I've taken 70-100b probiotic supplements (always multi-strain) and Align is the best for me.

I agree with people that say that multi-strain probiotics soften the stool much more. This has been the case in my experience too (even with sauerkraut).

*6) Were you taking anything else while taking Align?*

No.

*7) If it did not help, how long did you try it before giving up?*

N/A.


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