# Probiotics vs Digestive Enzymes?



## Tim86 (Sep 14, 2009)

I was thinking about trying some probiotics and/or digestive enzymes. I've never tried either one before. I have IBS, as well as GERD (acid reflux). I can't afford to try both at the same time, so which one is most likely to help, for both my IBS and GERD? I know everyone responds differently to different products, but in general, which one generally has proven beneficial to more people on this website?


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

I'm not sure you can compare the two since they do different things.A Probiotic is basically good gut bacteria. So, taking a probiotic will help to build up the good bacteria in your gut that can be lost with chronic D, poor diet, etc. Digestive enyzmes are used for people who have low stomach acid and they are shown to not be digesting their food well. Signs of this can be seen in stool as undigested food, or as malnutirion or malabsorption. Have you had stool cultures done? Do you know how your digestion is doing?Either way, start with only one thing at a time so that if it helps you know what is helping. Probiotics can cause some people to have worse or new symptoms for a few days or a week or two so you have to know that going into it. From what I know of taking digestive enzymes there are no side effects. I take Probiotics when my gut is off - i.e. I have loose stools or outright D. I take digestive enzymes daily with meals. The both help.


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## Tim86 (Sep 14, 2009)

IBD/IBS Author said:


> ...taking a probiotic will help to build up the good bacteria in your gut that can be lost with chronic D, poor diet, etc.


A year or two ago, I had Cryptosporidiosis. I had very bad D for 2 weeks, and it was probably a whole month before I felt close to normal again. Now that I look back, I've probably had worse IBS since that time, than I typically had before it. Could that episode have depleted my good bacteria? Would probiotics help replenish them?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I've got some at home (don't know if they still sell them) that have both that were pretty cheap.Rexall is the brand. They seem to be reasonably decent at both things.Here is one I could find onlinehttp://www.luckyvitamin.com/item/itemKey/7...ite=google_baseNot the most common species, but there seem to be a fair number of these combination products that are not all that expensive if you don't want to have to pick only one.Probiotics usually don't do much for GERD and digestive enzymes mostly treat bloating in the upper GI tract more than the reflux issues. So I'm not sure either would treat both, or if both would treat both.Probably a lot more people have tried probiotics for IBS and that seems to have a better track record than digestive enzymes, but that doesn't always say much about what will work for you.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

If you Google "Cryptosporidiosis inflammation" you will get a series of sites that may prove useful. Inflammation can be a result in a number of organs--and directly intestinal for little children--and was certainly a likely cause of both my D and GERD, although likely from smoking in my case. That may well be what you are currently experiencing and what you will need to confront in getting to the bottom of this. I don't know if enzymes will help or not; but I doubt that probiotics will do more than help with the symptoms.Cheers,Mark


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

TimHi mate. take a leap. pick one and try it. but bear in mind that quite often things may get worse for a week or so when taking probiotics. all teh bestIan


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