# Probiotic Made Situation Worse



## annap417 (Nov 29, 2013)

I've always had difficulties with my IBS and it got worse after getting sick in Nicaragua a few years ago but it was manageable until last fall. I began having intermittent severe abdominal pain (not in one specific location), nausea, and either severe bloating/constipation or diarrhea following one night of heavy drinking and smoking. I went through every exam and every lab sample and came up with nothing. Endoscopy showed nothing and Colonoscopy showed nothing. None of the meds were helping either, not even Dicyclomine.

Funny thing though, after clearing my gut for my colonoscopy I felt back to normal and on top of the world. No spasms, nausea, pain or diarrhea. Of course after living in severe anxiety for months and eating in fear, I started eating lots of yummy Christmas foods. At the same time though I started taking Prozac because I have depression/mood disorder, and suddenly my digestive system went into fast forward mode again, bringing back most of my symptoms, especially the diarrhea. I was quickly taken off of that and decided to also take gluten out of my diet, wondering if I was maybe gluten sensitive. A few weeks later I started to slowly add in my nightly supplements: Multi Vitamin, Calcium...and then I added my Flexeril (a muscle relaxant) back and BOOM! Everything was AWESOME again!

*START HERE IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE LENGTHY STORY* 

To cut to the chase, a few weeks after my nausea, diarrhea, and spasms cleared up I decided to back add in my probiotic (Align which had saved me from IBS-D before) and my entire world, from that one day I took it, was turned upside-down again. I'm having soft stools, squirming/spasmy sensations in my gut and nausea. I'm still sticking to gluten free everything, and it sucks, but it hasn't cleared up and it's been 2 months since I took that one probiotic pill.

My question is: Has anyone had such adverse effects from a probiotic? If so, how can I get back on track or is there a probiotic one of you guys would recommend?

I'm considering doing the Colonoscopy prep again that cleared my entire gut to see if that helps again. Any thoughts?

Thanks all,

Anna


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## IhateIBSlol (Feb 9, 2014)

yes this has happened to me probiotics have made me wrose, funny enough i tried this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symprove-Mango-Passion-Fruit-Drink/dp/B007KJIVC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397827626&sr=8-1&keywords=symprove symprove yesterday and ive been okay recently and then this morning im not good at all stool is (on the stool chart) 6 been twice already on been up couple hours its burning my guts hurting, and i didnt have anything different yesterday that could have caused this and before ive had this lactobaccilius in a high dosage and it also made me worse, so yes probiotics can make you worse especially in MY EXPERIENCE!


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## someday (Dec 13, 2012)

Probiotics whether Align or otherwise can't be taken on a "one and done" type basis. I too take Align and when I first started it, it was very unpleasant. Luckily for me when I first started it I was also working from home for a short while and it just happen to workout that I would be home for that first week. Bad gas, unpredictable bowel movements, a little nausea but not terrible. All for the first week, but it eventually tapered off and all those symptoms went away. Of course your gut is going to go spastic when introducing new flora or probiotics to it.

However, in saying all of this not all probiotics work exactly the same and affect everyone differently. Align is great for me but not for other people. Perhaps the colonoscopy prep has now caused Align to work differently for you than it has in the past?

However, one thing usually is the same for all and that's that you have to give them time to work.


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## wumonty (Jan 10, 2008)

i hear you. i've tried many probiotics, and it seems to make thing worse. i tried align for a solid 10 days, and it never got easier... i cannot stand it anymore, so quit. i really want to colonize my gut with good bacteria, but probiotics doesn't seem to go well with my gut!! i took a high potency 100 billion probiotic from klaire lab. its suppose to be the best out there. i had diarrhea 30x the next day. non stop!! its not something i would want to try for a week....

i'm frustrated too... i just want to be like others, where probiotic helps..


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## wumonty (Jan 10, 2008)

also it happend to me to. i used align for a fuil month with not problems years ago. didn't feel better but not worse. but this most recent time, align caused some problems.. very frustrating when the same things sometimes make worse and others not.. same goes for food for me.. can never predict..


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## IBS_not_b_good (Apr 7, 2014)

Ask your GI to test for SIBO. I think alot of those probiotics are dissolved in the small intestine and if you have SIBO i would think they would worsen your situation. I know there is a brand with a double shell on it so it makes it to the large intestine where it is supposed to be beneficial. My doctor told me using most brands are a waste of money because they can't even make it past the acid in your stomach and they release where you don't want the bacteria.


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## annap417 (Nov 29, 2013)

someday said:


> Probiotics whether Align or otherwise can't be taken on a "one and done" type basis. I too take Align and when I first started it, it was very unpleasant. Luckily for me when I first started it I was also working from home for a short while and it just happen to workout that I would be home for that first week. Bad gas, unpredictable bowel movements, a little nausea but not terrible. All for the first week, but it eventually tapered off and all those symptoms went away. Of course your gut is going to go spastic when introducing new flora or probiotics to it.
> 
> However, in saying all of this not all probiotics work exactly the same and affect everyone differently. Align is great for me but not for other people. Perhaps the colonoscopy prep has now caused Align to work differently for you than it has in the past?
> 
> However, one thing usually is the same for all and that's that you have to give them time to work.


I definitely know probiotics aren't one and done. I tried that the first time around with Align and realized I needed to stick with it. That was a year and a half ago. When all this other digestive stuff popped up that's when I stopped taking it trying to just weed out any cause for what I was experiencing. So you are right, but when I took it and got the resulting horrible spasms and diarrhea I refused to keep it up. Mayhaps I should try a different probiotic.



IBS_not_b_good said:


> Ask your GI to test for SIBO. I think alot of those probiotics are dissolved in the small intestine and if you have SIBO i would think they would worsen your situation. I know there is a brand with a double shell on it so it makes it to the large intestine where it is supposed to be beneficial. My doctor told me using most brands are a waste of money because they can't even make it past the acid in your stomach and they release where you don't want the bacteria.


Do you know which brands have capsules that are more protected? I've heard the same thing about them not even making it to the right part of the gut. I don't know if I got a SIBO test but I had two upper endoscopies, a colonoscopy, a handful of blood tests and stool tests. They found nothing.

Any thoughts on drinking Kefir?


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

Kind of a crazy couple of ideas, but what about:

1. Magnesium citrate to clear you out completely, or just repeat the colonoscopy prep and start over?

or

2. Get an enema kit and break open the probiotic pill, use it in the water so it ONLY goes in the colon (kind of fecal transplant style, except less yukky)?

Just some ideas.

Personally I like the Lifeway Kefir I can buy in most places in the USA, it has almost the same list of good germies as VSL #3, which I think is kinda pricey, but has actual proof to back it up - at least in Ulcerative Colitis and a few other conditions like sepsis. The kefir usually works great for me but I don't have D, I have C.


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## IBS_not_b_good (Apr 7, 2014)

annap417 said:


> I definitely know probiotics aren't one and done. I tried that the first time around with Align and realized I needed to stick with it. That was a year and a half ago. When all this other digestive stuff popped up that's when I stopped taking it trying to just weed out any cause for what I was experiencing. So you are right, but when I took it and got the resulting horrible spasms and diarrhea I refused to keep it up. Mayhaps I should try a different probiotic.
> 
> Do you know which brands have capsules that are more protected? I've heard the same thing about them not even making it to the right part of the gut. I don't know if I got a SIBO test but I had two upper endoscopies, a colonoscopy, a handful of blood tests and stool tests. They found nothing.
> 
> Any thoughts on drinking Kefir?


I am not sure of the brand but i will be going to that doctor within the next 2 weeks and i will ask her and let everyone know. She did say almost all other probiotics cannot survive stomach acids though.


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## annap417 (Nov 29, 2013)

Nojokeibs said:


> Kind of a crazy couple of ideas, but what about:
> 
> 1. Magnesium citrate to clear you out completely, or just repeat the colonoscopy prep and start over?
> 
> ...


I was actually planning on repeating the colonoscopy prep if the Kefir doesn't pan out. I might attempt another probiotic from a different brand but if I'm still off in a few weeks I'm going to clear myself out. My doc even mentioned that it might have just been a kind of reboot for my gut, or it might have gotten whatever was irritating it out. I know that sounds kind of odd but I really trust this guy after going through a bunch of other not so great GI docs. He's up at John Hopkins and highly recommended.

The enema idea is pretty novel. Have you tried it/heard about results from this method? It does make sense, at least to me.



IBS_not_b_good said:


> I am not sure of the brand but i will be going to that doctor within the next 2 weeks and i will ask her and let everyone know. She did say almost all other probiotics cannot survive stomach acids though.


Awesome! Let me know what you find out!


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## IBS_not_b_good (Apr 7, 2014)

Anna- I will keep you posted!


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## wumonty (Jan 10, 2008)

not to bust your bubble, but i've been going to this for almost 20 years. from my understand, if the colonoscopy biopsy show negative. the md's are in uncharted territory. i've been through 5 gi docs.. very frustrating. especially the ones that just want to treat the symptoms. or think we are crazy..


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

Have you tried natural PB foods like greek yogurt, Kefir, kombucha, saurkraut, etc?

I'd start with Kefir or Kobmucha if you can find it. Leave the pills alone. Who knows whats in those.


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

annap417 said:


> The enema idea is pretty novel. Have you tried it/heard about results from this method? It does make sense, at least to me.


Don't want to be too wierd, but I did try the enema method myself and it does help me. Many years ago I went to a Natural Hygiene type health retreat where they used this kind of enema kit (the bucket I mean):

http://www.amazon.com/Enema-Bag-and-Bucket-Set/dp/B000PU6H4I

They actually had a class on why enemas are good etc...... I think now you can just look for it on youtube if you want theory. You'll find a lot of people using it while fasting, which is pretty much what they were doing.

Anyway, much later, when I put two and two together I thought... hey, why do I put wheatgrass juice in there? It doesn't do much for me... probiotics would help me more. And so I've done that instead. I usually use part of a probiotic capsule and a bit of vitamin c (for acidity) in each bucket and it takes about 4 buckets of water to "get to clear" (where what went in is pretty much what comes out). Note that if you want to do it until "clear" that takes about 2 hours of time, and rushing it would just make it painful.

The (temporary) gut happiness that comes with this process can't be overstated, but it is pretty yukky. If you can get over the ikk factor, I recommend it. As time went on, I've stopped doing that much. I now use magnesium citrate if I want to "clear out" and kefir keeps me populated with good stuff. I think, if I were trying to only target my colon though, with probiotics, I'd get the kit out.

Reasons I stopped doing this:

1. If I have a well, there's always a risk of C. difficile in the water, so I have to preboil the water before use... having city water has its own dangers as well. So basically, water quality is one reason. Distilled water is traditional.

2. Time factor, you tie up the bath room for about 3 hours. Prep, enema, shower.

3. Wierd factor, how do you explain to your kids what you're doing?

4. Bathroom must be super-clean factor (that probe that goes inside your body can carry germs that attack. Every surface in that bathroom must be spotless, I've learned that from experience. Family bathrooms are rarely spotless unless freshly cleaned.

One way to be successful doing this is to rent a hotel room for a day, maybe in a resort type hotel. Take a mini vacation alone, do the deed in an already spotless bathroom that doesn't have toothpaste spit in the sink, etc.. and then after showering, sit in a hot tub for a few minutes, then go for a swim before having a nap. You can either trust the water, or bring distilled.

That was probably TMI, but oh well.


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## resa (Apr 23, 2014)

I had a horrible reaction to Align and was afraid to take probiotics again until I finished a course of Rifaximin back in September of last year. I have been taking Jarrow probiotics since then with no problem. I think that Align has some weird additives in it.


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## atilla (Apr 6, 2014)

I have never had good results from probiotics. Especially like others mentioned that the first week or so was hell. Is there any way that whatever changed in you from that point isn't agreeing with the gluten free diet? I'm just kind of thinking out of the box. I wouldn't think that taking one day of probiotics of any kind would have such a long duration of consequences, but anything is possible. The clearing out idea can't hurt, well... you know what I mean.


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## justbe123 (Apr 29, 2014)

I have successfully been taking FloraSmart extra strength probiotics for many years. A while back Align was on sale, and I had heard good things so I decided to try the 60 (90?) day pack. Align deffinetly made thigns worse, I perservered throught the box thinking my body was just adjusting but switched back to FloraSmart when I finished the box. Things returned to how they were.

The point being, try different probiotics. Align dosn't work then try FloraSmart or another brand; they all work slightly differently.


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## annap417 (Nov 29, 2013)

Hey everyone, thank you all for continuing to respond. I haven't been getting the emails saying there has been a post. Is there a way I can change that? I checked off email for updates but I haven't been getting them...



legbuh said:


> Have you tried natural PB foods like greek yogurt, Kefir, kombucha, saurkraut, etc?
> 
> I'd start with Kefir or Kobmucha if you can find it. Leave the pills alone. Who knows whats in those.


Funny you mention those, I tried Kefir and have been on it for a few days, though I might not have started off slow enough. I have had diarrhea for the past two days, pain in my stomach and lower abdomen, and bad nausea. I can't find anything on the internet of Kefir causing diarrhea, so I'm unsure what could be going on. Along with that, I have been really out of it, unable to focus and woke up this morning panicky, unable to stop thinking about what could be wrong with me. Sigh...I'm definitely going through a lot of things on the side (recovering from surgery, facing past abuse in therapy, fighting depression, and struggling to figure out whether to go back to school in the fall) but I have had some good days, where I'm very optimistic and motivated. These digestive problems completely take over though.

This brings me to another question. I've tried GF, and I wasn't 100%, I tried conventional medication, like a Tricyclic to slow my motility and Xifaxan because I got very sick in Nicaragua in 2010, so my doctor thought maybe there was a bacterial overgrowth, and I've tried probiotics. Should I explore a candida diet? Has anyone had experience with this or heard of any pluses?

I know there is a lot of hype around this and not a lot of medical research to back it up. I also see, scrolling through the list of symptoms, that it's pretty easy to diagnose yourself with candida since there are so many symptoms that affect more than just your digestion. Any thoughts on this approach? I'm really running out of hope so I'm very tempted to just give it a try. Couldn't hurt, right? Though I'm still tempted to clear myself out again.



Nojokeibs said:


> Don't want to be too wierd, but I did try the enema method myself and it does help me. Many years ago I went to a Natural Hygiene type health retreat where they used this kind of enema kit (the bucket I mean):
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Enema-Bag-and-Bucket-Set/dp/B000PU6H4I
> 
> ...


Definitely not TMI. I wouldn't have asked about it if I wasn't prepared! I appreciate the information. I might take this route, depending on if I look into try the candida diet.


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## Nojokeibs (Apr 14, 2014)

There's another probiotic you can consider, you can get more info on this forum for it by searching for Florastor. It's a "good fungus" that might battle any candida you have. However, before you spend a lot of money on Saccaromycetes boulardii supplements, it's just a strain of S. cereviciae which is plain old yeast, colonizer of grapes and other raw fruits, and creator of wine and bread. The French have a diet called the Grape Diet which I'm suspecting is likely to have a probiotic effect. The benefit of the supplement is that it's a purified form of one strain. The benefit of eating a lot of grapes every day is that you get lots of different wild yeast strains.

Kefir has a community of bacteria and yeasts, I'm not convinced that all the living creatures in it are listed on the bottle, I've also noticed that sometimes the quality degrades and I get a bottle or two that make me feel gassy and unwell. Then in a couple of weeks it's perfect again. Highly variable product. You can buy the grains and make it yourself if you're concerned about contamination. You can also get kefir grains that work in sugary water only, no dairy.


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## Oscarat (Dec 16, 2013)

I skipped to this so apologise if this has been suggested before. I suffer with Ibs d and avoid dairy at all costs. I've nene taking Optibac daily for a few months now and I must say have improved about 80 percent. I used to have weekly attacks and now maybe monthly. I buy them off amazon In a pack of 80 for about 20 quid and take one daily.

Thought it maybe of use to people.

R


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## Ours Ondine (May 14, 2014)

I agree pro biotics are not helpful or even a sane choice. tried loads none work and all created horrible bacterial overgrowth and pain.

I also can not drink at all any more.  some times I will have one Haferwisen beer and that is nice because of the vitamins.

I am clearing my gut with antibiotics this week and again in 6 months it worked very well 5 years ago and seems to get good reviews all around.

This year I will take the antibiotic cure (Xifaxan 200g 3xdaily for 14+ days) 2 times starting this week and again in 6 months.

better than having a camera ready colon


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## IBS_not_b_good (Apr 7, 2014)

Try pro-flora immune probiotics. They have 2 shells where most other brands have only 1. The first one is there just to get past the acid in your stomach and the second coating breaks down in the intestines where you need the good bacteria. My Doctor told me most other brands are a waste of money because they break down in the stomach where you don't want the bacteria.


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## Colt (May 5, 2011)

Ours Ondine said:


> I agree pro biotics are not helpful or even a sane choice. tried loads none work and all created horrible bacterial overgrowth and pain.
> 
> I also can not drink at all any more.
> 
> ...


Please update us on Xifaxan....this is next on my list. Although I find the use of antibiotics confusing since so many people blame their IBS on antibiotics.

Thanks


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