# How can I tell if a probiotic is working?



## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I finished with my last course of antibiotics on October 25th and I started Align on October 28th. The ABs remedied my symptoms (D/abnormal stool and bloating, primarily), but since starting Align I have noticed absolutely no change in my body. I experienced no herx reaction either.... Should I be expecting something noticeable from the Align? Is there a way to tell if it's working or not?If the bacteria are colonizing like they should be would I be "feeling" something from it or not?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I never felt anything with any of them. Never had a herx reaction or anything.However my fart frequency drops by a lot after a few days to a week or so. But that doesn't feel like anything other than I don't need to fart as often.If the farting and other symptoms are already low from the antibiotics it may just stay low for longer with the probiotics than it would if you didn't do anything at all.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

Kathleen M. said:


> If the farting and other symptoms are already low from the antibiotics it may just stay low for longer with the probiotics than it would if you didn't do anything at all.


Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking (that the symptoms that were relieved by the ABs would take longer to recur). But then I read something online somewhere that stated that if you feel no effects from probiotic, then the bacteria could potentially be dead. Hopefully that's not the case. Align ain't cheap. I'd hate to be wasting $ on dead Bs.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The problem is if you don't have symptoms and the only way to know if it is working is you don't have symptoms, then it is hard to know if you don't feel anything because you CANNOT feel anything right now. Align is typically a good brand that seems to have active cultures and is made by someone I tend to trust to be able to make it, so I would assume it is OK and all you might notice is it will take longer to relapse or the relapse won't be as bad when it happens.


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