# Probiotics



## Peppermint317 (Jul 26, 2009)

I am wondering what kind of sucess has anyone had with taking probiotics in addition to their normal routine. I am trying "Nature Made Acidophilis Probiotics", and within an hour it seems like my stomach distension decreased, and the the gas pains went away. It could just be the power of positive thinking!


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## aunit (Jul 20, 2009)

Awesome news man! I hope my distention goes away. Although the only thing I have tried so far is FENNEL TEA. I think I will go charcoal caps next. Then peppermint, then probiotics and digestive enzymes. I wish u the best! I know distention sucks!


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiA strain of teh bifidus family of probiotics has given me a 98% complete recovery from IBS A (more C). excellent news that you have had some sucess with the bacteria. give it a good few weeks to see the difference though and keep an eye out for the herx reaction.cheersIan


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## cliffinop (Jul 21, 2009)

Ian,Any advice in how to choose the right probiotic? Do I simply look for bifidus probiotics, or is it more complicated than that?


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

hi cliffBifidobacterium infantis 35624 is a very good one to start with, but it is a very personal thing so you may need to try a few before you find one that helps you out. here is some info to help you get teh best from any probiotics that you do take.the following strains have teh most research behind them in IBS studies with good positive outcomes in studies.L. bulgaricus, L. reuteri, L. plantarum, L. casei, B. bifidus, Lactobacillus Plantrum 299V, S. salivarius, and S. thermophilus and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 THERE ARE MANY MANY OTHERS though!here is some general info on taking them, if you dont already know it!They are best taken in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before food. ideally they should be taken for at least 3 weeks as it may take that long to see any results. although some people have a very good reaction in days. after 2 to 3 months they should be stopped for a while. if after a few days you start to notice that you can feel a physical difference or a worsening of your symptoms, start taking them again. other wise, there is no need to continue taking them untill you feel that you do need them. there isnt any harm in taking them as a permanant suppliment if they are taken is small numbers like in actimel or activia yoghurt, but if you are taking 10 billion cultures a day, it is good to give the body a break every now and then.also If at all possible, replace the FOS prebiotic with natural fruit and veg if you can tollerate it. FOS can play hell with the tummy in some people while it dosent bother others.After you start to take the probiotics, you may feel initially worse for a day to a week or so. this is called the herx reaction and unfortunately is perfectly normal. (Google it to get more detailed info). some people are not affected by herx and some are.if it gets too much though, just stopp teh probiotics for a few days and re start them at a half dose for a two weeks, then a three quarter dose for two weeks and then the full dose, and see how you get on with that.The Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 are showing very good results consistently for IBS and there is also emerging studies that may show it does good things for SIBO as well, teh Lactobacillus Plantrum 299V seems to get on very well with women for reasons as yet unknown (although i am hatching a theory or two!)if you can, try and avoid supermarket own brand probiotics and get them from a good healthfood store. if they are astronomically expensive, your probably paying for the name of the brand rather than anything else, so check the strains and ingredients against other brands so you dont spend more than you have to. personally i think all probiotucs should be free for all.Here is a list of probiotics and OTC products that containthem by strain.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProbioticYou should not take probiotics if you are seriously ill or have Serious panctriatic illness or if you are suffering from any illness which impares your imune system without taking advice from your doctor. CHeersIan


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Ian did you get a herx reaction - and if you did - what were your symptoms.?


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## cliffinop (Jul 21, 2009)

Thanks Ian, this is really helpful information! In a way it seems a bit overwhelming, but that seems to be the way with a lot of IBS treatments. I've been checking into probiotics lately. Even at the healthfood store it was impossible to figure out which ones would be good for me and which wouldn't. Cliff


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

JaneThe herx is a bit like a mild flu. some people suffer with it when they start taking probiotics and some do not. here is a pretty good definition of it. The Herxheimer Reaction is a short-term (from days to a few weeks) detoxification reaction in the body. As the body detoxifies, it is not uncommon to experience flu-like symptoms including headache, joint and muscle pain, body aches, sore throat, general malaise, sweating, chills, nausea or other symptoms.This is a normal — and even healthy — reaction that indicates that parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria or other pathogens are being effectively killed off. The biggest problem with the Herxheimer reaction is that people stop taking the supplement or medication that is causing the reaction, and thus discontinue the very treatment that is helping to make them better. Although the experience may not make you feel particularly good, the Herxheimer Reaction is actually a sign that healing is taking place.What Is The Herxheimer Reaction?The Herxheimer Reaction is an immune system reaction to the toxins (endotoxins) that are released when large amounts of pathogens are being killed off, and the body does not eliminate the toxins quickly enough. Simply stated, it is a reaction that occurs when the body is detoxifying and the released toxins either exacerbate the symptoms being treated or create their own symptoms. The important thing to note is that worsening symptoms do not indicate failure of the treatment in question; in fact, usually just the opposite. cheersIan


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## janetmtt (May 28, 2007)

Again thanks - I'm quite curious - hence my question re the HR - to see how people suffer and what symptoms they get.Very interesting!


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## Peppermint317 (Jul 26, 2009)

Thanks for the all the input. I think I am going to try just one pill a day. Yesterday I was dying from all the gas. This may not be the right choice for me, or maybe not the right probiotic.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2009)

Ian & Informed Others,Thank you for sharing your information. Do you know good sources (products) for Lactobacillus Plantrum 299V?Have you heard of Mutaflor? One friend got good initial results with this. I have another friend taking two antibiotics for strep and fungus. We're thinking she should take a strong probiotic and possibly eat prebiotics to help her from getting more yeast overgrowth, etc. as a result of the antibiotics. Any ideas on this?What about digestive enzymes? I ate a bunch of cherries and blueberries, and have had a stomach/intestinal pains for two days from it. I ate chicken hours after hoping it would create some balance in my stomach. But I've woken up still with the intestinal pains. I took one digestive enzyme from Garden of Life, but it didn't help. Any ideas on enzymes?Thank for your experience and information,Barbara/[email protected]


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiYou can get it herehttp://www.metagenics.com/products/a-z-pro...list/LactoFlamXyou can also try your local healthfood store.cheersIan


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2009)

Thank you Ian.What do you know about Mutaflor? It's supposed to be particularly active in the colon, promoting healthy e-coli, but the research is a few years old. So, I'm curious if it's "outdated" or [email protected]


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiI have never heard of it, but if it works for you then it is all good. there are so many different brands on the market its impossible to keep up with them all, but they all contain only a handfull of teh same bacteria in different combinations and quantities, so in one way or another, they will all do the same thing in a very round about way. the diference between them is the shelf stability, combination of bacteria and bacterial numbers.cheersIan


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