# VSL#3 - IBS



## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

hello people.I was fortunately prescried vsl3 as the first probiotic along with librax after diagnosis of IBS. in oct 2009I just took vsl3 10 capsules + 10 librax and went into remission for 4 months. symptom free Unfortunately a virus hit me and i lost my remission...I was stupid not to continue a bland diet and take vsl3 again....instead was taking ciprofloxacin given by the doc..i might have been ibs free if i would have taken care of my diet and taken vsl3 for a few months...Anyways i have started with vsl3 6 days into it and 1 or 2 BM (soft to hard) or rather good consistency ....Actually this year since 3-4 months i am having more formed stools.... my current dosage is 1 vsl3 cap with 2 colostrum cap 1 hr after meal in the morning.no meds,supplements in the evening.Everything seems pretty cool till now...hope i will beat this ibs finally..this time i am quite positive that my gut will be healed with beneficial bacteria and colostrum


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

So vsl3 is the common denominator or do you think its the colostrum too?Good to hear of your improvement.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

I think both colostrum and vsl3 are important


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

Come on guys,,,, please post your experience with vsl3 or if you know someone who did use vsl39 th day of vsl3 and i am still doing fine.....


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Cooldude,i think the problem with vsl3 is that maybe not too many have tried it because of its expense.It definitely interests me but the cost is ridiculous.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

yeah cost is definitely a factor...jmc09...i think gyt dysbiosis is a key factor in most cases.....because most of the people get normal bm after certain antiiotics or after colon flushing/washing whatever you call it...I thought i was cured of ibs just by takin 10 cap of vsl3.... but i was wrong since flu hit me hard and brought back most symptoms...but i should have continued vsl3 and totally eradicated the bad bugs....which i did not,,,so foolish of me....But i think i will get better...one more thing...i urinate a lot these days(3-4 per day) compared to once or twice a day in past couple of years...i think this is a good sign since the gut lining must be healing and absorbing more water....all the best


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

One thing to remember about VSL#3 when looking at the cost is that it has a much higher number of bacteria per dose than most any other probiotic. If you do a by billion bacteria analysis, it is cheaper per billion than most other brand.It is just with 450 billion rather than 1 to 50 billion you find in other brands it is going to cost more.At least there is an obvious reason for increased cost rather than just playing the if we jack up the price people will think it is better quality (which you do see some companies selling supplements do on occasion, you don't get more, but the implication is their $90 a bottle whatever is better than the $20 a bottle anyone else sells, and with independent testing very often cost per pill has nothing to do with if it has the right amount of supplement in it, and VSL#3 as far as I have ever seen testing seems to be one of the companies that can produce what they say is in the product).


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

cooldude said:


> yeah cost is definitely a factor...jmc09...i think gyt dysbiosis is a key factor in most cases.....because most of the people get normal bm after certain antiiotics or after colon flushing/washing whatever you call it...I thought i was cured of ibs just by takin 10 cap of vsl3.... but i was wrong since flu hit me hard and brought back most symptoms...but i should have continued vsl3 and totally eradicated the bad bugs....which i did not,,,so foolish of me....But i think i will get better...one more thing...i urinate a lot these days(3-4 per day) compared to once or twice a day in past couple of years...i think this is a good sign since the gut lining must be healing and absorbing more water....all the best


You certainly have a point regarding some antibiotics helping with ibs.With myself Trimethoprim,Ciprofloxacin and Doxycycline have helped quite a lot when I have taken them.


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

Hi, I have posted in another VSL thread and have just seen yours..I've only just started taking it, into day four and my symptoms are getting worse every day.Am going to keep it up though, they say it takes a while to get the gut back into balance with it. I do massively improve on antibiotics (cephalexin as I am allergic to everything else...). Did you find that your symptoms got worse before they got better on VSL? Also, to add to the bag, I suffer from Fybromyalgia which has gone into a flare since I started VSL.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

MY Symptoms got way better after taking vsl3 in combination with colostrum....i am feeling great and safe...no gas no urgency...solid BM.....Plus i think the VIT B12 shots are working too.....


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

Right, I'm off to get some colostrum today! Sounds like pretty amazing stuff, especially for the gut....Just found this article which makes interesting reading - athelete's suffering from leaky gut taking colostrum. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jun/24/how-colostrum-help-athletes


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

milly have you considered first getting fecal culture test done....and figure out which bacteria,,or microbes are present in the feces...then getting a prescription antibiotic for those microbes,,,,this way you will get the bad organisms out of the gut.....then you can start with vsl3 and colostrum.....


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

cooldude said:


> milly have you considered first getting fecal culture test done....and figure out which bacteria,,or microbes are present in the feces...then getting a prescription antibiotic for those microbes,,,,this way you will get the bad organisms out of the gut.....then you can start with vsl3 and colostrum.....


 Have hade a fecal test done over a year ago but not sure exactly what they tested for.... nothing came up in the results. Have had nearly six months worth of antibiotics for a very aggressive eye/sinus infection which got rid of the stomach problems too, but now that I'm off the antibiotics the stomach probs have returned.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Cooldude.I've ordered both VSL#3 and Colostrum today and its cost me a lot of money,relatively speaking,but after reading your experiences with both and the fact that athletes are using Colostrum,I'm keeping everything crossed for some relief.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

hi millyi think you might have c.diff infection after a log antibiotic course....as the risk is higher...get tested for c.difficle...milly i suggest you to take "florastor" if you have c.difficle infection....jmc...goodluck with your new combination i hope you get your gut healed as i am getting mine..Be sure you dont have unwanted bugs in your gut prior to taking the "colostrum-vsl3" combo....


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

How did you take the VSL3 and Colostrum?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Found this article about Colostrum on WebMD and was interested to see that they said it is used to treat Colitis too.


> Colostrum is a milky fluid that comes from the breasts of humans, cows, and other mammals the first few days after giving birth, before true milk appears. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and proteins (antibodies) that fight disease-causing agents such as bacteria and viruses. Antibody levels in colostrums can be 100 times higher than levels in regular cow's milk.People originally got interested in bovine colostrum because of the high antibody levels. They thought that the antibodies might prevent intestinal infections in people, but they seem to be wrong.Some athletes use bovine colostrum to burn fat, build lean muscle, increase stamina and vitality, and improve athletic performance. Bovine colostrum is not on the banned drug list of the International Olympic Committee.Bovine colostrum is also used for boosting the immune system, healing injuries, repairing nervous system damage, improving mood and sense of well being, slowing and reversing aging, and as an agent for killing bacteria and fungus.*Bovine colostrum is used in the rectum to treat inflammation of the colon (colitis).*Researchers have created a special type of bovine colostrum called "hyperimune bovine colostrum." This special colostrum is produced by cows that have received vaccinations against specific disease-causing organisms. The vaccinations cause the cows to develop antibodies to fight those specific organisms. The antibodies pass into the colostrum. Hyperimmune bovine colostrum has been used in clinical trials for treating AIDS-related diarrhea, diarrhea associated with graft versus host disease following bone marrow transplant, and rotavirus diarrhea in children.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted hyperimmune bovine colostrum "orphan drug status." Under the Orphan Drug Law, drug makers who invest in the development of treatments for rare conditions enjoy special market advantages; for example, permission to sell the drug without competition for 7 years. If these special incentives were not in place, pharmaceutical companies might not develop drugs for rare conditions because the potential market is so small.How does it work?Colostrum is collected from cows that have been vaccinated to produce antibodies that fight the bacteria that cause diarrheal disease. These antibodies appear in the colostrum that is collected as medicine. Though the hope is that these cow antibodies will help fight human disease, the cow antibodies do not seem to be very active in humans.


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

There seems to be some faily dodgy sites preporting colostrum, can you recommend a particular brand - are we allowed to do that on here? Perhaps message me? Have found that one has to be pretty careful buying things like this! There is one site that says it is the leading research company in colostrum but my ivestigations have led to evidence that it doesn't exist, no address, no telephone etc....


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## XXXBerto55 (May 4, 2010)

You may want to see if your doctor will prescribe VSL#3DS for you. This costs me $50 to get two packets a day this way (which is four of the regular servings). By far way cost effective compared to buying it OTC. I haven't picked it up yet even, but this makes it as cheap as any other probiotic basically.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Has anybody in the UK been able to get a prescription for vsl#3 from their doctor?


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## XXXBerto55 (May 4, 2010)

jmc09 said:


> Has anybody in the UK been able to get a prescription for vsl#3 from their doctor?


Oh yeah, sorry, forgot that probably doesn't help those in socialized medicine countries. Just to clarify as well the prescription version is VSL#3DS (which is double strength) I believe. Just thinking those of us in the states might call the insurance company and VSL#3 would not be covered because it's OTC while VSL#3DS might be covered because it's prescription only.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Thanks Berto,it would be nice to think vsl3 is also available here for people who benefit from it.I received my vsl3 yesterday but wondered if the cold pack is supposed to be wrapped around the vsl3 box instead of separately in a different part of the box it came in?I took a sachet last night,it tastes just like yeast to me and had a few foul smelling BMs this morning.It didn't give me any discomfort at all but has left me a touch more bloated and increased my feelings on non evacuation some more.Got colostrum too but wilk wait a day or two before I add it to my regime.


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## Milly1 (Apr 6, 2011)

jmc09 said:


> Has anybody in the UK been able to get a prescription for vsl#3 from their doctor?


I ordered mine from Boots where the assistant said 'you know you can get this on prescription'. I asked my doc who said he would try but wasn't very hopeful. Just had a letter back saying they won't prescribe because it is a 'secondary care' medicine. I think it might depend on where you live etc, the GP's are now responsible for their own funding. I am going to ask the specialist if they will prescribe it though, fingers crossed!


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Thank you for that info Milly,I will try this with my doctor who is usually quite helpful.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

tapering off to 1 cap vsl3 per day...or 1 per alternate day...I got 5 bms day before yesterday when was taking 2 cap vsl3 per day...plus the oduour was pretty sharp...no change in diet...so vsl3 is accountablei think my gut is colonized...it doesnt want extra....any views.....


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I'm really struggling with the VSL a couple of days in. Terrible bloating and trapped wind pains,will this last long as its a bit of a struggle?Would it help if I took it with food?


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## XXXBerto55 (May 4, 2010)

jmc09 said:


> I'm really struggling with the VSL a couple of days in. Terrible bloating and trapped wind pains,will this last long as its a bit of a struggle?Would it help if I took it with food?


I am on day 3, I had bad gas until today as well although my wind escaped!!!! I wasn't saying anything about the availability of VSL#3DS in the socialized countries, just that I have no idea how that works there.....Cooldude.....I'm not sure what you mean about thinking your gut is colonized, from what I understand, probiotics are probably a lifetime subscription. Not sure exactly if you think you want to stop because 5 BMS is bad for you (that's a relatively quiet day for me). I wouldn't think excess "good" bacteria is a bad thing, maybe the good are forcing out the bad and causing you problems?


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

Had to stop this after a few days as I couldn't continue with the effects,it made me much worse than usual.I have no luck with probiotics at all,I think there's something in them that doesn't agree with me,maybe gluten.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

If you have Celiac disease you do have to avoid every last trace of gluten, that includes in probiotics.Even if you find one that is gluten free (VSL #3 is not) the Prebiotics added seem to be a big problem for some IBSers and it can be hard to find one that has no prebiotics, or one you can tolerate. (FOS and Inulin seem to be the worst for that). There seems to be a lot of thought that prebiotics are all good and the bestest for everyone, but the gas producing bacteria don't read the hype saying the prebiotics are probiotic food and the rest of the bacteria should leave them alone. Now they can help the prebiotics, but other bacteria see any bacteria food as their food.Gluten really doesn't create more gas in the system, prebiotics definitely do.


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## XXXBerto55 (May 4, 2010)

jmc09 said:


> Had to stop this after a few days as I couldn't continue with the effects,it made me much worse than usual.I have no luck with probiotics at all,I think there's something in them that doesn't agree with me,maybe gluten.


Sorry to hear that JMC. I am having increased symptoms, however, I am going to go at least ten days to see if they improve. I will be using the Imodium probably more than usual but I want to see if there is improvement after the initial pain. I also did notice a lot of what appeared to be mucus the first couple days and a definite increase in odor.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

my symptoms are less when i take 1 cap per day.....but may people have suggested in their posts about vsl3 to taper off the dose....i dont know why...anyways ibs is complex to understand...really frustrating...


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

jmc09 said:


> Had to stop this after a few days as I couldn't continue with the effects,it made me much worse than usual.I have no luck with probiotics at all,I think there's something in them that doesn't agree with me,maybe gluten.


I also had to stop after the 4th day because it was making things much worse.


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## cooldude (Mar 6, 2011)

1vsl cap per day.....i am okay with this dose only


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