# actimel



## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi folksAny body out there tried Actimel for IBS-D and how did they get on with it. I have been told its good, but not sure whether to try it or not, more expense if it doesnt work, but I am getting so fed up and down with this that i would try most things at the moment. please help.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

hiTry a real probiotic from a healthfood store, preferably with at least 5 billion cultures in it and containing bacteria from the BIFIDUS family. ACTIMEL is basically a bottle of sugar with a few good bacteria in it for good measure. to achieve any results with actimel you would have todrink 10 or so bottles a day.here are some guidelines about taking and getting teh best out of probiotics.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, S. salivarius, and S. thermophilus and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. 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.CHeersIan


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

hi IanThanks for that. I went to my doctor last night and she reccommended yakult it has lactobacillus casei in it 6.5 billion per bottle, she said it was better than actimel and had more scientific testing and would be the one she would recommend. You say fos can play hell with the tummy, what is fos. The yakult light i looked at has 67% less sugar than the original one.What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics and which is the best one to take to help IBS-D. Will the probiotic drinks like yakult make the diarrhoea worse or should it help it.Cherrypie09


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

HiFOS is a prebiotic, it is basically food for the pro biotic. it is better to eat fresh veg and fruit in place of the FOS. prebiotics in general are a good idea as it gives teh probiotic bacteria sopmething to eat and that in turn helps them populate teh gut in a better way, but try and get it naturally from real foods. Yakult is good. the bacteria in it is a general all rounder, you can drink several bottles a day without hurting your self as well. there isnt really any one probiotic that is best for D, as you will find that sertain strains of bacteria will react better with you than others and what helps you may not help the next person as ever ibs case is slightly different. I spent 12 years trying more than 80% of all probiotic strains before i found the one that has provided me with a 95% total cure of all IBS, GERD and Gastritis illness. The probiotic will not make your D worse, if anything it may constipate you for a very brief period of time, but it certainly will not make it worse. before you start taking probiotics look up herx reaction on teh web. you may or may not be affected by it, but if you are it will only last a very short period of time. you may also want to try taking a multi vitamas well. MULTIBIONTA is an excellent one that is complete and contains a small quantity of several shelf stable pro biotics as well, which you can safely take with yakult. just remember to take them on oan empty stomach 30 minutes before food in teh morning, anbd that goes for any probiotic.cheersIan


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

thanks for the information Ian. I am trying micael mahoneys hypnosis cds and a lactose free diet to see if that helps. how do you keep sain, i have a very bad job not getting uptight over my IBS-D, i do not cope well with it, ive tried thinking positive , but i cant do it. Is one bottle of yakult 6.5 billion enough to take or should it be more a day.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

hiPlay it by ear. one bottle a day is teh reccomended amount by the manufacturer, but you could take one morning and evening. see how you get on with one first for a few weeks and then add another one if you feel that you nbeed to.cheersIan


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

hi Ian.What type of probiotic do you take, and does it work for your IBS-D.


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