# Florastor has any one tried



## vere76 (Jul 14, 2002)

Q: How is Florastor™ different from Lactobacillus Acidophilus? A: The Saccharomyces boulardii lyo found in Florastor is a non-pathogenic yeast, Lactobacillus Acidophilus is one of the many positive bacteria called micro flora that is found in our intestinal tract. Saccharomyces boulardii lyo will help increase the amount of micro flora in the intestinal tract. It can be taken right along with any brand of Lactobacillus, and it will increase the effectiveness and the implanting of the flora. Saccharomyces boulardii lyo will act as a temporary flora until the re-establishment of the bodies own micro flora. When you stop taking Florastor it will leave the body within three to four days, leaving behind equilibrium of the intestinal tract. Q: What does "clinically tested" mean? A: The active ingredient in Florastor™ Saccharomyces boulardii lyo has been tested and researched in numerous controlled human clinical trials with infants as young as a week old to the elderly under the supervision of doctors and nurses. Q: Who should take Florastor™? A: If you know that your digestive tract is sensitive to changes in diet or stress, or if you have developed unexplained diarrhea, if you find that you seem to be sensitive to different foods, or are experiencing any type of intestinal problem you might consider trying Florastor™, regardless of your age. Florastor™ helps maintain the balance of intestinal flora, and helps keep your intestinal tract on track. Go to our learning center and you can review all the different problems Florastor was used on. Q: Do I need to take Florastor™ with food? A: Florastor™ can be taken with food or away from food. It can be mixed into food or juice (best is apple juice) for those who are not able to swallow tablets or capsules. Q: Are there any side effects to taking Florastor™? A: Some people have reported mild headaches or mild constipation when taking Florastor™. These symptoms are mild and subside quickly. When you take Florastor; you can avoid these side effects by drinking plenty of water when on the product. Q: Is Florastor™ and the capsule gluten and wheat free? A: Yes, Florastor™ and the capsule are free of gluten and wheat ingredients, they also do not contain any animal origin ingredients or GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). The capsule is a vegetarian capsule. Q: Is Florastor™ safe to take while taking other drugs, etc? (Vitamins, other dietary supplements, or prescription drugs) A: Yes, Florastor™ is not affected by other medications and will not affect or interfere with them; Florastor should not be taken with oral systemic antifungal medications (Fluconazole, Nystain, Ketoconazole, Itraconazole etc). Natural anti-fungals or carminative like therapies (Garlic, Grape Seed extract, Oregon Grape, Berberine, etc.) do not seem to disturb or affect the workings Saccharomyces boulardii lyo found in Florastor Q: What time of day should I take Florastor™? A: You should take two Florastor™ capsules twice a day. It is recommended to take two capsules in the morning and two in the evening. Q: Florastor has Lactose and I am dairy sensitive can I still take Florastor? A: The strain Saccharomyces boulardii lyo found in Florastor has been fermented from the tropical fruit litchis; and lactose is a natural enzyme found inside the skins of the fruit. The amount of lactose found in Florastor is very small, many lactose and dairy sensitive people report good results with the product and there has been very good feed back from doctors who deal in food allergies that Florastor has been beneficial for them. But as in any therapy be sure to consult your health care physician when starting a program. Q: Does Florastor need to be refrigerated? A: NO, the Saccharomyces boulardii lyo found in Florastor is patented processed at the temperature of the intestinal tract, so does not require refrigeration. This makes it ideal for traveling to prevent travels diarrhea. Q: If I am allergic to yeast can I still take Florastor? A: Florastor has been studied in recurring yeast infections (candida) with about 60 to 70% success just using Florastor and nothing else. The yeast that people have problems with is referred to as pathogenic yeast; Saccharomyces boulardii lyo is non-pathogenic yeast. It will not stay in the body, and it creates an environment that pathogenic yeast does not like to survive in. When beginning any therapy program be sure to consult your health care physician before starting a program. Q: What effect does Florastor have on my intestinal tract? A: Saccharomyces boulardii lyo secretes a 54KDa protein protease, which has been shown to neutralize certain bacterial toxins and prevent the negative bacteria from adhering to the intestinal tract receptor sites. It has shown to stimulate an immune response in the intestinal mucosa, secretory IgA and IgG, which then helps, strengthens the digestive tract’s defenses against infection. In studies it has been shown to increase a trophic or repair effect by enhancing the metabolic structure of the mucosa. Saccharomyces boulardii lyo releases what are referred to as polyamines: (spermine, spermidine, putrescine), which are implicated in stimulating the enzymatic activity of the colonic mucosa in growing, multiplying, and repairing of intestinal impaired cells. When these polyamines are released there is an increase in disaccharidases enzymes (Lactase, sucrase, maltase). The absence of these enzymes will increase certain forms of diarrhea, especially food allergy associated diarrhea. Florastor will also re-establish the properties of normal intestinal micro flora, and normal intestinal balance when any disruption of the ecological system of the intestinal tract occurs. Go to our learning center to review any of the studies pertaining to the workings of Saccharomyces boulardii lyo.


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## canada dry (Feb 18, 2002)

vere76:I was hoping you would get some feedback wrt to Florastor. I too am interested in this product. I know that individuals with c difficile have used it. Here is a link to what I found by searching the BB. http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...774-142150-8EUX


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## vere76 (Jul 14, 2002)

bump


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## vere76 (Jul 14, 2002)

Saccharomyces boulardii Info SheetPWA Health GroupMay, 1996What Is It Really?Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) is a live yeast packaged in capsules and sold over the counter in Europe to treat diarrhea. Studies suggest that SB protects the gut from amebas and cholera, may keep candida from spreading, alleviates diarrhea caused by c. difficile, Crohn's disease and diarrhea of unknown cause in PWAs, and traveller's diarrhea. How's It Work?We don't know. Test tube results show it doesn't directly kill the bugs (bacteria, fungi, or parasites) causing infection. Theories of how it works include: 1) SB or something it produces may prevent gut inflammation that causes diarrhea, by interfering with how various bugs bind to gut cells; 2) SB might increase certain protective immune proteins that in turn kill the infection-causing bugs; and/or 3) SB might be a superior non-toxic competitor with amebas and candida in the intestine ("There ain't room in this gut for the both of us."). Clinical Studies in PWAsThere's only been one so far, as one in Seattle was cancelled. In a French study, 30 PWAs with chronic, severe (watery, 4-8 liters/day) diarrhea from no known cause, all with a history of CMV, MAI and KS, took 3 grams (3000 mg) of SB per day. Within two days, the volume of their diarrhea had been reduced to 1 liter. By the eighth day on SB, their stools were normally formed. SB for C. Diff DiarrheaTaking antibiotics can cause diarrhea by killing off little organisms you need to maintain a healthy digestive system. Then other naturally occurring bacteria and yeast may rage out of control 97 without their natural predators to keep them in check. C. diff is one of the most difficult of these antibiotic-caused diarrheas to treat, mostly because it's so resistant to most other antibiotics. It's usually treated with vancomycin - a fairly toxic drug, that often fails, with recurrence of severe diarrhea. Several studies of SB have been conducted in people with antibiotic diarrheas. In one, 13 people with recurrent C. diff tried a regimen of thirty days SB plus 10 days of vancomycin - 11 were cured with no recurrence of C. diff. A placebo controlled study of 180 people on various antibiotics reported that 22% of the people on placebo got diarrhea, but only 9.5% on SB did. A study of SB for infants with C. diff reported dramatic results as well. Studies for Other DiarrheasThe largest placebo controlled study of SB was in 3000 Austrians who took 250 or 1000mg while they travelled abroad. People on SB got significantly fewer cases of diarrhea than those on placebo, and there were less cases on high dose than low dose. Another study evaluated SB in 20 patients with Crohn's disease, a life-long syndrome where people suffer from severe diarrhea, gut pain and weight loss. They were all treated with SB (250 mg 2x/day) for two weeks. All had fewer bowel movements. Half stayed on SB, while the others were put on placebo for another ten weeks. Those on SB had reductions in bowel movements while the group on placebo went back to the same number of bowel movements that they had had when the study began.Side Effects and ToxicityFew side effects have been reported from the use of SB. People with yeast allergies should not take SB, and some people have complained of itchiness and facial swelling (sounds like...yeast allergy). Because this product is composed of live yeast, you must not drink alcohol for it to be effective. Alcohol will kill the yeast. It is important to drink a lot of other liquids when you have a case of diarrhea to avoid dehydration. SB is a different yeast than candida, which causes oral and vaginal thrush. SB does not increase thrush and in fact may lessen or prevent thrush infections. Some are concerned that since this is a living organism it may take root in an immune-compromised person and cause systemic infections. A number of people with AIDS have been on SB for more than a few years without any reported complications. But there have been three reported cases of systemic SB fungal infections. In two cases, patients had perforated colons after surgery, which allowed the yeast to escape their GI tracts. Both responded quickly to a course of Ampho B. A very ill one year old girl treated with SB and 6 antibiotics for pneumonia, diarrhea, and fever developed an SB fungal infection. She was treated successfully with Fluconazole and improved overall with the use of aspirin. We must remember that she is an infant, and her system is substantially different than an adults. Normally, the yeast doesn't get absorbed; it moves right through the GI tract and is excreted in the stool in 3 to 5 days. Contact your doctor if you have any conditions that may cause a rupture in your GI tract (CMV, KS, MAC, ulcer) and you are taking SB. Drug InteractionsGood News: If you take SB with certain antibiotics, namely clindamycin and amoxicillin, the level of SB in your gut is substantially increased. These antibiotics kill off other organisms that may eliminate the yeast, so elevated levels of SB when taking these antibiotics are good. These drugs can cause C. diff, which SB may keep in check. Bad News: Antifungals can kill SB, just like they kill candida and other fungal infections. Fortunately, fluconazole's effect on SB is minimal, and PWAs who want to try SB can continue to prophylax with a dose of 50-100 mg a day. Even so, for optimal effect, you should not take fluconazole and SB at the same time of the day. DosingThe dose of SB differs depending upon the condition you are using it for, but ranges from 250 - 1000 mg a day. In PWAs with severe diarrhea of unknown cause, the starting dose is at least three times as much - 3000 mg a day. You may not need to continue at this dose - if it gets your diarrhea under control, you can gradually lower your dose till you find the lowest dose that works for you. In the Seattle study, if the SB works after two weeks, the people reduce their dose to 2000 mg a day. If it still works, after two more weeks, the dose is lowered another 1000 mg. This continues until each person finds his or her lowest effective maintenance dose. On-going StudiesAt present, the one American trial for PWAs is closed, because of a company decision to focus on a phase III c. difficile trial, for which any immunocompromised patients are excluded. Most unhelpful and mean. For more information about the study, call Kris Moyer, RN, at (206) 322-5663. Pharmaceutical vs. Health Food SBThere are a few different European pharmaceutical products. In the US, Jarrow, a health food company, makes it. Jarrow's product is less expensive, but may come with lower concentrations of live yeast. How good is the Jarrow yeast? We don't know. It may well be fine. Biocodex, the company with the US license, which clearly has a big financial reason to be biased, claims that they analyzed Jarrow's SB, and that: 1) it suffers from poor quality control; 2) the SB viability was not preserved by the packaging and manufacturing process, so there was a very decreased shelf-life; and, 3) there were nowhere near as many organisms per capsule as Jarrow claimed. Jarrow claims this isn't so, and that their analyses show their product's quality to be fine. Biocodex's results: Jarrow: 500 million yeast per 310 mg capsule Biocodex and Thiemann: 1 billion yeast per 250 mg capsule What We CarryThe Health Group currently carries Thiemann, a Biocodex brand of SB - but it is expensive. At 3000 mg/day, a four day supply costs $33. Jarrow's brand is available from Healing Alternatives (San Francisco, CA) and DAAIR (NYC).This article was provided by PWA Health Group


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