# Ok, the VSL#3 is out of the fridge!



## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

I bought the probiotic VSL#3 many weeks ago and it has been in my fridge ever since. I didn't use it because I was trying some other things first. Anyway, I started it 3 days ago, nothing to report yet but I wouldn't expect anything to work that quickly. I have seen some results of certain trials which didn't score VSL#3 very highly and so I am feeling a little discouraged. However, having bought it (and it is expensive) I need to try it so at the very least I can cross it off my list of things to try. I would like to know if anyone here has tried this and what sort of results they had? I am IBS-C and I have also started taking Activia yoghurt every day, Men's Life Force Multiple vitiamins as suggested elsewhere on this site as well as the laxative Movicol (like Miralax but sold in the UK). So my friends, has anyone tried VSL#3?


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

hi mateyou have nothing to fear. try it and see what happens, if you feel any worse, just stop it and it will be out of your system on a couple of days. you may feel herx reaction, but again, if you feel that bad, juyst stop it and you will feel better in a couple of days. i am personally not a fan of VSL3 but that is a purely personal thing, not based on what it contains or how it made me feel, which was fine, but rather an issue with the way that the company cultures their probiotic bacteria. (its a long story and you would have to be a bacteria nerd like me to get excited by it!)cheersIan


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## IBD/IBS Author (May 24, 2007)

When trying new things to treat your IBS, try them one at a time. If you're trying the Activia right now, then do that for 2-4 weeks and see how you feel. If fine or better, then add the VSL#3 and see how you feel. The problem with trying new things together is, if you have a negative reaction, even something like bloating or gas, you won't know which of the things you're trying - Activia or the VSL - is causing it. RE: VSL - It's like everything else, it helps some and not others. Won't know 'til you try. Good luck!Elizabeth


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## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

Elizabeth, thanks for the advice but I prefer to try 2 or 3 things at a time. If I feel worse then I will not know which one it is and so then I will have to try them one at a time. However, there are so many things to try so I like to move things on a bit if I can. I have been taking the VSL#3 for 8 days so far. It hasn't made me feel any worse and neither has the Activia, and it is too early to see any improvement but I will report back in due course. I was hoping to hear from others here who had tried VSL#3 and had some success but alas nobody has come forward, not very promising.


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## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

Here is my update. I have now taken VSL#3 for the last month and alas no improvement. I took 1 sachet per day. It does say you can take between 1 and 4 sachets per day. Considering that there are 450 billion cultures in each capsule which makes it by far the strongest on the market I figured 1 was enough. It is also quite expensive but if it had helped my symptoms I would be happy to pay ten times the price. Not heard here from anyone else who had success with this so maybe I should move on. I should say that I recently saw a top GI doc who suggested VSL#3 but I guess it just didn't suit me.


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Or you didn't take enough??Thai


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## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

Thai said:


> Or you didn't take enough??Thai


Thai, well you may be right. Do you use VSL#3 and if so have you had good results and if so what amount do you take?My thought process was that VSL#3 sachets have 450 billion cultures per capsule which is by far and away more than any other probiotic. As an example Align is very popular but it only has 1 million cultures. In addition I was also taking Natrens Healthy Trinity which have 60 billion cultures. So I thought that this should be more than enough.


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## IanRamsay (Nov 23, 2008)

Hi450 Bil is right at the top end of what i would call an acceptable dose on a daily basis. there is only so much bacteria that the human body can process at one time. as you have given it a month, move on mate. to be honest, alot of people have teh same response as you have to VSL 3. its just hit and miss.cheersIan


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Sorry for the delay in my response.Have been laid up.To answer your ?.....no I do not take VSL#3The reason that I asked was that you said the box said to take 1-4 sachets per day and you only took one.If it was me, I would have started at one and gone up from there if there was no change.Go up to the four and then if there is no change.........give up and try something else.Just my way of going about this whole trial and error procedure that we are all on.Thai


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## idkwia (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks to both Ian and Thai.Like Ian, I just thought that up to 4 sachets a day is too much. Also, I had seen results of a number of trials for VSL#3 and none of them had showed much in the way of significant improvement so I thought that 1 a day for a month was enough. So I have moved on.


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