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Probiotics causing gas

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Posted 2/22/2008 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
I started using probiotics last week and have had horrible gas attacks after dinner.  Is this normal for the initial phase of using probiotics? 

Thanks. 

Posted 2/22/2008 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
For many it can be...it's considered the "die-off" mode, things should improve though...but it's important to continue with it daily...gas can also be a symptom of having IBD and it might just be coincidence that your gas problems started up soon after you started taking probiotics.

:)
Posted 2/22/2008 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Watch for the VSL#3 sachets...some have corn starch added which can cause the worst gas and rumbling...(spoken from personal experience).  I use the capsules and they do make a world of difference.  Florastor causes gas still and I can't figure out why.  Even my hubby who has the healthiest colon has a hard time with them. 

Good luck

Chris

Posted 2/22/2008 7:35 AM (GMT 0)
I'm just taking an over the counter lactobacillus acidophilus - one tablet a day.
Posted 2/22/2008 2:46 PM (GMT 0)

nikki0294 said...
Watch for the VSL#3 sachets...some have corn starch added which can cause the worst gas and rumbling...(spoken from personal experience). I use the capsules and they do make a world of difference. Florastor causes gas still and I can't figure out why. Even my hubby who has the healthiest colon has a hard time with them.
Good luck Chris

I had to look this up again, but thought I remembered Florastor has Saccharomyces boulardii, a strain of yeast, as its main (if not only) strain of probiotic. Ironically, Elaine Gottschall (of the SCD) says this strain is a big no-no for folks with CD or UC. S. boulardii is also listed as a probiotic to aviod on the ASCA diet. (ASCA=Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibodies) I've only just begun to read about this, but best I can tell ASCA IgG or IgA is a blood measure of a dietary reaction to yeast.

If it is true that this is not a good strain for folks with CD or UC, then it may explain the excess gas situation Florastor caused. eyes VSL and *most* other probiotics I've looked into do not have S. boulardii, but it's worth checking to make sure!

Here is a study on ASCA levels in celiac folks, and it also mentions CD:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17379081

Here's a brief list of ASCA list of foods to avoid:

http://www.dryarnell.com/Files/Yeast_food_to_avoid.pdf

I find this all very interesting because the ONLY airborne allergy my son tested positive for when we began cursory allergy testing prior to his CD diagnosis was mold/yeast.
Posted 2/22/2008 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
Make sure your probiotic doesn't have and PRE-BIOTICS (FOS) it's a sugar that feeds the probiotics and you don't really need it. It causes ATROCIOUS gas and it's awful.
Posted 2/22/2008 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
some probiotics are from the YEAST family I learned this the hard way ended up with a bloated gut and a yeast infection google the name of the probiotic you are taking.
Posted 2/22/2008 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
I do well with primadophilus reuteri, one/day, very affordable, must be kept cold but that's the only down-side, has guaranteed intestinal release, aids with high cholesterol, lactose intolerance and vaginal health for women (men can take it too of course) but I had all of the above issues and don't anymore and it really has helped (along with the other things I take) with my CD and IBS symptoms.

And the ingredients are safe, just a little potatoe starch for preservation...no added sugars or anything.

No side effects either, gas or bloating and such.


:)

Posted 2/23/2008 1:51 AM (GMT 0)
You should try a probiotic that is made up of several strains of good bacteria. I use Garden of Life Primal Defence.
Posted 2/23/2008 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
You guys are so smart! I just thought the extra gas was because of the bacterial war going on in my intestines between the the probiotics and the bad bacteria. I take Flora Q, does anyone know if it contains yeast or sugar? Not seeing anything on the label. GI put me on it 4 times a day. With each meal and at bedtime.
Posted 2/23/2008 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hey broom--I cracked up at the bacterial war analogy! I looked up Flora Q. That looks like a good one! No sugar, no yeast, AND it advertises being gluten-free! :-)
Posted 6/12/2008 7:26 AM (GMT 0)
Most likely the result of herxheimer reaction - as stated above the "die off" of all the bad bacteria caused by the ingestion of the good bacteria.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarisch-Herxheimer_reaction

This probably a good sign that good things are happening and as has already been suggested keep going just monitor it closely and adjust the intake accordingly but don't stop or you'll end up having to start all over again.

The theory of taking probiotics is that you're populating your intestinal flora with good bugs which kills off or displaces the bad bugs. Therefore you pretty much need to continue indefinitely. You may need to work up to a stronger dose for a time in order to "win the battle" initially and then will be able to taper off to a maintenance dose.

Concur with the statments that a month or especially a few samples just isn't going to be enough to see any positive results.

In Jini's Wild Oregano Oil/Probiotic protocol it is suggested that you may need to do two or even three or more cycles of heavier dosages in order to completely kill off a persistent over population of bad bugs.

So, stay the course and keep up the good fight!

It's taken me a couple of years and I've only recently not had the gas problem that I once had. I credit this to the Wild Oregano Oil/Probiotic protocol found in the book Listen to Your Gut found under Crohn's books in the HW resource directory.
Posted 3/15/2012 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
My Daughter is 16 she has been sick since 3 months old w vomiting & migrans. I think its C.D because if she eats breat pizza beagles ect. shes sick bad!! but the probiotics help ALOT! now i bought a bottle from GNC and i took one and my stomach is killing me!! Abby is fine it did;nt affect her, will this go away? and when? Its been 6 hours now and this hurts!! is there anything i can do?? I been drinking lots of water even warm water, nothings helping yeah
Posted 3/15/2012 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have a science background, but I read all I can, and I still get so confused by the conflicting information about probiotics. I have tried multiple probiotics in the past including VSL #3, Align, and Flora Source, all that have several strains of bacteria. I didn't have bad effects, but I never noticed any improvement in my symptoms either. After my latest c.diff infection, I started on Florastor on the advice of some of the folks here. I know it is yeast based, and so I was hesitant, but it is the first and only probiotic that seems to help. I was having excessive gas and bloating, and it has helped a lot...I started only once a day and now I take it twice daily. My best non-scientific guess is that each one of us has our own unique bacteria balance and so we all respond differently to different probiotics. Lakergal, I suggest that you try a different brand than the one you are using. I just kept taking probiotics because in theory it seemed logical, but I am certain that the Florastor has made a significant change for me. Just my two cents...
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