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Anyone worse after taking a probiotic?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 3/25/2011 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
So my IBS has settled a bit but I still have gerd/gastritis. I have been hearing about probiotics a lot so I decided to try it. Oh boy, here comes the gas,cramps, rumbling, nausea and of course diarrhea. I think the probiotic made me worse and I stopped taking it. Has anyone else tried them and do they help at all and I just didn't give it enough time?
Posted 3/25/2011 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Probiotics are notorious for causing gas. Sometimes you have to ramp up slowly. Sometimes you have to try a bunch to see which one works for you. It's too complicated for me so I have never used any probiotics except for the live cultures naturally in yogurt (not the ProActive kind of yogurt either). I think your reaction is totally normal.
Posted 3/25/2011 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Tinlou how long did you take them for?

I have never heard "robiotics are notorious for causing gas" personally. In fact the opposite.
Posted 3/29/2011 8:26 PM (GMT 0)
Shawn, see the bottom of this page, where it says "Side effects of probiotics may include mild, temporary digestive complaints, such as gas and bloating."

Also medicinenet, and Mayo, and Healthline....

Increases in abdominal gas and wind are considered typical side effects of starting probiotics.

Posted 3/29/2011 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
Culturelle gave me horrid gas and diarrhea in excess of 10 times a day.
Posted 3/29/2011 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Culturelle did me too Ides. Horrible!

But with probiotics, sometimes you just need to find the one your body agrees with. I went thru several before I found one that agreed with me. The key is to start slowly and work your way up. It may increase gas and gurgling in the beginning but once your body gets used to it, it is actually supposed to be very beneficial.
Posted 3/30/2011 1:11 PM (GMT 0)
Someone on the Colitis forum takes and highly recommends the probiotic I am taking. There wasn't any intestinal upset, no gurgling, no gas, no D. It just seemed to level everything out inside for me and aids in the twice daily Colace that I take, to keep my stool as consistent as possible. For me I am existing w/o my lower colon (gone because of cancer) so my symptoms mimic IBS at times. All I know is this is a somewhat pricey probiotic but it really, really helps me:

Purchased at your local Health Food Store, in the chilled section near flaxseed oils, organic yogurt, etc.:

Renew Life/Ultimate Flora/Critical Colon (aqua box)
80 billion count (they offer 5 to 150 billion count varieties, I think)
Around $45-47 for a bottle of #30 capsules

I take my probiotic dose on a completely empty stomach at bedtime. If I am experiencing more IBS like syptoms, I might take 2 a day, one in am, one in pm. Or double up at bedtime.

Post Edited (Marsky) : 3/30/2011 7:14:52 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/31/2011 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
I stopped taking the probiotic and actually feel better. I have heard of the "die off" effect that apparently happens, meaning my being sick, nauseous, gas, ect.. was my bodies way of cleaning out the toxins enhanced greatly because of the probiotics. Maybe so, but I really didn't feel like feeling that lousy so I just stopped them altogether.
Posted 3/31/2011 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
Tinlou - the important thing is you paid attention to what your specific GI tract needed. Sounds as if you made the right call. We are all different, what works for one of us, doesn't for the next person. It sometimes is very frustrating managing all of this, it's a real trial and error.

Glad you are feeling better.
Posted 4/19/2011 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
I've had problems with too much probiotic in the past. It doesn't seem to bother me much more recently but my son is miserable on a higher dose. I had him on 500 million cultures and this new one has 2.5 billion. He also had some apple juice on a fairly empty stomach so that could be part of it too. Poor kid. We don't have his IBS under control at all. It is newly diagnosed. Mine is well controlled. Right now all he'll eat is pasta, popcorn, poptarts and chicken nuggets. I am not going to give him any more apple juice and I'm going to stop the probiotic for a while. This is all complicated by him having asperger syndrome. We cut out dairy. I may have to cut out wheat, too. Then he'll be eating nothing. He's losing weight quickly.
Posted 4/20/2011 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
mimmom

Has he ever been tested for celiac?

apple juice can be problematic in higher quantities.

Keep me informed here on him, because there maybe something you might be able to try that could be effective for him.

Was he diagnosed with IBS by a gi doc? How old is he?


Probiotic Bacteria and IBS
Y. Ringel, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Member, UNC Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders


http://www.med.unc.edu/ibs/files/educational-gi-handouts/Probiotics%20and%20IBS.pdf



Video Corner: Gut Flora, Probiotics and Antibiotics

Eamonn Quigley MD
•A role for probiotics in the treatment of IBS?
•Issues of safety and effectiveness with probiotics?
•How can probiotics work in treating IBS?


http://www.aboutibs.org/site/learning-center/video-corner/gutflora
Posted 4/20/2011 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
mimmom,

You mentioned that your sons iBS is not under control but after I read the food list that he eats those foods are probably causing him grief.  Popcorn is irritating, poptarts and chicken nuggets both processed and sugary foods, pasta is ok but many people with colon problems find carbs like pasta harmful.  Rice noodles, rice cereal, rice crackers are usually better digested than wheat  products. 

Since you cut out dairy have you tried substituting soy or rice milk.  Both come in different flavours like reg, chocolate and vanilla.  They are actually pretty good.

Processed and boxed foods should be cut out, if you can eat lean meats, fish, rice and cooked veggies.  Fruits like bananas are usually tollerable. 

You mentioned apple juice as a problem I have a son who reacts to the smallest amount of applejuice.  His behavour gets aggressive, he is so out of control but he craves it.  When he was younger no one believed that apple juice could be the cause of so many problems but after eliminating it from the house things got better.  He is now 10 and I still cringe when someone offers him juice with apple in it.

As for the probiotics have you tried the Renew Life Ultimate Critical Care-many of us on the UC forum do very well on this one. 

Have you tried small amounts of a fibre like Metamucil?  My son takes it a bedtime 1tsp and loves the results of being able to go to the bathroom regularly in the morning.

Posted 4/20/2011 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
My son is 14 and has asperger syndrome. Getting him to change is VERY difficult, but he is seeing that he needs to change. He ate rice today for the first time ever. He eats no veggies and apples are the only fruit he will eat. So far popcorn doesn't seem to be bothering him but really we're JUST getting started with him on this. He's missed lots of school and I'm just barely hanging on. He used to eat pbj on whole grain bread but he won't even attempt it right now. I think it was the chocolate milk he was drinking that was the problem but he's associating it with the PBJ. We hardly ever gave him poptarts before and I'm just trying to get calories in until we can figure out what he can AND WILL eat. He has trouble with food textures and believe me it isn't pretty. He will TRY new foods and vomit at the table from the texture. He is losing weight. Once I tried giving him only what I wanted him to have and he was consuming his own muscle mass of which he had little because he wouldn't eat. He was literally starving himself. So yes, these are great ideas, but every time I try them I end up with more food he won't eat and it just makes me want to cry. The fact that he ate plain white rice today was progress of epic proportions. I've heard about some good rice noodles that I might try. I was giving him benefiber. Is that a good one? He doesn't seem to mind it. There is no flavor. I think it's all soluble fiber. Popcorn provides fiber and he loves it. If I notice him having trouble with it, I'll cut it out, but for now I'm going to just leave it alone.

Miriam
Posted 4/20/2011 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
mimmom you have your hands full. If your son likes chocalate milk there is a Almond milk they have in chocolate that is awsome. I use the regular flavor on my cereal and it is really GOOD. Just pick up a carton at the store amd read all the vitamins,calcium, and antioxidants that are in it. Alot better then milk and I think he will love the chocolate. Doed he like chocolate milkshakes? I know the trick is to make him think he is getting junk yeah . Im a mom and grandma of kids with severe allergies. Anyway there is chocolate Yougurt that taste alot like ice cream and you can add alot if goodies in a milk shake. Probiotic powder, carnation breakfast mix with vitamins, whatever he need. We use to make blizzards just like Dairy Queen but with alot of added goodies wink . Made icees also. Good luck hope he fells better soon. I am having problems with the probiotics and am going to try a different one. I love this site, it helps me more then any Dr. ever has.  Take care.
Posted 8/22/2015 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
Have a go with milk kefir. I have been using it for years and swear by it, makes my digestive system feel great.
Get some kefir grains and make it yourself. It is lush.
The kefir removes most of the lactose from the milk whilst it is culturing.
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