how to help GI symptoms?

Cheezhead

Veteran Member

Joined : May 2007

Posts : 517

Posted 6/28/2007 3:52 AM (GMT 0)

hi everyone, I'm curently trying to get a dx for Lyme disaease for over a year now, I was first dx for ibs "my worst symptom" but have nearly every other symptom of Lyme including exposure to ticks and bulls eye rash. I'm not on any abx yet, but my next Dr's appt. is on the 9th and he plans on starting me on abx then. I've started eating one dannon activa a day, is thier anything else I could do to relieve my ibs. I'm also worried once I'm on abx, I've heard they could cause problems with your tummy.

Canyonbabe711

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Joined : Mar 2006

Posts : 1451

Posted 6/28/2007 5:38 AM (GMT 0)

Keep up the Activia or get some probiotics. They definetly help. yes, they can cause problems but you really have no choice. Why has it been so hard to diagnose Lyme disease. I thought it was a blood test.

Cheezhead

Veteran Member

Joined : May 2007

Posts : 517

Posted 6/28/2007 12:04 PM (GMT 0)

thanks for the reply canyonbabe711, lyme disease in very hard to get dx, thier are many unrelated syptoms and the blood work is not very relieable.

Keriamon

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Joined : Jun 2005

Posts : 2976

Posted 6/28/2007 3:20 PM (GMT 0)

Yes, Lyme disease is hard to catch, is on the rise, and is hard, if not impossible to get rid of. I met a woman who had had it and she said she was almost totally incapacitated for a whole year.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if you don't even have IBS, but the bowel problems are just a side affect of the Lyme disease. Probiotics help when you're on (and for three weeks afterwards) antibiotics, but a lot of other IBS helpful hints may not work for you if indeed your bowel problems are caused by the Lyme disease. BUT, on the other hand, they may improve once the other Lyme symptoms start to improve.

Cheezhead

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Joined : May 2007

Posts : 517

Posted 6/28/2007 6:39 PM (GMT 0)

thanks for the reply keriamon, what are the best, most easily avalible probotics on the market? can I get them at my local drug store or GNC store? thanks again

7Lil

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Joined : Apr 2005

Posts : 3269

Posted 6/28/2007 9:30 PM (GMT 0)

Hi anoyed,
Yes, you can buy probiotics at most drug stores and pretty much all nutrition stores (GNC, etc.). The most common probiotic is Acidophilus... you can find it almost anywhere (even large supermarkets). You can also do a search online for probiotics and see what you come up with. I found that buying them online saves a lot of money. I buy Culturelle online for $15 for 1 month supply, and Kyo-Dophilus for $18 for 3 month supply, whereas in stores they are usually $20/each.
Good luck!

Keriamon

Veteran Member

Joined : Jun 2005

Posts : 2976

Posted 6/29/2007 2:18 PM (GMT 0)

If you can do dairy, about the cheapest way to go is to switch your milk to acidophilus milk and eat an Activa yogurt. But you may want to get the Digestive Advantage or Culturelle to take while you're on the antibiotics, as they are more potent, and use the milk and yogurt as maintenence afterwards.

You can definitely get DA and Culturelle at Walgreens, so you should be able to find them at any major pharmacy chain. As Lil says, though, they are cheaper online, especially if you find that they work and you want to take them long term.

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