From page 1 of our "New to Lyme?" thread:
Probiotic information shared by member, Healing98:
When I started taking abx, everyone here strongly encouraged me to take probiotics. Something called acidophilus. Well, I went to the store and looked around. I found some that I had seen advertised on TV which seemed expensive to me, and next to them, some generics for just a few bucks with like 9B cultures in it. Not being wealthy, I went for the cheap stuff.
Well, I started taking it but I didn't notice a difference. Because of this, I would take it sometimes, and other times, I was either too lazy or forgetful to take them.
But then, many months later I began to have digestive issues. How could I if I was taking probiotics? So like anything else, I began to do research. Wow! I could not believe what I was reading… there is a whole new world out there!
So After months and months of research, I thought that I would share my experience with you because I wish someone had told me this from the start. If someone did, maybe it went in one ear and out the other (grin).
There are lots and lots of probiotics, not just acidophilus. These probiotics come in bacteria and yeast form.
We have our guts filled with these bacteria and yeast. It is called microflora.
From what I have read, these micro flora make up to 70% of your immune system, they protect you from infections, bad bacteria and yeast and scour your food for nutrients which are then made available to your body. Have you heard of people who are lactose intolerant? There is a probiotic for that. Have you heard of someone who can’t extract vitamin B12 from food? There is a probiotic for that. Maybe someone you know doesn’t get enough fiber from food? There is a probiotic for that.
So as you can see, many of our digestive ailments could be because we lack a certain bacteria in our gut. As a matter of fact, probiotics are added to baby formula. I didn't know that!
And so what happens when we use antibiotics? Well, some are gentle enough that they don’t mess your gut too much. Some are horrific on your gut. One thing that they have in common is that they kill your bad bacteria but also your good bacteria, making you vulnerable to infections.
For me personally, I have found that Bactrim, Rifampin and Doxycyclin give me severe stomach issues. Are they worse than other antibiotics? I don't know, but my tummy seems to think so.
OK, so what am I am doing for it? Well, there are five major factors that I have found to take into account when choosing a probiotic.
1. Whether it is bacteria or yeast based.
2. The quantity of beneficial bacteria in it (in the billions)
3. How many different strains of bacteria are in the product
4. If the probiotic comes with enzymes, bile or other digestive aids
5. Whether the probiotic is shelf safe or if it needs to be refrigerated. Seems that the better probiotics are refrigerated.
I found a probiotic from NOW products that is doing great for me. Intestinal pains, bloating and ulcer pain have either gone away or diminished. I still have acid reflux from a weak LES but at least my other pains are gone.
One more thing, I used to go to the bathroom (number 2) once a day and after taking this, I now go two or three times (which is a good thing). I don't own stock on NOW brand and mention it here as a reference only. The probiotic is named “NOW Probiotic-10 50 Billion” and contains 10 strains of probiotics: Lactobacillus acidophilus (La-14), Bifidobacterium lactis (BI-04), Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp-115), Bifidobacterium lactis (BI-05), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr-32), Strepto. thermophilus (St-21), Lactobacillus paracasei (Lp-37), Bifidobacterium breve (Bb-03), Lactobacillus salivarius (lS-33), Lactobacillus casei (Lc-11)
I also wanted to share with you a website (http://www.probiotic.org/) that I use as reference and one that I use to find out what each probiotic does. It has great information and references if you want to search further.
For example:
-- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus prevents urinary tract infections, aids in dairy product digestion, decreases duration of diarrhea.
-- Strepto Thermophiles prevents transformation of nitrates into cancer-causing nitrites and helps with chemotherapy side effects.
-- Bifidobacterium breve inhibits e coli, produces lactic acid and acetic acid. It also breaks down fiber and other types of food that are considered non-digestible.
-- Lactobacillus salivarius is instrumental in reducing at least five bacteria associated with the formation of plaque. It also helps the immune system response to colitis and septic shock.
-- Lactobacillus casei: This one is especially good for crohn’s disease. It also produces lactic acid, helps control diarrhea, alleviates constipation, and modulates the immune system.
So there you go, next time someone tells me to get probiotics, I will know that not all probiotics are the same and that some research needs to be done to find out which are most beneficial for me.
I also just got some free kefir grains that I am going to use for making kefir and can't wait to try it.
In some website, they mention the following beneficial bacteria and yeast that are in kefir:Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species. Beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir are also in it.
The thread that this originated from can be seen here:
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=3249000&p=1