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Posted 6/25/2019 8:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. This should be my final month (month 9) of treating with antibiotics. I’ve been on probiotics the entire time. The ones I’m on my are from my LLMD snd are very pricey. I’m looking to continue taking probiotics for a very long time but can no longer afford these ones. Can you please share good yet affordable probiotics. The ones I’m taking now are...

Ther-Biotic Complete Power $78
ProtoDophilius Women 20 Billion $34
Saccharomyces Boulardii $52

Please list any suggestions! Thank you so much!
Posted 6/25/2019 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Heartsinpain,

Take lots of kefir! This is what worked for me whilst in antibiotics for 18 months. Ideally with the empty stomach. I took very few probiotics in capsules but plenty of kefir.

Pillín
Posted 6/25/2019 9:19 PM (GMT 0)
Probiotics from foods and beverages are a great idea - kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, etc. Variety is good. (Unless you have MCAS, in which case don't have any fermented foods!)

Probiotic supplements should be changed every few months anyway, so price aside, it's good to mix things up! A good probiotic supplement (all low-histamine strains, too) is Ortho-Biotic. On Amazon it's about a zillion dollars, but I get mine much cheaper on Fullscript.com. See if your doctor has an account there, or search for them elsewhere online.

Good luck!
Posted 6/25/2019 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I like to get refrigerated probiotics at my local health food store.

I like Garden of Life brand, but because I have read that it's good to switch brands from time to time, I'm also looking forward to others' responses...
Posted 6/25/2019 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Don't forget this thread:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4085111

In addition to what's mentioned in that thread, here are some that have been mentioned in other threads (use the "Search" feature) or that I've either used or I've heard about:

* HMF Intensive
https://www.seroyal.com/products/by-brand/genestra/hmf-intensive.html

* Proflora 4R
https://biocidin.com/products/proflora-4r

* Natren
https://www.natren.com

* Ortho Biotic
https://www.orthomolecularproducts.com/ortho-biotic-capsules

* Florajen Digestion
https://www.florajen.com/products/florajen-digestion

* SacredBiotics Essential Eight
https://www.amzn.com/b0765d4b58

* Sovereign Laboratories - GI Support
https://www.sovereignlaboratories.com/category/gi-supplements.html

* MegaSporeBiotic
https://microbiomelabs.com/products/megasporebiotic

* Miessence Fast-Tract Gluten-Free Probiotic Liquid
https://store.inspiredliving.com/miessence-fast-tract-gluten-free-probiotic-liquid-p1299.aspx

* Ora Organic Probiotics with Prebiotics
https://www.amzn.com/b015m3y0jg

The following ones are more expensive and possibly more than you wish (or, are able) to pay. I empathize, as I'm unemployed and live alone. But, these are more potent, as far as supplements go.

* HMF Intensive 500
https://www.seroyal.com/products/by-brand/genestra/hmf-intensive-500.html

* VSL#3 or VSL#3-DS
https://www.vsl3.com

Ultimately, you may be better off trying fermented foods.
Posted 6/25/2019 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much I really appreciate all the advice!!!
Posted 6/25/2019 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
I have several different ones at home...and rotate daily.

- Genestra HMF Forte (can buy online or at local health food store)

- Bio-K - they are little cups - that are like yogurt but packed with a lot of probiotics

- Kefir - I buy at my grocery store...and a few days a week I eat 1/4-1/2 cup

- And one more probiotic in capsule form - can't remember the name right now.

Each day I try to take two different ones.

Sauer Kraut is also a good probiotic (or is it prebiotic?) - But I personally don't like it.
Posted 6/26/2019 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much!! Is it ok to drink Kombucha even though it has yeast in it?
Posted 6/26/2019 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
21st Century Acidophilus Probiotic Blend Capsules, $6.16

worked just as good for me as all the expensive brands

Also any Jarrow probiotic is top notch
Posted 6/26/2019 2:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hey, Lapis_29:

Do you still use the "SacredBiotics Essential Eight" at all? I learned about it from you. I've never used it, but I save a lot of information you share (especially supplements), in case I might need it one day.

I notice the "21st Century Acidophilus Probiotic Blend Capsules" have total of 1 billion CFU across four strains, whereas most of probiotics I see are in the range of around 10-50 billion CFUs, give or take. On the low end, 1 billion...on the high end, 900 billion. I've seen some probiotics with up to 32 strains.

With regard to our guts, I keep seeing the figure that we have around 1 trillion bacteria making their home in us.

So, 1 billion CFUs of a probiotic vs. 100 trillion gut bacteria. Unless my math is incorrect, that means the probiotic is 0.00001 (or, 0.001%) of the total gut microbiota. Yet, you clearly see a benefit. I guess that shows that 1 billion of the correct strains is better than 50 billion of ineffective strains.

Have your benefits been significant? Or, perhaps more just keeping things steady?

Just last night, I heard an interview with a Integrative/Functional Medicine practitioner, discussing the topic of gut health. In his clinic, for the patients he recommends take probiotics, he *starts* them at 100 billion CFU and can go much higher.

Like most things in life, there's advice and experiences all over the map. But, you do a lot of thoughtful investigation and experimentation, so I value your perspective.

Wishing you well, sir.

His Dudeness
Posted 6/26/2019 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
If you're going to go the probiotic route I would suggest just eating a lot of produce and fermented foods with a lot of bacteria as those will repopulate your gut better than bottled products with only a few strains.
Posted 6/26/2019 6:10 AM (GMT 0)

jb1994 said...
If you're going to go the probiotic route I would suggest just eating a lot of produce and fermented foods with a lot of bacteria as those will repopulate your gut better than bottled products with only a few strains.

I wouid do both .

My LLMD recommends we also take the probiotics in capsules.
Posted 6/26/2019 10:40 AM (GMT 0)
I tell people all the time, you can't grow a garden on concrete, you must have the appropriate soil. Lyme Disease destroys our soil and we need to correct that. When manganese levels drop, Lactobacillus forms mucus covered spores that take up 3 times the space on the villi than when they were viable. That means that 3 times fewer bacteria can colonize the villi. Filling the void for the Lactobacillus reduction is often Enterococcus. It is also a gram positive Firmicute and it becomes pathogenic. Antibiotics reduce many of our soil derived bacteria and those are the good guys. Bad bacteria flourish without Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and when given nitrogen and sulfur but also a tremendous increase in yeast occurs. If someone usually eats a lot of carbs, these yeasts increase to pathogenic levels. It is not just Candida, but Saccharomyces cerevisiae can increase to become pathogenic. This increases problems with metals as the yeast are adept at holding on to them.
With the change in flora mentioned above, a problem quickly arises with GI nutrient production. Much lower levels of Vitamin B-6, B-1, and B-3 are produced. This lowers buytrate production which ultimately cascades into lower Tryptophan and Tyrosine production and higher phenylalanine levels. Now the body is doing whatever it can with whatever it has.

Eating non-processed fiber does as much for increasing desirable bacteria than anything. The reason is because plants have so many antibacterial and anti-fungal agents that reduce unwanted pathogens. This frees up space for the probiotic strains to grow. They are also nutrient dense which helps desirable bacteria grow.
Florastor is Saccaromyces boulardii and is much cheaper than the one you were buying. It competitively inhibits the growth of S. cerevisiae.
Posted 6/26/2019 10:32 PM (GMT 0)

The Dude Abides said...
Hey, Lapis_29:

Do you still use the "SacredBiotics Essential Eight" at all? I learned about it from you. I've never used it, but I save a lot of information you share (especially supplements), in case I might need it one day.

I notice the "21st Century Acidophilus Probiotic Blend Capsules" have total of 1 billion CFU across four strains, whereas most of probiotics I see are in the range of around 10-50 billion CFUs, give or take. On the low end, 1 billion...on the high end, 900 billion. I've seen some probiotics with up to 32 strains.

With regard to our guts, I keep seeing the figure that we have around 1 trillion bacteria making their home in us.

So, 1 billion CFUs of a probiotic vs. 100 trillion gut bacteria. Unless my math is incorrect, that means the probiotic is 0.00001 (or, 0.001%) of the total gut microbiota. Yet, you clearly see a benefit. I guess that shows that 1 billion of the correct strains is better than 50 billion of ineffective strains.

Have your benefits been significant? Or, perhaps more just keeping things steady?

Just last night, I heard an interview with a Integrative/Functional Medicine practitioner, discussing the topic of gut health. In his clinic, for the patients he recommends take probiotics, he *starts* them at 100 billion CFU and can go much higher.

Like most things in life, there's advice and experiences all over the map. But, you do a lot of thoughtful investigation and experimentation, so I value your perspective.

Wishing you well, sir.

His Dudeness

I am doing heavy metal detox and sometimes my gut gets so backed up the only solution is to down probiotics by the handful. The sacredbiotics is a great product, but too dang expensive to take in large amounts.

I don't really trust the CFU ratings. Afterall they could put any number on that bottle they want to, how the heck would we know? Plus if the bottle has been sitting in a wearhouse somewhere for 6 months the active bacteria slowly die. So maybe at one time is had X CFU but not anymore.

the only thing I look at is does the product actually help my gut in noticable ways or not?
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