Renew Life Critical Colon 80 Billion Probiotic

I know some of you have used this with success so I have a question to you or anyone else that wants to answer. First, a little background. I was taking 8 VSL capsules per day which each contain 112.5 billion cultures and have 8 different strains. The dosage on the bottle says 2-8 pills per day but studies done on UC actually quote dosages up to 4 times that amount. The capsules are not enteric coated. Renew life has 80 billion cultures and 14 different strains per capsule and is "delayed release", whatever that means. I thought it meant enteric coated but it doesn't appear to be enteric coated at all to me. I decided to order some Renew Life from Amazon and cut my VSL dosage down to 4 capsules per day and replace the missing half with 4 capsules of the Renew Life since I thought it was enteric coated and had 6 more strains. When the packages of the Renew Life came they seemed old and worn but the bottles inside were not touched and the expiration date was 2014. They were not refrigerated and the package states that they are guaranteed as long as they are kept in temperatures not higher than 73 degrees. Anyway, I began this switch about a week ago and have not been doing well and in fact had a really bad day on Saturday with one big episode of diarrhea, which I haven't had in a long time. After I did some research I found that the Renew Life is also touted in some parts as a "colon cleanser" and even a weight loss product. I was taking 4 capsules per day but the dosage on the bottle only mentioned taking one per day. I decided to drop this product altogether and return to taking 8 VSL capsules per day and I have had a major improvement. So, my question is ....... what happened? Did I have a bad bottle? Was I actually overdosing by taking 4 per day when the bottle only mentioned taking one per day? Any other ideas? I was really surprised at what a turn for the worse I took after taking this.

I see that it says take 1 capsule daily of the 80 billion. I think you were taking waaaaay too many.

Why not take one a day and one of the VSL and see how you do.

Are you taking fibre supplements as well?

q

Heather: As far as dosage goes I didn't really look at the directions on the bottle because I know on the VSL UC studies it showed taking as much as 3600 billion per day and with each VSL capsule containing 112.5 billion and the Renew Life only having 80 billion I didn't see any reason why taking the same number of pills as I was before would be a problem. I was basically swapping a 112.5 billion capsule that I was doing fine on for an 80 billion capsule of a different brand. After what I have gone through I am afraid to take even 1 capsule per day as I wonder if there is something actually wrong with my bottle or as Bananagirl suggested, maybe this type of probiotic just isn't right for my system. I don't take any fibre supplements as I don't ever have any diarrhea (except for that one time from the renew life).

Notsosickly: While taking 8 pills per day of the VSL, plus the other things I take, I basically have absolutely zero symptoms other than the frequency of going 4-8 times per day. I usually always have formed stools and no blood. I have absolutely no other symptoms at all other than frequency. It is costing me $200 per month for the probiotics and I'm trying to figure out a way to reduce that. I'm banging my head wondering why I can be doing so well with every single aspect of my UC but am still going multiple times per day. It doesn't make any sense to me. My one track mind just believes that if I'm better in every other way then I should be having less frequency. I go back to the doctor at the end of December and may talk about enemas or suppostitories but I'm definetly not thrilled about doing enemas. Seems like many don't actually have enough success (I know some do) and you wind up doing them every day or even two times per day. If you have to go through the trouble of keeping two enemas in you every day plus having a 2-3 BM's per day on top of that, it seems like you might just as well settle for having 6 BM's per day and not go through the extra trouble and cost.

I took either VSL#3 or VSL#3DS for almost a year and never really felt like it totally helped. Due to cost, I decided to try the Renew Life Critical Care 80. Within a week I had my first formed BM. I only take 1 capsule daily and that is with breakfast.

The first bottle I purchased was from EarthFare where it was refrigerated. When it helped, I decided to order online. That bottle came non refrigerated. I was afraid that something would be wrong with it. I have been using that bottle for the last couple of weeks and notice absolutely no difference from the refrigerated bottle.

I, too, am taking Renew Life Critical Care..but 50 billion. When I realized that they were not enteric coated, I called the company. The rep told me that they were "delayed" released, meaning that they did not release the medication until it was through the stomach and into the colon. I think they are helping a bit. I've also just added slippery elm and sunbutter, so I don't really know what is helping. I had a lot of blood this morning, but I also had the most normal stool ever in 6 months. Confusing.
I would be hesitant to take such a large amount of probiotics. I doubled up when i was on an antibiotic, but otherwise, I stick to the suggested dose. This disease is so confounding...I never really know what triggers my symptoms to increase or abate. I just know I can't eat salad or drink booze:) Feel better and good luck figuring it out.
~Cita

Heather,
What I stated was what the rep said...your response seems more accurate. I see that you take these probiotics...may I ask why you take them at night? Thanks.
~Cita

Thanks Heather!

I have always taken mine at night a few hours after any food..When eating food your stomach releases acid to digest the food therefore also digesting the tablet faster.. The reason for taking on an empty stomach at night is that I know there is no food in my belly and my acid content is at the lowest allowing a greater chance for the pill to get past the stomach to the intestines.

Steve

I take,

Renew Life critical care probiotic 50 billion

Yeah it took the two hundred billion box twice. It tastes delicious but i have a thing for probiotic packets. It was just way too expensive to take often.

I just started back on vsl yesterday and my gut is not happy. I havent taken it since last year but figured id try it again. I am in cramp and bloating city!

and this is the whole reason why i'd rather eliminate when i can instead of supplement - i think more people get screwed up by adding products to their diet rather than trying to figure out what you're eating that aint working and getting rid of it - not an easy task either way - i have done both, but my way is MUCH cheaper !

taking a handful of pills so you can eat something just doesn't make sense to me -

btw, i have traded my renew life in for garden of life raw probitics for MEN - are they helping ? i dunno - but the gol are for MEN - so how could they not be good - maybe you need to check you current pro b for it's gender orientation

Post Edited (soystud) : 6/22/2013 10:38:21 AM (GMT-6)

the point gary is you choose to take a handful of pills so you can eat certain foods - and you still have problems - if you have so many foods to choose from, wouldn't it make sense to just elimninate those foods that give you problems instead - small price to pay it seems -

of course, you won't even take butt meds because there is no 100% guarantee they will help -

Post Edited (soystud) : 6/22/2013 11:04:32 AM (GMT-6)

the same doc that says you have ibs ?

and i can understand taking a pill so you can eat a bowl of chili once in a while, but how many pills do you take a day/week so you can eat those foods that give you issues ?

Post Edited (soystud) : 6/22/2013 11:54:36 AM (GMT-6)