2 questions about probiotics

hi,

I would like to know yours thoughts about:

1. Taking probiotics during a flare up with blood and all, is it good or useless? Many people advice to wait the gut to calm down and the blood in stools disappear to start probiotics (so if blood never disappear we will never be able to take probiotics...), others say you can take them when you want it doesn't matter their efficiency would be the same.


2. What are the most useful strains for UC/CD diseases ?
VSL3 seems good but very expensive (3 euros per pill, ie $4) so I found one with a moderate price that contains:

> Bifidobacterium lactis LA 303
> Lactobacillus acidophilus LA 201
> Lactobacillus plantarum LA 301
> Lactobacillus salivarius LA 302
> Bifidobacterium lactis LA 304

Each pachet contain 2.5g of those stains, 10 billions in total.
Are those stains ok ?

Thanks
Jean

Hi sunny, no problem you can add your questions in my thread of course :)

Thanks, garylouisville. You're right about. the price versus quantities.

Also another point to take into account is that you have to constantly take probiotics for the good bacterias to stay in the gut, as soon as you stop them good bacterias decrease and finally become less numerous than bad ones, stronger...

Hi Jealoup,

A few months ago, I was on a flare up with blood everyday...I didn't really know what to do, I was taking my meds correctly and trying to cut/add foods etc. I started the probiotic Bio-k and it helps me a little bit to feel better but not that much. My naturo talked to me about The Renew Life 100 billion, so I decided to try them and it helped more. I joined this site a few weeks ago and I read about VSL3 for the fist time. I decided to start it 7 days ago and I can really see a good difference. At this point, I don't see how I could stop the probiotics...I guess if I get really really sick I might have to stop them, with the recommendation of my GI, but for now, even if I have no blood to moderately blood, probiotics are really important in my diet (and my meds). Before starting VSL3, I asked my GI to be sure it was ok, because VSL is much stronger and she said it was the best...but with UC it's always a "will see". Also, it's important to take a probiotic with the bacteria's that proved their efficiency for UC. Bio-K has 2, Reniew Life has 4 and VSL3 has 6 but I am not completely sure that I am completely correct here. I'll take VSL3 for maybe 2 months and yes, it's pricy so I'll go back to Renew life after I think...Good luck!
I hope I am clear...my first language is French! Sorry for the mistakes!

I'm french too:)
Here in France you have the brand Lactibiane which seems good, pricey too but it seems if we calculate the price taking the quantities of bacteries into account, VSL3 is the cheapest of them :)

Their is also VSL3 DS which is a stronger version.

I've ordered VSL3, I'm under pred so I don't know if it's the good time to take it (I will have finished pred in 2 months so maybe I have to wait before taking VSL, dont know...)

Thanks,I will take them then, VSL3 one sachet per day should be ok to start.

My GI doc recommended VSL-3 while I was in the hospital bleeding multiple times per day. As soon as I started VSL-3, my bowel movement calmed down to every few hours and then got better each day.

Now, my situation is different. I'm actually not having bowel movements unless I take slippery elm and or psyllium seed. So I'm afraid to take VSL-3. When I've taken it, I'm not sure if it's slowing my BM down or what. I made some homemade yogurt using the VSL-3 and I've eaten that instead, just to keep the probiotics up.

I'm also wondering if taking fiber while taking probiotics is a "waste" because it seems like the fiber would just flush out the probiotics. Not sure how that works.