Visbiome vs VSL#3

Have you guys seen this "new" probiotic? It is the same blend as VSL#3, apparently the inventor of VSL#3 has left the company who makes it and is now selling Visbiome.
http://www.visbiome.com/

It is priced similarly, but packaged differently.

Interesting., VSL3 is excellent and this is more expensive!

My insurance won't cover VSL#3 DS because they said it's a medical food. Is Visbiome classified differently?

They do have a prescription version if Visbiome. It's the exact same formulation as VSL 3#DS was in January 2016. One of the lead creators left VSL and took his formulation but couldn't take the name VSL. Hence VSL adding corn starch to change their formulation.

If you visit their website you can read more info but yes they have the prescription 900 billion sachets.

My insurance won't cover VSL or Visbiome at the prescription level...stating that since I can buy it over the counter...after many appeal fights...I lost.

I am taking Visbiome sachets at 450 billion over the counter. I can't handle corn starch. I was originally taking 2 VSL #3DS sachets a day for 4 years (since diagnosis) until they stopped covering it.

I now take 1 or 2 (when needed) 450 billion sachets. Luckily my gut likes it (same formula as original VSL) and the lower dosage hasn't affected anything

Have you tried other probiotic brands? There are many.....


q

Hi
Did they switch the base to cornstarch when the new company took over? I don't feel as good with this new company and the VSL doesn't dissolve properly.

I didn't know that the other company was using Maltose. I definitely don't want that.

I hope that the cornstarch VSL is using is non GMO. Visbome said that their cornstarch is non GMO.

There's also something called Symprove on the market. Looks like it helps for IBS and was shown to reduce fecal calprotectin in UC (but not Crohns). Wondering if anyone has tried it (or even heard of it).

WE'VE BEEN DUPED! I'm switching to visbiome out of principle.

Posting this for awareness:

I have a J-pouch and there is a small rectum cuff from my colon left after surgery (1-1.5 inch width). Over the past few years, I have had complications and inflammations with it. I tried many different drugs and finally settled for Remicade which worked for me since 2016. In February 2020, my doctor pushed for this probiotic (Visbiome extra strength 900) claiming this can manage this small amount of colon (rectum tissue) left and I don’t need to do Remicade perfusions anymore. I read good reviews about it and agreed to take the probiotics even though I was still skeptical about it.
So I had my last shot of Remicade in February which would hold me up for 2 months and I started to take Visbiome immediately. Long Story short, It’s June 27th and I have pain and just did a pouchoscopy and my rectum cuff is infected with ulcers. Now I am on a heavy dose of Prednisone for 40 days and going back on Remicade again.
So basically as soon as the lifetime of Remicade finished (Sometime in April), in 2 months off Remicade, this probiotic couldn’t do anything for such a small amount of rectum left. This probiotic is so expensive and won’t do much for pouchitis (at least for me) I don't how it will work for people with UC and whole colon.
I would just recommend being cautious about your decision going on this probiotic and don’t just fall off for advertisements, what your doctor says (they get deceived by selling agents and what every they present to them) and please, please don’t stop taking your medications if you are on it for the sake of only using this probiotic (especially if you have a mild case UC cause it might get worse and ruin it all for you)

Post Edited (He5aM) : 6/27/2020 1:32:14 PM (GMT-6)