Culturelle

Hi everyone,

I have recently tried Culturelle after reading good things about it.

Its reduced by bowel movements from 10 to 5 within a week. I also feel the muscle spasms I used to get are now gone and I have less urgancy as well, this is truley great stuff...

I plan on using it as a maintainance drug from now on - something that 5 ASA failed to do for six years.

G

I actually give it to my son. He has had a couple of bouts of the tummy bug and it really helps. I sprinkle his over applesauce.

Glad to hear it is working well for you!

Hey Sara14

  Just thought I'd share my experience wtih Culturelle with you.... I started taking it when I was flaring pretty badly and I could hardly even tolerate a sip of milk or certain other foods. I noticed things changing after only a couple of days, but it took a week or two to fully see a big difference. The only bad part, and it's not even that bad, is that can make your tummy a little bit grumbly for the first couple of days until your body adjusts to the new bacteria growing inside there. Other than that, it's awesome stuff!!!  I swear by it....   Good luck!!!

No experience here, but I'm definitely going to look for it. Were you able to find it at your local drug store or do you have to order it online? I know I have to order Primadophilus Reuteri online because no one around here carries it and I just hate doing that.

I have been taking Reuteri for several months and can't say that I've noticed any measurable difference. I usually take it first thing in the morning - is that a problem?? I noticed that others talk about taking it at night or mid-day. Is the Culturelle a more potent formula than Rueteri?

Currently, the only way I can describe how I feel is that it's similiar to having the flu...queasy, heartburn, indigestion, horrible gas (no matter what I do or don't eat), days of loose stools - just once a day though (but I'll also have days when I'm unable to have a bm), bloated, lack of energy, etc. I had a flare this past summer and just don't seem to be able to recover. I weened off the prenisone which has left me with a wonderful rash on my face that is some sort of new wrinkle resulting from prednisone withdrawal. I had to take a low dose antibiotic to get the rash under control. Now, after being off the antibiotic for about 3 weeks, the rash is coming back. Also, another new problem - I have ulcerations on the inside of my mouth.

I know that many of you will understand when I say that there are days when I feel so depressed about not being able to be healthy. I'm sick and tired or being sick and tired. I also know that many of you are suffering much more than I am -I try to put that into perspective when feeling sorry for myself.

Any thoughts or suggestions are always appreciated.

I have been using Culturelle for several months now and it always helps to slow down bm's and makes them more solid. It's not a cure, but it's the best probiotic I have ever used...much better than Primal Defense and many others that I've tried. Usually, I take one pill twice a day.

 

NBT

someone once told me that the major differnence between culturelle and other bactera supplements (primaldefence, vsl3) was that it had a better delivery mechanism. More of the bacgteria was able to survive the stomach environment and get to the gut. i dunno if that's true or not though.

Meesh, I know what you mean.  Strengthening the immune system is quite vague, in fact.  The idea is for the immune system to strengthen the function of the immune system to work "properly", which may involve communicating with the regulating portion of our immune system in such a way that may restore the order of the rest of the immune system (maybe by dendritic cells to the lymphocytes).  I am way over simplifying, but the immune system is more complex than this.  The inflammation is more likely due to the phagocytes or some other destroying type of cell.  Click on my homepage in my profile for more info on this: I uploaded a chapter on it as an attachment or just send me an email.

I started bleeding again 2 days after starting the Culturelle. Not sure if there's a connection with the Culturelle or if it was because I was tapering my Rowasa? Probably the latter, which really sucks because I used to be able to go weeks without it.

Meesh - I think most probiotics say they can strengthen the immune system. I know DanActive (probiotic drink) and Naked probiotic smoothie both say this. Good question though, but I don't know the answer.

So, after seeing blood, I quit taking the Culturelle for a few days and was fine. I took another one last night, and today I saw more blood than I did last time...like blood dripping in the toilet. I don't think a probiotic would do this though, would it? Anybody have input/similar experiences? I have a call in to my GI...

My initial thoughts are:

a.) Herx reaction - temporary reaction, worsening symptoms

b.) Some additives in culturelle or other probiotics that are not agreeing with you

c.) Some other change you've made (you mentioned something about going on and off of Rowasa)

d.) If you have hemorrhoids, which can occationally bleed

Hopefully with a process of elimination, something will become evident.  Maybe you'll have good luck with pro-bio, which seemed to stop other ppl's blood and I believe it did the same for me.  Try giving them a call, others have gotten a free sample out of it!  Just wanted to throw that out there as another option.

I wouldn't think it was Culturelle, but who knows. And sometimes this stuff just happens. It is really hard to know unless there is a lot of control in the study, which is hard when you have to study yourself and see if any little factor is really significant or not. This is true with the hard sciences, in my experience, but far more difficult when it comes to the complex biological systems, such as ourselves. I am a little too impatient with the elimination process, though it is the proper way to do it. Occationally I get blood and mucous when nothing seemed to change. But then again I get immediately concerned and then make sure I haven't been slacking on my probiotics and diet, just in case.

I think on the other post, everyone is giving good advice. Worth pursuing a better GI, it sounds. I didn't try the rectal steroids, only the pills, and the side effects sucked and only seemed to help when I was in a more severe state. The foam sounds like a more mild and effective treatment with little side effects. Still curious as to why this happened all of a sudden, if there is clear answer.

Sorry to hear you are going through all this. The nice part is that you have friends that care and can actually understand :)

I think I only pay $17 at walmart - a little cheaper if you have on close enough and you don't mind shopping at walmart. I would shop somewhere else if I could afford it but thats how it goes sometimes...