Diarrhea -- Align and Asacol dosing plus exercise,

For one week, I've been having abnormal stool -- semi-firm to loose, watery -- about 2 BMs a day, down from 12 on Monday.

My questions is how much Align (my probiotic) can I take? The packaging says one a day.

I had one perfect day, in which I was still most of the time and ate salmon and sweet potato for dinner.

Also, should I up my asacol from 8 to 12?

I don't want to take immodium because I don't have serious urgency. I feel I will become dependent on it.

I would try half an Immodium. The fact that when you were "still" you had better BM's leads me to think your transit time is too fast when you have normal activity. I personally don't think the Immodium harms the GI tract, nor have I seen a need to "up" the quantity to achieve the effect.

Immodium used to be an Rx. So why not use it as if you had been prescribed by your doc. My doctor told me to use it when necessary and so I do after shunning it for a long time. It's a tool to help your gut re-gain it's function.

If you think you are not causing your D through food/drink and that it's more because of a too rapid transit time then use Immodium. If the D is being caused by other factors try and eliminate those other factors (caffeine would be one but there are many others as you know.)

Certain probiotics could cause D. Mine doesn't do that and I take it at night mostly.

Probiotics are becoming a big expense, in which I'm not seeing returns. VSL 3 did nothing, I had problems tolerating Mutaflor.

I do eat whole milk yogurt and I'm going to finish up my align.

Quincy, are you taking (RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care+Primadophilus Reuteri capsules @ bedtime) Are these two probiotics? How much is this costing you a month.

I'm still on the fence about immodium. If I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time, I think I'd give it a go. I'll probably end up taking it based on your advice, I'm a Gardner, if things worsen but I'm not ready yet.

I think the diarreah was contributed by this Mucinex. The first two days were violent diarrhea--12, now it's a pattern of a couple bms a day that are big and watery, and the pattern doesn't seem to be easing up except for that one day where I ate right and just sat around.

I went on a gentle bike ride yesterday and I believe it contributed to a lot of problems. I don't think I stayed hydrated enough.

I'm feeling great so I'm really hungry and eating some of the wrong things. So I have to stop that.

I'll up the Asacol to 10.

I'm handling everyting for rectal inflammation

It's rapid transit time as I'magardener said. I've never had this particular pattern, and of course last time severe diarrhea was a flare (I couldn't hold anything in).

My son takes 2 Align per day, for whatever that's worth.

I watch for sales and use coupons.

Probiotics do wonders for me, but.... we're all different! If they don't help you, I wouldn't think you should feel you needed to continue taking them.

I'm in Canada...everything costs more here.

Each for 30 caps would be $30...so yes, I'd say $60ish is about right. I do sometimes double the Reuteri more than the UFCC.

Yes...one each at bedtime.

Try to eat as balanced as you can...and I don't see a problem here and there with a treat. Just don't base your whole food intake on stuff that can cause you looser stools,discomfort, etc.

q

I ate properly (bland, smooth, etc..) yesterday and I didn't have a bowel movement at all. This morning I had a small one. The stool floated but eventually dropped (not usual for me). Lighter colored than normal. No cramping. No urgency.
'
I'm going to stick to the diet again today, do the probiotic and be assured that it's not a flare, but a reaction to the Mucinex that didn't resolve itself is n a couple of days like it would with people with normal digestive systems.

Fingers crossed. New situation for me even though I've had UC for a year and a half.

I decided not to increase asacol. Switching probiotics.

Journey, I've experimented with myself and VSL, because when I first started taking it, I wasn't sure it was doing anything for me. Twice within the first 6 months I was taking it, I was coming out of a mild but lingering flare and I wasn't sure the VSL was doing anything for me, so I stopped it - and the bleeding started again within about 3 days. I restarted VSL, and the bleeding stopped in 2-3 days.

Again, recently, I was headed into a flare, and I doubled VSL....(and upped the rectal meds). Things were going well, and for a few days I only took one dose: and I began to go downhill again. SO, I've been doing 2 VSL DS every day, and things are going well again, and I'm tapering the rectals.

I got Q's RenewLife Ultimate Flora Critical Care+Primadophilus Reuteri capsules

Is it OK to finish out my Align in conjunction? Or should I drop the Primadophilis Reuteri until I finish my Align?

I'm anxious to start something new because Align didn't protect me this bout of diarrhea.

This in an old thread, but I thought I'd bring it back to ask a question. How long should you take a probiotic if it is causing significant changes in your bowel habits? I recently started taking 40mg/Bentyl per day and Align. Today is only my fifth day taking Bentyl and my third day on Align. I take the Align as soon as I wake up and within 10-20 minutes, I start having BMs, which usually last for 90min-2 hours (anywhere from 5-10 times), and they're all loose/watery. I started taking these medications because I've been having a lot of anxiety-related diarrhea (i.e., I only tend to have diarrhea in certain situations like traveling and teaching days--I'm a college instructor). My gastro wanted me to see if the Bentyl + probiotics could get that under control. If they don't then I'll probably get to have another colonoscopy.

So since starting the Align, I went from having really bad diarrhea 2-3 times per week to not-quite-as-bad diarrhea every day.

I want to give the Align a chance to see if these side effects go away, but how long should I wait before trying a different probiotic or treatment? Two weeks? A month?