probiotics- quantity not quality????

Hi everyone! So get this- I recently had to take a 7 day course of antibiotics for a sinus infection. I had quit my daily probiotics about a month ago, thinking they weren't helping much. I had been taking Ultimate Flora critical care, 80 billion cultures, daily. I bought an Ultimate Flora 7 day course of probiotics, called Super Critical Care 200 billion cultures, for use while on antibiotics or a case of travelers diarrhea, etc. It's 7 packets of powdered stuff, you mix with cold liquid. And finally, after using these things for years, I see a NOTICEABLE difference. So I bought 2 more boxes, & am going to take one every other day- it's $30 a box, I can't afford to take one packet daily. But it got me thinking, is it not so much the strain/type you use, but the amount of cultures? 200 billion is a lot more than 80 billion. And VSL is 300 or 400 billion, I believe. What do you guys think, any feedback on this idea?

I think it's a combo. Because nobody really has hard evidence showing which specific probiotic works, I think it's a good idea to take a supplement that has multiple different genera/species. But, I also think you need a high enough dose to do some good.

If/when I start to flare again, my plan of attack is to up the enemas to nightly, and either increase my intake of the probiotic I use now, or ask for an Rx for VSL#3.

I think it is quality, quantity, and diversity. I find that a packet of VSL#3DS with 8 different strains of 900 billion bacteria to be very effective. I also find that S. Boulardi, and Culturelle with only 10 billion of Lactobacillus GG also effective for me. When I feel a flare coming on I like to take double doses of all of them during the day. The diversity and synergy seem to help.

Recently there was research posted here about scientists discovering that humans can be categorized into three separate groups each with different predominant strains of bacteria. So I guess we need to find those probiotics that are most compatible with our individual body chemistry.

I started my probiotics while my flare was severe, so I guess I'm proof that even while in a severe flare, a good quality (and the right kind) probiotic can still be a great benefit. Might make a difference that the ones I use are released in the colon.