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VSL #3 pills vs VSL #3 DS packet

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 8/4/2015 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
One of the GI doctors at MGH gave me a prescription for VSL #3 DS (the DS stands for double strength). I had been taking the pills previously but this version is a packet of granules that dissolves in water. It is also more expensive and you can only get it through prescription. I had ordered the pills version on Amazon and to be honest, never saw any real improvement from the pills.

about an hour I drink the DS version, I feel like the acid in my stomach is reduced and everything just calms down. I thought I was just imagining it but I forgot to take it yesterday and by night time I had TERRIBLE cramps. And No, I did not eat anything different. I have been very careful with my diet.

My understanding is that any probiotic can take weeks to make a difference? I am just curious if anyone has tried the DS version and found immediate relief?
Posted 8/4/2015 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
it can take a while to rebuild you gut microbiome. however there is a gut-mind connection. Even before some of the live (VSL has live bacteria) can establish and reproduce, your gut is in contact with the surface of the billions of microbes in the packet. this can produce calming emotions and also calm the gut. - but this calming is not the same as reducing inflammation. Still, it is a good thing.

I have had this feeling of wellbeingn 1-2 hour after taking a packet. The one clinical trial actually used 4 packets a day. That many gave me D after about 3 days. It was also expensive. But I did take 1 packet for a few months.

When things calmed down, I switched to a CVS generic probiotic with 15 billion microbes and more strains than VSL. IT worked just as well for maintenance.

The last 6 months or so, I have noticed the CVS probiotics giving me a thin watery D. I might try VSL again. I will probably do pills. I think 4 1.25 billion pills equal 1 normal 450 billion packet, and 2 normal 450 billion packets equal 1 900 billion DS packet.

IF you took 8 pills you should get the same feeling you get from 1 DS packet. But watch out for D after several days.

Post Edited (DBwithUC) : 8/5/2015 1:49:20 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 8/4/2015 2:52 PM (GMT 0)
The DS is many, many times more powerful than the pills and double strength (DS) compared to regular sachets (thats what they call the probiotic powder/granules). The DS strength is what the medical studies proved as being effective for UC which is why it needs a prescription, so insurance will cover it.

Glad you are getting good results. Those of us whose insurance will not cover it can order regular VSL#3 sachets without a prescription and then take 2 sachets to get the same amount you are getting as DS.
Posted 8/4/2015 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
The capsules have 112.5 billion CFU's in each one. A full DS satchet contains 900 billion CFU's. You would have to take 8 capsules in order to get the same CFU strength in one DS satchet so, if you weren't taking that many capsules then you didn't have the same strength in one vs. the other. Having said that, there is a slight difference in the extra ingredients in one vs. the other (not the strains). I like the capsules better because it is easier to dose with instead of having partial satchets and you can just swallow the capsule down instead of mixing it with something which can sometimes taste yucky. As with any probiotic, you should start at the lower doses and work your way up until your body adjusts to it. Once your gut's microbiome becomes more balanced you can usually decrease to a maintenance dose but I wouldn't ever stop completely if it works on you. Insurance may also come into play because sometimes they will cover the prescription DS version.
Posted 8/5/2015 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the information everyone. I had no idea it was THAT much stronger. That's a big difference. I was only taking one pill a day before. I am surprised that it has not given me D because other less potent probiotics did.

DBwithUC - I would describe it as just that. A feeling of well being. So strange.

As far as insurance goes, no it did not cover it. But I am so desperate to get better that I will pay anything at this point. It wasn't too bad. Around $85 for a one months supply. Maybe that was covering it. I can't stay with it long term at that price but I was hoping it might help with this flare until I can switch back to a cheaper probiotics.
Posted 8/5/2015 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4595712/gut-feelings-the-future-of-psychiatry-may-be-inside-your-stomach

www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx

"Increasingly, scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with the friendly bacteria known as probiotics is extremely important for proper brain function, and that includes psychological well-being and mood control."
articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/07/ingesting-friendly-bugs-probiotics-reduce-anxiety.aspx (althought I usually avoid Mercola.com)
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