Need help navigating the world of probiotics

[Snow75]

I'll be ending my 10 days of vanco on Saturday, and once again, I feel like my safety net is being pulled out from under me. Up until now, I have been taking what I consider to be an uneducated approach to probiotics. I feel that the doctors and nurses I've spoken to so far really don't know what to say about taking them and they haven't had great advice. I've been taking Culturelle and that agrees with me. I tried Florastor a few times, but I don't feel that great while taking it. I'm disappointed about that because the studies show it's a good one to take when you have c diff. I've started eating yogurt again, and have had no issues. I picked up some kefir today...didn't even know they had it at my grocery store...but I really don't even know what it is! I know probiotics are trial and error, but I'm getting overwhlemed trying to figure out what to do. Are there any good, trustworthy websites about taking probiotics? Any other advice? Thanks.

[seekingcure]

I"m not sure there is an "educated" approach to probiotics and it really is just trial and error. Everyone's body is individual and their flora is different, so what works for me might not work for you. The only way to find out is to try them. Culturelle has been around a long time and seems to have a good reputation. If it agrees with you and seems to help, I would keep taking it. Another one that people onsite have had good luck with is Digestive Advantage (bacillus coagulans.) To regain appetite, some onsite have been helped by l. reuteri.

I did not try the Florastor brand, but do take the Jarrow brand of s. boulardii yeast and it works for me. Don't know whether the brand would make any difference for you or not. My GI recommended s. boulardii and VSL-3, which is a blend of 8 different bacteria. It is used for people with IBS, crohn's and ulcerative colitis. It comes in a capsule as well as a powder. Go to vsl3.com for more information and ask your doctor about it. You can get it without a prescription. Most any drugstore can order it, but Costco and Sams may have it a bit cheaper. You could start by emptying a small amount of the powder out of a capsule and try that. Just a little bit every day might be enough for you or you could add more if it seemed to help. Or you could just stick with the Culturelle and add the kefir. Kefir is a probiotic drink that has both beneficial bacteria and beneficial yeasts. It's similar to yogurt, but I believe has more varied strains of probiotics. Did you read the article under "media reports" about the benefits of kefir? It is supposed to be helpful for preventing relapses. If you are adventurous, you can even order the kefir "grains" online and make your own kefir. It is more potent than store bought. I tried making it when I was in the middle of my illness but never could really get used to the extremely sour taste of it. The ready-made flavored version was much more palatable to me, but when I was so sick, I was willing to try anything.

There's also a book you might be interested in. You could probably get it at the library if you don't want to purchase it. It's called "Bacteria for Breakfast," by Kelly Karpa. It's an older book but still has some good information.

[Suze]

I read rave reviews on another board about Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus EPS, Vegetarian Capsules - 120 count.

Anyone heard of it?

[Bobbie]

Heard of it but don't know much about it.

For more info, see Treatments and CDI- Probiotics. Probiotics are a "can't hurt, might help" thing. Some swear they help and others say they cause additional gas and cramping,

Let us know what they do for you.

[ppp67]

To be honest, nobody really knows the ideal formula. A normal gut would have hundreds of thousands of bacteria strains. A "wide stream" probiotic gives you 8.
Everyone is different.
It's just as important, maybe more important, to eat well and get pre-biotics to go along with the probiotics.

Think of probiotics as tiny seeds. Unless you plant them on good soil, they won't grow.
Insolutable fibre is good because it will get through to the colon and give the bacteria something to feed on.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-fib ... -4829.html.

I'd try expanding my menu in an attempt to discover new foods and try to introduce new bacteria.
As well, sugar is really bad. Personally, post-CDIFF, when I cheated and had some sweets, it hurt.