Probiotics

Parent Cafe
1

<p>What can you tell be about Probiotics? I have had some issues with my digestive track lately and thought I would try some to see if it would help. After one pill, I am reluctant to take another. I felt like I had the flu, which lasted one day. </p>

<p>Does anyone have experience with Probiotics that they can share?</p>

2

<p>Have you tried Align? Some folks swear by it.</p>

<p>Second to greek yogurt, this is my favorite (I have no idea if it helps, since I have pretty strong stomach to begin with, but at least it does not cause any harm):</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Schiff Sustenex Probiotic Gummies, 60 Count: Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Schiff-Sustenex-Probiotic-Gummies-Count/dp/B007S50LLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350095957&sr=8-1&keywords=gummy+probiotics]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Schiff-Sustenex-Probiotic-Gummies-Count/dp/B007S50LLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350095957&sr=8-1&keywords=gummy+probiotics)</p>

<p>You have to keep this away from sweet teeth since it does taste like gummy candy. :)</p>

3

<p>BunsenBurner, I have not heard of Align but I will look into it. I was wondering if there was a “favorite” brand. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>you could try eating yogurt or drinking kefir or kombucha regularly. Not quite as strong a dose as the pill, but that mean it doesn’t bother your system the same way.</p>

5

<p>I tend toward digestive issues too. I eat Greek yogurt every day, I take digestive enzymes, like [Gluten</a> Digest](<a href=“http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Digestive-Support/Enzymes/M101094.htm]Gluten”>http://www.nowfoods.com/Supplements/Products-by-Category/Digestive-Support/Enzymes/M101094.htm), when I have to have pizza! ;).</p>

<p>I usually get Now foods, or Rainbow light brands because that is what my grocery store carries but you can probably get better prices on Amazon.</p>

<p>Always take meds/ supplements with food unless it specifically says not to. Makes a big difference.</p>

6

<p>eireann, I bought a bottle last night with the intent of trying a more natural source I was surprised the taste was OK.</p>

<p>emeraldkity4, I will look for those brands in the grocery stores, I am from the Seattle area so my stores should carry the same brands. I have also wondered if I might be developing a gluten sensitivity so I will try the Gluten Digest as well. :)</p>

7

<p>My D has a very sensitive stomach and swears by Align too. It’s not cheap but you can find some good coupons for it. She also eats Greek yogurt but has to be careful because she has bouts with lactose intolerance too. Vets have been prescribing probiotics for horses as long as I can remember. The horse digestive system is not at all designed for the way domesticate horses are kept and fed so they suffer from life threatening digestive issues.</p>

8

<p>My mom has had digestive issues for years and years. She’s also had lots of swallowing problems. For about 9 months, she even had a gastro-system implanted to help her. That went away after an infection, but her digestive issues never did. After she suffered through months and months and months and months of energy-depleting diarrhea, we have discovered some cure-alls. She has now added to her healthy diet: 8 pills of Pepto Bismal and 2 probiotics daily. She had already taken Nexium twice daily and ate Activia every morning.</p>

<p>As soon as she started with an actual probiotic, instead of just eating Actvia, her issues went away. I’m happy to say she has stayed healthy too. I don’t think doctors are not thrilled. First, they don’t know enough to fully recommend them, even her specialists (although she said “It couldn’t hurt.”), and we have avoided frequent office visits.</p>

<p>I highly recommend this brand: [Buy</a> Nature’s Bounty Ultra Strength Advanced Probiotic 10, Caplets & More | drugstore.com](<a href=“Walgreens: Pharmacy, Health & Wellness, Photo & More for You”>Walgreens: Pharmacy, Health & Wellness, Photo & More for You) I find them also at Walgreen’s. It is not nearly as expensive as brands like Align (to cover their huge marketing fees). Remember: if something is often couponed, you got to wonder why.</p>

9

<p>limabeans - this product looks like a good one to try. My complaint about Align is that it is expensive for the amount of ingredient. The coupons I use, however, are for where I buy it, not the product. I buy it with my 25% off CVS coupon. I’m sure most drugstores have comparable ones. </p>

<p>People who take antibiotics need to be careful about taking them at or near the same time as either yogurt or a probiotic. They can interfere with the antibiotic.</p>

10

<p>cartera, our Costco carries Align. It is surely expensive, so when I get a $5 off coupon, I stock up. Amazon sells the same 63-capsule pack for $50, and I believe Costco’s regular price is less. Too bad it is not available on Costco’s website…</p>

<p>[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.costco.com/probiotics.html]Probiotics[/url”&gt;http://www.costco.com/probiotics.html]Probiotics[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Wow, I see that another product. Florastor, has a whole bunch of 5-star reviews on Costco’s site.</p>

11

<p>Costco takes coupons? </p>

<p>My S got very ill after one dose of an antibiotic after removal of his wisdom teeth. Apparently it killed off some of the necessary flora and fauna in his gut and made him extremely ill (3 days in the hospital ill). He took lactobacillus for quite a while after that episode, but don’t think he still does.</p>

12

<p>jym, the coupons are from their coupon book that they send to their members every month. Usually there’s a coupon for Align in every 3rd or 4th booklet, good for several packs ($5 off each, so the final cost is like $39 or so for the 63-capsule pack - still expensive!).</p>

13

<p>OOohhh, THOSE coupons. I’ve never bought the probiotics, but have bought other of their vitamins and supplements. However, now that someone(s) here turned me on to the yummy Adora calcium/Vit D supplements, the gigundo jar of horse pills from costco is collecting dust…</p>

14

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<p>Really? That’s interesting. My mom raised me to eat yogurt every time I was on a course of antibiotics – which she does religiously – because antibiotics get rid of the good bacteria and can cause stomach issues and yeast infections. She thinks eating yogurt will prevent those issues.</p>

15

<p>I have a sensitive digestive system and I swear by Florastor. I think it is about $32 for 50 pills from Costco. </p>

<p>It is about the only thing that helped me when I travel in third world countries. </p>

<p>I also try to drink kefir regularly - I grow my own instead of buying them and that cut down on the costs.</p>

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<p>I think it is a great idea to take probiotics while on antibiotics. Just be careful about the timing. Take them a few hours apart.</p>

17

<p>What ever happened to a balanced diet with fiber, other nutrients et al? Retired physician here. The gut responds to the diet. “Regularity” in TV ads, sigh. The cost of some regimes is over a dollar a day! Yes, antibiotics can kill gut flora and cause diarrhea but that is limited, although sometimes a reason to stop one. Never heard of taking/not taking yogurt while on antibiotoics- it is a part of many culture’s usual daily diet.</p>

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<p>You didn’t hear it here either. It was recommended to me not to eat it within a couple of hours of taking an antibiotic. When I was on Cipro, my doctor admonished me not to take it with a dairy product. I’m sure it varies according to the antibiotic, but the easier rule is just to put a couple of hours between the two.</p>

19

<p>Good things to know–(I just did a continuing education course on this–looking for my notes now)
1)greek yogurt does not contain probiotics.
2) Activia is one of very few yogurts that assures a certain amount of probiotics in its yogurt. That’s why they advertise it. Unless it’s on the label don’t count on it helping you.
3) There are different strains of probiotics. You really have to look at the labels to know what you’re taking. And if one doesn’t help you, a different one might.
4) Since probiotics are live, the storage of pills and freshness is very important.</p>

20

<p>I’ve never heard that Greek yogurt doesn’t contain probiotics.</p>