Let's talk about probiotics and other OTC drugs that help with stomach issues

In My Humble Opinion
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I’d like this thread to be a go to guide for people seeking information on probiotics and other OTC medications that help with stomach issues - that treat the sources of the problem, not the result of it.

A of couple months ago, I began having some increased stomach issues - the usual, urgency, gas, discomfort, etc. I’m also pretty lactose intolerant, which isn’t helping matters at all. I’m sure I have general IBS or the like; my father got it in his 20’s, and I will too it seems. Sometimes I’ll be so bloated the SO will stare at me and ask if I’m okay, because it looks like I’ve put on 5 pounds in a matter of hours. I noticed I was having trouble digesting healthy foods - like raw veggies and beans.

So I started researching things, even requesting the help of a relative who is a GI. They recommended Activia or Align, but I don’t like yogurt much and Align is more pricey than I wanted to start with. I decided to try the Acidophilus Pearls instead. The first few days were miserable - but I think it was the cultures taking up residence. Since then, I’ve only gradually improved, to the point where I’ve been bloated exactly twice in the last month - both times I forgot to take the pearl as scheduled.

But now I’m wondering if there are bigger and better fish in the sea, or if there are cheaper alternatives to the Pearls. You might say I have a wandering eye for probiotics. :stuck_out_tongue:

I want to hear what’s worked for you, what hasn’t worked for you. Is it true that probiotics not in a pearl form break down before they reach your gut? What changes to your diet did you make that helped? What’s your favorite brand of probiotics? Or tell me why you hate probiotics and I have to start drinking raw sheep’s milk while doing gregorian chants on one foot - whatever it is, share your story.

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I take something called Berry Green. I find it helps with digestion and replacing the things I don’t get enough of in my diet. It needs to stay in the fridge and tastes like Broccoli but is tolerable mixed with a glass of juice. I got my Mom on it and my elderly client that suffers from Crons type issues. I notice a big difference when I don’t take it. it has many probiotics in it and it comes out cheaper then buying yogurt or the pills and the ingredients are just all around good for you. I get it online where it is cheapest or in the health food store.

I don’t know how probiotics work except they are good bacteria.

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I chew papaya tablets after each meal. They are surprisingly helpful, at least for me.

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I tend to stick to the probiotics in dairy form, so I’m not much help with that. There are a few different non-dairy sources of probiotics found within foods that you may not have realized before: here’s an article on it.

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Perciful and Chicken Fingers, could you provide links to what you buy (or to something similar)?

Nashiitashii, I’ll look over the link now. Thanks!

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I used to take the same brand probiotics you are taking, although I took the intensive care pearls. However I noticed all they were doing was giving me vague stomach pains which stopped within a week of me not taking them anymore.

I don’t know what my story was. I have minor IBS, but what has worked better for me is 2 servings of metamucil (it tastes much better mixed with orange juice rather than water) in the morning.

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So far I’ve only tried three brands of papaya tablets. There are a lot of brands out there. The one I usually buy (at Whole Foods) is made by Country Life. I hated the Whole Foods brand. The Trader Joe brand is not bad, though it’s very sour and also contains pineapple.

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Alas, what has worked for me may not work for you - my stomach is no longer in the plumbing.

I use a few different ones, but mostly lately I use the American Health chewables.

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Go to Wal-mart and buy a $5 thirty-count bottle of Spring Valley “Acidophilus 1 billion active cultures” and try it for a month. See if it works better/worse/the same as the pearls, which are more expensive. FTR, the bottle I have warns of bloating for the first couple of days, so apparently it’s to be expected.
Speaking of digestive troubles, I saw something a couple of days ago that claimed that stress causes heartburn and acid reflux. Is it true??

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elfkin, yeah, the first few days of the pearls I was borderline miserable. But then things got much better, so much better than they had been before. The Pearls claim they can survive the stomach acid that usually kills the bacteria before it enters the intestines, but I think it’s marketing hogwash because my GI relative said lots of his patients have had luck with Activia.

And yeah, stress will cause and contribute to heartburn and acid reflux. Antacids and food elimination (and losing weight) helps, but stress is a contributor too.

Thanks everyone for the recommendations, keep 'em coming!

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Absolutely. When something stresses me out, I can feel the acid jetting into my stomach.

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I have a friend that had very good luck with kefir. Its supposed to work the same way but better than yogurt. Trader Joes always has kefir available at much more reasonable prices than stores like Whole Foods.

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I have never found probiotics to help with acid reflux. If anything they make it worse, since you seem to digest the food faster, leaving less in the tummy to absorb the acid so it doesn’t get in your esophagus.

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Everybody has different physical manifestations of stress. Some people get upset stomachs and vomit a lot . Some have issues at the other end of their digestive tracts and have poop troubles. Some people clench their jaws, grinding away their teeth and giving themselves tension headaches. I’m also a muscular-stressor, but I get knotted, sore muscles in my shoulders and neck, with leg cramps if things get really bad. And, of course, some people (but not everybody) get heartburn and acid reflux. I’m sure there are some I’m forgetting, as well. Nobody does all of them, so I don’t think you can make a blanket claim that ‘stress causes heartburn and acid reflux;’ it’s not true in all people.

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Here is my green food link. I get it from this link also.

http://www.vitacost.com/New-Chapter-Berry-Green-360g#IngredientFacts

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Back when I had better health insurance, I was getting shots for seasonal allergies. The ENT I went to was one of the areas’ leading allergists, including food allergies. Because I had weekly shots, and I was generally avoiding doing the work I was supposed to be doing, I read pretty much every piece of liturature in the waiting room. I also chatted with the nurses when I had some questions. So, I’m no expert, but I’ve done a touch of reading on the subject.

The nurses there had strong and mixed opinions on probiotics. They all agreed that “probiotics” as a concept could help many people with a wide range of “tummy troubles.” What got them riled up was when patients would come in, and be taking X brand in Y dose of probiotics that someone at the health food store had told them would work… and of course would sell to them at a fair (high) price. They also debated pretty fiercely on how legit X, Y, or Z formulations were, based on A, B, or C study (they made it a point to stay on top of that kind of thing at that office, since concerned mothers were always bringing liturature in). The short story is that there have been very, very few good, controled, peer-reviewed studies done around probiotics, and those that have involve a very specific strain and very specific symptoms.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is that there is a whole, whole lot of information out there, and a lot more of it is based on, “This worked for my Aunt Edna” than, “This worked for 67% of paitents matching your profile,” and to be careful when you’re shopping. Your best bet is probably to talk to a doc specializing in your particular flavor of IBS (if you can), tell them that X worked in Y way to solve Z symptom, and see what they have to say about it. They may have a great suggestion, and they can probably discern better than the clerk at the health food store what brands will be best for your situation.

On a tangentally-related subject, a couple pills of acidopholous a day (along with way, way too much yogurt and grape-nuts) helped pull my husband out of an 18 month bout of dysentery. He was also under the care of a doc (several docs, actually), and used the brand they reccomended.
Edit to add: Upon re-reading, I sound pretty harsh on health food store clerks. I didn’t mean to, they’re just trying to do their job the best they can. But, they’re not doctors, and sometimes they can try to act like they are. Not always, for sure, but sometimes.

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You can also make your own kefir.

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I endured this sort of thing for almost a year before I decided that it wasn’t going to go away on its own. It was killing my appetite. As a bit of a foodie, this was totally unacceptable. I finally tried to do something about it because my sister also discovered she had almost the identical symptoms. She went to a GI specialist who was unable to help her.

I did a little research and discovered that in at least one (company-sponsored) study, bifidobacterium infantis has given at least women relief from IBS-like symptoms. So I figured what the hell, and I tried it.

Within a week or so, almost all of my problems disappeared. I am somewhat skeptical by nature, so I tried to stop taking it for awhile. And sure enough, within a few days, I was feeling miserable all over again. The product is called Align, and you should be able to find it just about anywhere. Good luck!

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If you read the OP, you’d see that I don’t have problems with acid reflux.

Heh, don’t worry, I’m not into “woo woo” medicine. I steer clear of the health food aisle at the grocery and especially natural food store. I do know that many a reputaqble GI’s will recommend probiotics, and that many people have success with them. Bifidus, the ingredient in Align and Activia, has shown lots of success in many people. My symptoms aren’t too severe, nor am I overweight (one of the leading factors with digestive issues) so I think that’s why I noticed a pretty big difference with the Pearls. I was just wondering if there were better - or cheaper - fish in the sea is all :slight_smile:

Lactose intolerance, plus I was moreso searching for a pill than a daily dose of food.

That’s surprising that her GI didn’t suggested Activia or Align - those were some of the first words out of my relative’s mouth. Activia isn’t an option for me, since 1) I don’t really care for yogurt and 2) I’m pretty lactose intolerant. I was looking to avoid Align because it’s so pricey - do you do the “take it for one week per month” route or the daily route? Do you mind me asking how bad your previous symptoms were - mine were “it’s bothering me and it’s noticeable and I’m uncomfortable” but they weren’t gut wrenching or preventing me from working.

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Question: do you find that yogurt does bug your lactose intolerance? I know that sounds like a dumb question, but it’s possible you haven’t even tried it given your sensitivity to lactose. Some folks find they can tolerate some yogurt and/or cheese even with lactose intolerance.

Of course, as a yogurt hater (like me) it might not matter! I find that the texture makes me literally gag.

I have actually found that I can tolerate small amounts of it on top of my steel-cut oatmeal, which surprised me (I needed to find a source of calcium / protein).

Back to lurking, hoping someone posts some solutions that do help with reflux.