no lactobacilius instomach but can't take it...and other gut issues - any suggestions

[Tammie]

sorry I haven't been here much at all yet and now am writing a lengthy post, but I have been barely functioning, and am really discouraged now

Has anyone else had major issues with taking probiotics? I tried them 3 yrs ago and they made me feel horrible, stopped taking them and most of the worsening symptoms went away, but my stomach & GI tract have been worse and worse since then.......it reached the pt where I could only eat pretzels - nothing else would stay down...

....well, after tons of different tests they found that I have:
-eosinophilic esophagitis (an allergic reaction which they treat with something that makes me much worse, and had to stop taking......treating the symptom , rather than trying to pinpoint all the allergies anyway- annoying),
-very low digestive enzymes (taking those has done nothing),
-too little fiber (duh - I haven't been able to eat any for a very long time bc my body won't digest it),
-and no lactobacilius and extremely low bifidus(the two main probiotics - so the Dr told me to try probiotics again and once again I cannot take them - stomach issues get worse, I get super dizzy, & I feel completely drugged and like I could sleep for days - yeah I am always wiped out, but this goes beyond even the worst regular CFS days if that makes sense)

....and a few more minor things, and quite possibly some other issues that have yet to be tested for..........meanwhile most of these results have been discovered by my holistic doc, not the GI doc because trying to get into see him is nearly impossible - even getting on the calendar is ridiculous - every time I called for 4 months straight they told me he was full & to call back the following month....finally got to talk to a nurse who would only schedule me for too early in the day (& I literally cannot make my body work that early, so I have no idea what to do)....

I do know that a by product of some probiotics is H2S, which is ok in normal people in small amounts bc their bodies can get rid of it, but ours can't, and that is the substance that makes animals hibernate, so feeling so completely drugged makes sense, but I am wondering if anyone else has had this type of experience and if you know of any other reasons for it, and if you have any solutions? as things stand I pretty much have to pick between not eating much at all or being able to do nothing but eat and sleep and not function at all

 

[bedman]

Also cant take probiotics. I declined after taking them. Before my gut wasnt a big issue but since taking probiotocs i cant even drink kefir anymor cos i get blood on toilet paper and more inflammation. Maybe the gut is still too leaky for probiotics?

 

[yboldt14]

I had this problem for a long time. I had no bacteria, good or bad, showing on my stool tests, terrible digestive problems, and probiotics would significantly worsen my symptoms. With the support of some other tests and observations, my doctor and I concluded I probably had a biofilm formation and started me on a treatment that lasted 10 weeks or so. Essentially, probiotics did not work for me because the bad bacteria had set up a protective membrane called a biofilm along my intestinal wall. Underneath, you can have malicious bacteria, parasites, yeast - and the body's immune system will not recognize them, as they are protected and shielded by the biofilm. These pathogens then drill deep holes into the intestines and take root. All sorts of problems ensue.

That's my understanding at least. I was lucky enough to have a doctor walk me through the process. The protocol caused some wild reactions for me, because as you peel back that biofilm, as sorts of hell starts pouring out into your body. But it ultimately worked, and I'm in a much better state of health than before. I now take 200 billion count probiotics every day with no negative reaction.

If you're interested in more, let me know. I am still battling my digestive issues, but the protocol without a doubt in my mind worked. I see this was written about a month ago so maybe you're on a better path now.

 

[Shellbell]

Yboldt14, I am interested in hearing more. I believe that I have problems with biofilms in my gut. I am currently working with classical (constitutional) homeopathy and pranic healing. Homeopathy was greatly helping my sensitivities until I had a toxic exposure late December. Now I am really sensitive to everything I take, including my homeo remedies, and a lot of what I eat. Did you have a lot of sensitivities to supplements, etc.? It seems now that everything I take, does the opposite for me. I tried Fred's protocol a year ago without success. It tore my gut up, so I had to stop for the time being. My digestion just couldn't handle all the supplements. Thanks for the info! Shellbell

 

[Foggy]

Probiotics make me ill too.

I could handle them once before but after being on AD for 6 months about 2 yrs ago, they make my whizz-poppers and IBS worse. Yoghurt no longer works for the same reasons.

 

[LaurieL]

:Sign giggle: Whizz-poppers? I only giggle because I understand...

In my experimenting with probiotics....I found if the product was no longer viable, containing many dead pro-bacteria, my reactions to the product were detrimental. I found this by culturing my own yogurt. Its easy to culture a product you buy to see if it is viable. Warm a cup of milk to 180 degrees, I use a candy thermometer. Let cool to 90 degrees. Use a 2 pint jar, pour in a few capsules and use a lid. Keep closed and in a semi-warm area of your kitchen for 24 to 48 hours. If the product you have bought is live and viable, your cup of milk will get thick and slimy. In doing this, I have found multiple brands of acidophilus that are quite dead. Same with others. Some brands are good for one kind, and not another. Anywho, its easy to do, and on the cheap side. If it isn't viable, I send the product back for a refund. I use this method to monitor my purchases. Some are quite slimy like, so I don't necessarily ingest my product test cultures.

Addtionally, the cooling inflammation site by Dr. Art Ayers, he describes a method in which you can tear down the contents of your bowel and then build it back up. I have the stuff, but so far have been to "chicken" to try it. I am afraid my insides will fall right on out....

Laurie

 

[Tammie]

I had this problem for a long time. I had no bacteria, good or bad, showing on my stool tests, terrible digestive problems, and probiotics would significantly worsen my symptoms. With the support of some other tests and observations, my doctor and I concluded I probably had a biofilm formation and started me on a treatment that lasted 10 weeks or so. Essentially, probiotics did not work for me because the bad bacteria had set up a protective membrane called a biofilm along my intestinal wall. Underneath, you can have malicious bacteria, parasites, yeast - and the body's immune system will not recognize them, as they are protected and shielded by the biofilm. These pathogens then drill deep holes into the intestines and take root. All sorts of problems ensue.

That's my understanding at least. I was lucky enough to have a doctor walk me through the process. The protocol caused some wild reactions for me, because as you peel back that biofilm, as sorts of hell starts pouring out into your body. But it ultimately worked, and I'm in a much better state of health than before. I now take 200 billion count probiotics every day with no negative reaction.

If you're interested in more, let me know. I am still battling my digestive issues, but the protocol without a doubt in my mind worked. I see this was written about a month ago so maybe you're on a better path now.

Thanks for your reply. I am definitely interested in more....GI problems have not improved at all

 

[Waverunner]

Same here. All the things that are supposed to be healthy and help do the opposite. I have no idea what the cause is but it's horrible to not being able to take the things that actually should help you. If it has to do with leaky gut we will see if a new drug called Linaclotide (hopefully released in August) can treat it. Until then I'm scared to give any advice. Things that worked great for me in the past, do not work today anymore. Maybe a low-carb diet is worth a try..

 

[xrunner]

Thanks for your reply. I am definitely interested in more....GI problems have not improved at all

If you find that you can't move forward because you're intolerant to what it's supposed to help you then you could give NAET a shot.
It helped me a lot overcoming various intolerances to supplements and antibiotics. I could not have gotten to where I am without it.
More recently it helped with an uncomfortable sensitivity to local anesthetic and amalgams/mercury, to the extent that I managed to doze off during my last two visits to the dentist whilst previously I had tachycardia and seizure-like reactions.
All the best

 

[Colleen]

Hello. I'm new to the forum but just reading over everyones post makes me comforted in knowing I'm not alone. I read your post thinking thats exactly what im going through. I too, have leaky gut & sensitivities to food and supplements. Every time I try to take a supplement for my leaky gut, it just makes things worse so I've resorted to not taking anything but then I wonder how will my gut heal if I'm not taking anything? Probiotics made my leaky gut worse. I was taking Garden of Life Ultra probiotics and I'm thinking they were just too strong for me.
Anyway, i was just wondering if you have made any progress and how you were doing? If imfind anything that helps me, i will certainly post it on here. Best wishes!

 

[nanonug]

Has anyone else had major issues with taking probiotics?

Yes. Someting for you and others to explore:

1. GIDoctor.net: Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth
2. Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Framework for Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome

 

[albellenfant]

Please send me information on biofilm treatments and diet. Any info is appreciated. Thanks Al

 

[therron]

I definitely have leaky gut, can't take probiotics, and have bad reactions to most supplements. My practitioner has started me on a very slow biofilm protocol that involves dissolving cell walls with BactiSolve, then using Naturomycin to kill off bad bugs, then Candex for yeast. As far as probiotics, she wants me to take small bits, not the entire capsule. These products are from Holistic Heal. So far, my brain fog has lifted a bit, and I'm sleeping better than I have for several years. I know I'm in store for a lot of detox issues....because things haven't gotten ugly yet......

 

[xks201]

It's lactic acidosis from lactic acid bacteria (probiotics especially). All probiotics on the market seem to be lactic acid producing. Mine got so bad that my stool is burning despite having shown no "pathogenic" bacteria in the stool culture. Pretty far out. I lived off probiotics. Now I'm paying the price. I'm doing a vegetable diet for 2 weeks with green drinks and antibiotic therapy. Ideally I would get ahold of Lactic Acid Utilizing bacteria but so far I have only seen them being sold to cattle farmers. The reason you get dizzy and fatigued is from the lactic acid these probiotics generate. It literally is metabolic acidosis, from D-Lactate they generate which we cannot metabolize and L-lactate acidosis is possible as well.