What is your favorite probiotic

[place]

I’m in the process of testing some of the most mentioned probiotics but I don’t know when to move on to the next, deeming it a failure.

So if you could name your favorites and when you noticed change (good and bad), I would be grateful.

Many thanks!!!

Place

 

[Timaca]

The most recent probiotic that I am taking is Align. I twist open the capsule and pour the contents into a small plastic container. I mix a small amount into some water and drink it each morning. One capsule lasts me about a week. It seems to be helping the heartburn I've had almost constantly for the last couple of years! We'll see what happens....I've been taking it for a few weeks now....

 

[ChrisD]

Bravo probiotic yogurt or capsules, yes it is expensive but it has had the clearest impression on my health of any probiotic

 

[moosie]

Strangely I seem to be getting good results from Total Greek yoghurt. Seemed to have good effect within a couple of days? Trying the thing where you hold it in your mouth for as long as possible, which I haven’t tried before, so maybe that is why? Read somewhere that your mouth bacteria and stomach bacteria are connected. Brain fog. Anybody else doing this? Will need to test it for longer to see benefit is maintained.

 

[Plum]

Sunbiotics - organic, non-GMO and doesn't contain any strains that affect histamine.

 

[Hopeful1976]

Optibac l.reuteri and l.rhammosus (marketed 'for women'. The best one I've tried so far for improving gut symptoms and energy levels.

 

[Bander]

Align has a double-blind study indicating that it reduces inflamation for cfs patients. Unfortunately, the dosage they used was equivalent to taking 10 capsules a day. I've been taking 5 a day and I'm thinking of increasing to 10. I don't feel a strong effect, so it is difficult to distinguish any benefit from a placebo effect, but we've seen a lot of evidence recently of inflamation being involved in cfs and my doctor seemed to think this was a good idea (he uses Align himself). Mark Davis also mentioned the benefit of Bifido bacteria in comments he made at the community symposium in August sponsored by the Open Medicine Foundation. You can watch it here. The fact that he mentioned Walmart makes me wonder whether he was thinking of a competing product called Equate that is cheaper. That uses a different strain of bifido bacteria than the one used in the study I mentioned, but it's not clear how important that is.

 

[place]

Huh?! Maybe I’m not taking the most mentioned, never heard of these. I do have align, in my testing group. I’m Currently taking miyarisan, but it really has not done much, I took solaray multi dolphi that was great. Noticed feeling better and more energy. I took a women’s raw probiotic that made me hungry, cranky and smelly(parts that should not smell). I have the following to try

Mutaflor
Prescript assist
Align

Would like to add vsl, but not sure.

 

[Seven7]

Be sure it does not conTain latic acid producing bacteria. I don’t think that is good on Cfs. Just my humble opinion.

 

[GreenBlanket]

I wasted thousands of dollars on probiotics that never made any difference whatsoever. I tried many different brands at many different dosages ... and felt absolutely nothing.

 

[Learner1]

Its useful to match up probiotics need with results of DNA stool testing. Insoluble fiber, digestive enzymes and adequate stomach acid play a part, too. I've also had to watch what they're grown in, avoiding allergens.

At various times, I've had good results with:

Xymogen ProBioMax 100 and 350
PrescriptAssist
Hyperbiotics Pro Woman
Symbioflor

And hated:

Culturelle
Garden of Life Women's 50 biliom

 

[Timaca]

Huh?! Maybe I’m not taking the most mentioned, never heard of these. I do have align, in my testing group. I’m Currently taking miyarisan, but it really has not done much, I took solaray multi dolphi that was great. Noticed feeling better and more energy. I took a women’s raw probiotic that made me hungry, cranky and smelly(parts that should not smell). I have the following to try

Mutaflor
Prescript assist
Align

Would like to add vsl, but not sure.

Are you still currently taking the Solaray multi dolphilus? Why did you switch away from it (or did you) if you liked what it did? (Just curious)

 

[perchance dreamer]

I take OrthoMolecular's Orthobiotic powder, mixed in a little water. My ENT has me taking it because it has a strain that discourages sinus fungus (eww!!!). I'm not sure how well it really works for me.

I was going to try to get probiotics from food. My PA and a wellness employee at the integrative pharmacy I go to suggested 1/2 cup of goat milk yogurt (can't do cow dairy) in the morning and sauerkraut at dinner.

However, I'm afraid the goat milk yogurt disturbs my digestion, and the sauerkraut hurts my sensitive teeth. Rats!

It's too bad. I like the way both these foods taste, and I like the idea of getting probiotics from food. The yogurt tastes like a regular tart, plain yogurt, and the sauerkraut just tastes like pickled cabbage.

@moosie, before I developed the dairy intolerance, I loved Fage's Total yogurt. I really miss it!

 

[place]

@Timaca
I did a two week test phase for the solaray. I thought they were good, not extraordinary. Im trying the protocal of rotating probotics every 2-3 weeks and testing out individually. I know for some they really see a hugh impact on one or the other.

 

[Suffering Succotash]

I take:
Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS, 5 Billion Cells Per Capsule.
180 Veggie Capsules. Amazon $29. Keep in refrigerator.
Recommended by Stanford CFS PA.

 

[ChiliPep]

I take VSL#3 available behind the counter at Costco,
and I take Jarrow Formulas - Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS (same stuff as Florastor but much cheaper), I get it at Sprouts grocery store as it’s too hot here to get it by mail unless they sent it in a cooler pack.

Both have to be refrigerated.

 

[place]

@ChiliPep
Do you take both vsl and jarrow at the same time. How big of impact do each one make for you?

 

[ChiliPep]

I take them both at the same time. I feel worse if I don’t take them fatigue wise, but frankly I switched to these due to a severe case of c.diff that I had for almost three months. I ended up in the hospital for a week from blood sepsis caused by the c.diff. and my gastro insisted on VSL and the c.diff forums touted Floristor. Since then I’ve been in and out of the hospital with infections and put on heavy IV antibiotics for weeks and these two probiotics have kept the c.diff monster away. I figure if they can do that, they must be doing something good in my gut. I’m too gun shy to try going off them or to try anything new now, but when I’m done with surgeries and hospitals (knock on wood), I would like to try the ones that the AIP book mentions to see if they’re better. I didn’t notice any benefit from culturalle which I had taken previously.

 

[happy]

I'm taking VSL3 and a local brand of "women's probiotic" (l.reuteri and l.rhamnosus). I started taking VSL3 at insistence of my gastroalergologist because I couldn't eat most vegetables and fruit for the last 2 years following several bouts of abx. The other one I take to hopefully decrease the number of UTIs I get per year.

I don't think they do anything for CFS, but after a year of taking them diligently I can now eat a whole bowl of cabbage without abdominal pain! Other vegetables and fruits are better, too.

 

[hangininthere]

Plain acidophilus works wonders for my urinary retention problem.

If I don't take it, my bladder won't empty all the way, which means a ton of trips to bathroom, including every store sometimes twice in same store, just to dribble a little and bladder still full.

With acidophilus, my bladder empties normally.

If I skip a day or two of acidophilus, the symptoms come right back. I have to take it daily.

Other probiotics I've tried have worked for it, too.

I just get the acidophilus because it's less expensive and works.

I get the Vitacost brand capsules online for the good price and quality. It doesn't need refrigerated, so it's much handier for me to take from my bedside table.

I don't remember how long it took to work, because it was many years ago I discovered it helped after decades of miserable urinary retention.

I had started taking high-dose garlic capsules for some other health problems, I forget what. Then when I added acidophilus, I forget why now, I noticed the surprising improvement in my urinary retention.

Patti