Probiotic recommendations? (UK)

Hi Ali,
My oldest son had similar digestive issues a few years ago. We think now that he had either a virus or mild food poisoning that wiped out his healthy intestinal flora. At the time, though, we didn't know what was wrong. One day he ran a mild fever and vomited, then for the next several weeks, he couldn't eat without experiencing abdominal pain. Sometimes the pain was moderate, but other times, he was in agony - sobbing and writhing on the floor. This continued for several weeks, and he avoided eating because it hurt so much. We took him to several doctors, who performed many tests, but none of the results were conclusive. The doctors kept telling us there was nothing wrong with him and that he just had an "irritable bowel." We were frustrated and frightened. My 6'1" son was down to 117 pounds by this point!

On my pharmacist sister's recommendation, we bought a supplement capsule from the local drug store that contained high doses (billions of units) of several different strains of bacteria. (It was the drugstore's brand of Culturelle, if they sell that in the UK.) The supplements made an enormous difference for him. He improved noticeably within a few days of starting them (I think he took one at every meal to start), and within a few weeks, his symptoms were gone. Now he just takes a capsule once a week or whenever he feels any hint of stomach pain.

I think it's important to buy fresh supplements and to store them in the refrigerator. In the US, the manufacture date is stamped on the package, so it's easy to tell how fresh they are. They are not very expensive, and they can't hurt you, so you might as well try them. I hope they work for you!