Probiotics

I’ve started drinking Karma. I was told by a friend that they helped with her bloating. So far I haven’t really noticed anything with bloating but I haven’t been getting as many stomach aches lately. Not sure if the probiotics are the reason or if I’ve just been getting a little more water. Whichever the reason, the drink tastes good so I’ll keep buying.

I've taken multiple brands and I don't really know to what extent they help. I recently ran out and will likely restock if I find something very cheap, otherwise they're not high on my list of priorities; certainly not a must-have.

Since I've been in and out of oral surgeries for the past few years and all the antibiotics that come with them, my answer is a big ole yes.

The one time I didn't, I ended up with c diff. Now, even tho it's probably overkill, I take culterelle, digestive advantage, and Saccharomyces Boulardii + MOS and no problems since then.

About 5 years ago, I suffered from C. diff - an overly aggressive diarrhea-causing gut bacteria gone wild after a round of biotics for an ear infection killed its competitors. It took more than 6 months of treatment-- including two rounds of different antibiotics and large servings of probiotic-rich foods (read that again . . . antibiotics and probiotics at the same time!) to finally get it under control.

I've started making my own kimchi, water kefir, and sour kraut as part of that treatment and have continued ever since. Thankfully, I enjoy those foods, but I also attribute them with finally getting that nasty little beastie under control.

Wishing you all the very best. Chronic constipation, causing or implicated in other conditions can be a real problem to fix, especially for women. Our bodies are very complicated, should be working as one, not in the fragmented way some medical systems seem to imagine. I hope your consultant works in a holistic way.

I'm sure you are addressing fluids; fibre - psyllium husks helped me, added to rice milk at the end of the day; ensuring my endocrine system is working well was invaluable, with the right support for me; then allowing yourself enough time to evacuate is vital when in the "mood".

Optibac products really helped me with my biome after a lifetime of antibiotics and other common female medications which also compromise our insides. It was a relief to find their products because they do not come with unnecessary flavours to aggravate my salicylate sensitivity which is in the background now. The product of theirs I'd recommend for after the one for "after antibiotics" may be with come to that as you can mix and match, is the "everyday", because it contains more strains and its the more the merrier when it comes species to help digestion. I'm sure you have a list of foods which are more beneficial to your microbiome than others, if you can eat them.

Everyone says "fermented foods are a must" only with Histamine Intolerance, where histamine levels are volatile a topic of its own, where citrus among other things can release histamine may not be helpful depending on the background of your issues. Histamine Intolerance, aka Sensitivity is a story of its own. Histamine and Salicylate intolerance can be combined overlapping but divisive issues. Histamine to generalise is from the degrading of foods where as Salicylate is a compound found in many fruits and veg which some have difficulties eliminating. There is so much more information available now than there was only a few years ago.

Thankfully we are all different in our difficulties. Again wishing YOU, amioc all the very best in achieving your personal good health.

Thank you Margaret, I assumed any would use as suggested by the container, I could not remember the recommendation its been so very long since I used them. I used the two teaspoon or gram equivalent, as you say, in 200 possibly 300 ml of fluid, the rice milk made it more palatable over water. My fear with capsules is there may be a tendency to have too little fluid with them.

amioc wrote: »

Thank you to you all for answering my question ☺️. So for me what I’m hoping to get out of them is to help with bloating and help regulate my bowels. It’s a long story but basically there is 2 operations I need to have but I can’t have them done until my bowels are regular because my problems will just end up coming back.
I’ve suffered with chronic constipation and have been having help with this for over a year. My consultant phoned me a little while ago (I speak to him monthly to see if what he’s prescribed or equipment he’s given me have worked) and he’s told me to start taking probiotics to see if they help along side my medicine and diet. If we don’t get this sorted I may end up with a stoma bag. I’m 34
and that’s the last thing I want 😕

Assuming you are already doing the normal things for constipation:

1. Fiber
2. Fat
3. Fluid
4. Sufficient amount of food
5. Exercise

I take vitamin C "to bowel tolerance" and am a regular as a clock. Since you have medical conditions, I suggest running this by a medical provider.

I put buffered, powdered vitamin C in warm water. (Along with blackstrap molasses for my anemia, which helps with the taste. The C also helps with the iron absorption.)

I'm not endorsing any of the medical claims made in this article - I am providing it for methodology only. I use vitamin C for constipation and previously for chemical sensitivity. Like the article states, I do find that when I am not feeling well, I can tolerate higher doses.

http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1981/pdf/1981-v10n02-p125.pdf

Just my 2 cents. Yes, I definitely take probiotics when I think they are needed. If they are needed, they make me a little woozy when I start taking them. Much like you might be sicker the first day or two of taking antibiotics when they start a war with the bad stuff in your body.
I can’t tell you a good brand, but I can tell you that several years ago, there was a popular brand of capsules that 1/2 or so of the capsules were empty. Since then, I don’t rely on any one brand, but take a different brand each time.
I agree that psyllium and magnesium are both good for constipation, but just for today. They don’t do anything to solve problems long term. Probiotics might.
I hope you get all your problems resolved soon.

Fuzzipeg wrote: »

Thank you Margaret, I assumed any would use as suggested by the container, I could not remember the recommendation its been so very long since I used them. I used the two teaspoon or gram equivalent, as you say, in 200 possibly 300 ml of fluid, the rice milk made it more palatable over water. My fear with capsules is there may be a tendency to have too little fluid with them.

Agreed. Use it as directed.
That said, I get the stuff in bulk from my local health food store. Much cheaper. But no dosage instructions.

As for capsules, water is key. Water is key to all psyllium doses.

Anyhow, it’s one of those things that’s “natural” and “from plants!” So it can be too easy to ignore the instructions thinking no harm can happen.

If anyone is interested, check out ChubbyEmu on YouTube. Specifically the video “A Student Drank Two Liters Fiber Supplement For Dinner. This is What Happened to His Intestines.”

Obviously don’t do what that student did. But along with the “well at least I’m not that dumb” schadenfreude feeling, it’s a pretty good overview of psyllium husk and how it works.

(For those who don’t want to watch the video: A young adult ate two entire large bottles of psyllium husk/Metamucil in one evening thinking it would cleanse his colon. It didn’t go well)

Fuzzipeg wrote: »

Still trying to support our Op.

Magnesium deficiency can also underpin chronic constipation. I can't reproduce the dietary availability listings for improving one's magnesium levels, though dark green veg comes to mind. I remember Magnesium supplemented in the glycinate form can help with constipation, along with relaxation and I think cramps. OP, it could be worth you reading up and comparing your associated symptoms.

Fuzzipeg wrote: »

Still trying to support our Op.

Magnesium deficiency can also underpin chronic constipation. I can't reproduce the dietary availability listings for improving one's magnesium levels, though dark green veg comes to mind. I remember Magnesium supplemented in the glycinate form can help with constipation, along with relaxation and I think cramps. OP, it could be worth you reading up and comparing your associated symptoms.

To echo the above poster, vit c can be very helpful. I once read a site about "high doses vit C". It suggested vit C can act as an antibiotic, it went on to say for some conditions to take it to your "tolerance", which was described as the point at which one's stool became loose. Again wider reading and associating it with your other symptoms could be called for.

I think I'm now out of things which might help, or things you could combine to suit, which could, if appropriate, get things moving so possibly you avoid the surgery as you wish.

For constipation, if I take vitamin C to the point where I am slightly gassy, I know I can take a little less the next day, and be regular without gas.