Probiotics- Your thoughts?

[Woods1977]

Hi everyone!

I wanted to get some feedback/opinions about the importance of using a probiotic during AP therapy. My doctor has not mentioned it, but I wanted to get some opinions as I consider you guys the

[Arth26]

Hi Michelle, I’m not an expert….but I will say the kefir has helped me quite a bit. Good luck! Erica

[rebeccaavazian]

Probiotics are very helpful in keeping a good balance when taking antibiotics. I take sacharomycies (2 pills 2x aday) and ultra flora IB (1 at nite everyday).

[JoAnnC68]

Hi Michelle,

My doctor and the Rheumy never mentioned Phobiotics to me either. Do a search here on RB and you will find that
everyone highly recommend taking Phobiotics with the AP.
I personally take 3 different kind every day, (morning, noon and night) they are Pearls, PB8 and Accuflora. (I’ve found that Swanson Health Products has a good price on the Pearls and PB8). Hopefully, I’m taking plenty of Probiotics, I sure don’t want to have to deal with Candida. I’ve been happy with the Phobiotisc that I’m taking but I’m goning to check into the other brands that was listed on this posting.

Have a Good One and Take Care!!
Jo Ann

Diagnosed with RA Jan 2012
Oct 2015- RF has dropped to 19!!! Isn't that Great! ?! I'm feeling wonderful! I'm still taking Mino 2 x daily...if I don't forget!
Oct 2014 RF has dropped to 23.1!! Taking Mino 100mg 2 x daily. No Pains & doing great!!
Oct 2013-RF has dropped to 40.9!!! Feeling Wonderful!!
7-17-2013 I'm going Great!! Still taking mino 100mg twice daily. No pains or Complaints!
5-9-2013 RA Dr said I was doing good, I could stop taking prednisone since I dropped to 1/2 mg...so will

[rebeccaavazian]

Jo Ann,
The sacharomycies are 5 billion live organisms per cap and the ultra flora max are 100 billion per cap. I may take a tiny bit than required but I’d rather safe than sorry when dealing with Clindy because it can lead to c- diff.
Rebecca

[JoAnnC68]

Thank You Rebecca for the info!! I looked on-line where I order most of my vitamins and herbs and they have both of them in stock, so I’ve got them on order.
I saw your other post the other day, I hope things are looking better for you!
Take Care!
Jo Ann

Diagnosed with RA Jan 2012
Oct 2015- RF has dropped to 19!!! Isn't that Great! ?! I'm feeling wonderful! I'm still taking Mino 2 x daily...if I don't forget!
Oct 2014 RF has dropped to 23.1!! Taking Mino 100mg 2 x daily. No Pains & doing great!!
Oct 2013-RF has dropped to 40.9!!! Feeling Wonderful!!
7-17-2013 I'm going Great!! Still taking mino 100mg twice daily. No pains or Complaints!
5-9-2013 RA Dr said I was doing good, I could stop taking prednisone since I dropped to 1/2 mg...so will

[bonnielou]

Hi Michelle. I know probiotics are expensive, but I can’t see skimping on this supplement. We we are taking medications that kill bacteria, and we need some of the right bacteria for our bodies to be healthy. I mix mine up quite a bit — rotating from PB8 to Jarodophilus, and a few other proprietary brands.

I am on antibiotics over 5 years now and have managed to avoid any signs of candida or other fungal infections so far. Of course you never want to get too confident with these diseases, as something can always be lurking around the corner.

I strongly recommend you add probiotics to your regimen. Keep us posted.

Bonnie

Bonnie Lou
RA 02/07,AP 10/07
Minocycline 200mg MWF; Plaquenil 100mg 3 days/week
Fish Oil, Ubiquinol, Turmeric, Vit C (2 grams) , MultiVit, Magnesium, Astaxanthin, D3 (5000), probiotics and a daily dose of yoga!

[Woods1977]

Hey everyone…
Thanks so much for this feedback… It’s great. I’ve been slidding backwards the last few months- I won’t go into details at this time, but I have a sneaking suspicision that I really, really need to get on some good probiotics to get things back into check. Thanks again!!

[PhilC]

Probiotics are absolutely essential. I know of a couple of people who didn’t take them and got so messed up that they had to discontinue antibiotic therapy and then couldn’t resume it later due to GI upset or other issues. So not taking probioitcs really ruined things for them.

Phil

"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
- Albert Einstein

[A Friend]

@Woods1977 wrote:

Hey everyone… Thanks so much for this feedback… It’s great. I’ve been slidding backwards the last few months- I won’t go into details at this time, but I have a sneaking suspicision that I really, really need to get on some good probiotics to get things back into check. Thanks again!!

Hello Michelle,

Just glanced over the replies to your posts on this subject of AP and probiotics, and don’t believe what I’m writing below has been mentioned in this thread.

We patients can have already developed systemic yeast/fungal overgrowth in our bodies when we’ve had various health problems and symptoms over a long period of time; and, surprisingly, we may never have seen any overt signs of this, i.e. the typical woman’s vaginal yeast infection (that is visible); and fungus in toenails, etc. Both of these are usually just the ‘tip of the iceberg’.

About five years before I was diagnosed with a rheumatic illness, I had a TMJ diagnosis that actually turned out to be a deep jaw infection, and was treated with abx for recurring illnesses about every 4 months (related to this) for two years — my internist never mentioned probiotics. I didn’t know about any of this, as I’d always been very healthy.

Though I’ve never ever had a typical woman’s yeast infection, I indeed went on to discover that during those two years of repeated RXes of abx, I had developed a systemic yeast/fungal overgrowth. Dr. Crook himself talked with me at the end of that two years of constant abx and feeling lifeless, and he felt definitely this was my problem, and said I needed a local physician to direct me in taking Diflucan longterm. I took Diflucan very successfully for a number of months and could tell I was getting better and better.

Much damage to my body and immune system and all its parts — no doubt — were compromised during those first two years. [In the business world, this malpractice would be subject to prosecution. But, since apparently the FDA or the powers that be, apparently do not have this treatment for preventing yeast/fungal overgrowth in their procedures for medical doctors, more and more chronically ill people are resulting because of this problem for the medical profession to treat over the long haul. I don’t want to sound bitter and mean about this, but this is truth, and I do want this malpractice stopped!!! Dr. Crook went on to write 12 books on this subject before his death — he was a pediatric allergist who did much research because he wanted to know why he couldn’t get his babies well!

Everyone, if you are chronically ill, see an orthomolecular physician (ACAM has lists by state in the USA) or other health professional about replacing the good flora/bacteria in your body and addressing yeast overgrowth, and learn everything related to gastrointestinal health. Dr. Leo Galland’s writings, and those of many others like Doug Kaufmann in Know the Cause site, can be helpful. We simply cannot be well and have a functioning immune system without good flora!!! And, along with yeast/fungal overgrowth, our bodies will get more and more acidic and unhealthy all the time.

AF

[Woods1977]

Hello

[kwlile]

As previously stated, probiotics are essential when on AP. But please make sure you take them 4 hours away from your antibiotics – that is what my doctor told me. (Dr. F in Riverside)

[Eva Holloway]

I am taking probiotics about midnight or so because I have to take antibiotics four times a day every four hours, so that is why midnight. I is stupid but that is the only way I can get them. LOL
Eva

Eva Holloway

[Krys]

@Woods1977 wrote:

…. I have a sneaking suspicision that I really, really need to get on some good probiotics to get things back into check.

If you got Candida, probiotics even in big amount may not be enough to control it.

I knew from this forum about the need to take probiotics while on AP. I did not take into account that my gut was not in a good shape and that I needed massive amounts to keep Candida at bay. I had been taking huge amounts of anti-microbial herbs for many months prior to starting AP and did not know that Goldenseal, which is an herbal macrolide, requires a probiotic. So even though I had no Candida (my herbs were working on Candida, too), my good gut bacteria were fragile.

When I started AP, I was drinking kefir and taking 2 cups of yogurt daily with Mercola’s probiotic (60 billion then) and additional few times a week another very good brand (50 billion). And I got Candida during the second month on AP.
Diflucan and Nystatine helped but it is an ongoing issue since then.
At present I rotate probiotics (at least 230 billion) and try (sometimes fail) to additionally eat fermented veggies daily.
The probiotic I am most happy about is Dr. Ohirra’s “Professional Formula”, which I get on Amazon.
“The Essential Formula” by Dr. Ohirra contains 500 billion probiotic bacteria per capsule. It comes from a 3 year fermentation process of various vegetables. Those are very sturdy probiotics capable of actually colonizing the gut.
Dr. Ohirra’s Professional contain a smaller amount, but are the result of exactly the same process, just fermented for 5 years instead of 3. So they are even sturdier.

I’m afraid my good bacteria will still not be capable of colonizing my gut while I am on abx, but hopefully the huge amount (I think I must be getting at least 700 billion with 2 caps) + fermented foods during the day, DO help to keep me from sliding down.
I believe that incorporating a diet (GAPS diet, especially gut healing bone broth soup) that helps heal the gut is most helpful while on AP. Again, I don’t think complete healing is possible for me while taking massive amounts of abx (Lyme treatment involves heavy duty abx protocols), but some healing is taking place and if someone’s gut is not as damaged as mine, it is possible that a complete gut healing will take place in spite of daily abx.

Everybody is different. The amount one has to take does depend on the health of the gut and on the amount of abx taken daily. But as you have heard within this thread, it is better to err on the wrong side and take too much rather than not enough.

Warm wishes, Krrys

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