To think probiotics don't suit everyone?

[AngryBird6122]

I have been taking them for about 2 and a half weeks. The day after I started them, my acid reflux went through the roof. ( i have a hiatus hernia/gerd/ibs-c) and heard they would help me so much, people rave about them. I have been having so much gas and my heart has been skipping beats like mad, due to vagus nerve getting irritated. Has anyone else ever experienced this? Horrible!

I think they're pretty pointless anyway. Eat a balanced diet 🤷🏼‍♀️

I'd avoid the supplements. I've heard they can do more harm than good.

From food I think is where you need it. I drink kombucha (is that probiotic?) Yakult and yoghurts. Though I'm not actively trying to increase probiotic intake, so you'll probably get better suggestions.

@Nopenopenopenopenopenope I do.

@piod yes I am never taking them again! I have kombucha drinks which I have occasionally but since pro/prebiotics are absolutely raved about I thought I would give them a go. Big mistake!

It's not as simple as adding more healthy bacteria, it's about the right balance of bacteria in the gut. Not all probiotics have the same types of bacteria or the same levels. You may still benefit from a probiotic but not the one you are taking. Or you need to re-balance something else in the gut (besides bacteria).

I have a GI condition and I find that probiotics can sometimes make it worse (not in the same way you've described). But there is no one thing that is best for everyone. If you've tried them and they don't help, you just need to stop taking them or try something different.

Try natural probiotics like kimchi, kefir and kombucha (all the ks!)

My DH won’t touch them anymore, each time he has, he’s had a bad stomach after.

There's very little evidence to suggest that probiotics are helpful. There's a small amount of evidence that suggests they might be helpful for some IBS sufferers, but even then, because IBS is often affected by psychological factors, it's not certain whether it's a placebo effect. And there's not really much/any evidence that they help any other condition at all.

Also, probiotics aren't medicines and aren't subject to the same regulations, so when you take a probiotic you don't actually know a) exactly what bacteria it contains, b) how much bacteria it contains and whether that would be enough to make any difference or c) that the bacteria will still be alive by the time they reach your gut.

Ultimately, if the aim is to restore 'a balance of healthy bacteria' you need to know the following things:

• Whether that is actually the thing that is causing your condition
• Which bacteria it is that's lacking (if any)
• Whether your probiotic contains that bacteria
• Whether it contains the right amount of that bacteria to restore the balance

Just taking random supplements, eating yogurts and drinking kombucha doesn't really cut it. Great if it works for, but it's sheer luck if it does and there's no reason why it automatically would.

Obviously not the solution for your problem but saying they are useless in general is like my saying that antibiotics are no good because they didn't cure my broken arm

I have IBS, every time I have ever tried them I am shitting for England , sorry😷

Never said that!

@ManateeFair thanks you that’s helpful
and makes sense

any ideas for flushing them out of my system quickly? 😑

Peppermint tea, smoothies, juice, water?

I only take them if given antibiotics. I think they are a bit pointless the rest of the time and could cause other issues.

I have IBS and most probiotics make it a lot worse. The only probiotic I can take is a children's one, I imagine because it's less strong. I only take a probiotic if I've been on an antibiotic though. I think probiotics are over rated and the best way to have healthy gut bacteria is to have a varied diet with lots of fruit and veg

@ChocolateTurtle I have a healthy diet anyway so maybe I just need it and my body is like 'no, thanks'! I think I will stick to the odd actimel or something after ABs from now on

I'd agree. pretty pointless. All those ghastly little plastic pots.

Much more fun to include 30 different fruit & veg in your weekly food. Focus on a wonderfully varied diet.

Include 15 different veg, lovely fruits and mushrooms and pulses and nuts. Infinitely better for you and the planet.

Well this is enlightening - tried Yakult years ago for my IBS and ended up with such bad heartburn I thought I was having a heart attack as it's not something I'd suffered before. The Yakukt was the only thing I'd changed about my diet so stopped it and was fine a few days later. Honestly thought I was an outlier - quite a relief to see it's not just me but obviously sorry you're suffering OP. The way to hell can definitely be paved with good intentions it seems