Probiotics yay or nay

I am not a medical professional, so I am just speaking on my personal experience. I find that probiotics help me a great deal. However, the big caveat to this is finding the right probiotic for your microbiome. Every brand contains different strands of bacteria and some may not be helpful to you individually. I had to try about three different brands before I saw symptom improvement on the third one. And once I found one for me, I found that my Bowel Movements were healthier and I had less cramping. -Elizabeth (team member)

Based on what I read in our forums, some people do very well with probiotics, some find that they can make symptoms worse, and others don’t see a difference at all.
In the past, I‘ve had great reactions to different probiotics in specific situations. After a 2 week long stomach virus that just wouldn’t go away, my symptoms improved drastically after taking saccamoyces boulardii. However, this same probiotic does nothing for me on a daily basis.
I’ve taken a specific probiotic recommended by my pharmacist to cope with antibiotics-induced issues and it worked really well, too. So in my personal experience, probiotics work well as a short-term boost to my microbiome. I’ve never found one that has helped in the long run, but of course, that’s just my personal experience.
Karina (team member)

Florastor Probiotic seems to help me. More so in the past than recent. I tried Align in the past with no luck. But now my doctor tells me that if I have SIBO (small intestine infection) that Pro biotics will make it worse. So I'm waiting to do this breath test.

I always felt my gut was off and thats why the Probiotics were working well. But now I wonder since I have gotten worse if it wasnt a good thing to take.

Trial & Error with IBS is frustrating

First, I felt dismay at the fact that a nurse practitioner would completely dismiss probiotics. They do help some people. Even if it is a placebo effect, whatever works is worth the price.



I have taken Saccharomyces boulardii, a yeast probiotic, for diarrhea, and it was as effective as Imodium to stop it. S. boulardii has been used for decades to treat pediatric diarrhea and traveler's diarrhea. It did nothing to regulate my bowel, though.


In my case, digestive probiotics did nothing. I researched which strains were most effective and in what quantities. But they made no difference. Those that were supposed to regulate constipation and diarrhea, and prevent yeast infection were present and in quantities large enough to be effective. My sister took them and said they worked too well and she had to reduce the dose! We are all so different.

Like so many other things, it is trial and error, and that can really tests one's patience and pocketbook! Hugs, Kim, moderator