VSL Probiotics - Has anybody else used them & what results have you had?

[virgolizzy]

My Dietician recommended using the above, which I then got on prescription & they are really strong probiotics.

Once received, I was reluctant to use them as they contained minute traces of gluten, dairy & soya - all things I was avoiding! However, after being glutened at Xmas & 'dairied' a few weeks ago, I have been struggling to get back to normal & I decided, I would try the probiotics. I have just been using half the recommended dose for the last 2 weeks & I have to say it is working wonders with no bad reactions!!

I had been reading some research on the internet about an imbalance of good/bad gut bacteria (& I know I have a bad imbalance as I got tested) & so I am hoping this over time may well help improve things dramatically.

Has anyone else had any experience with VSL or really strong probiotics (had used non prescription ones before, but they didn't seem to make much difference), or have had any experience with too many bad gut bacteria?

It makes you wonder, whether something as simple as this imbalance over a along period of time, is causing all our problems?

(Or am I just hoping that once on a really strong regime for several months, I can get back onto dairy & gluten & get back to normal - I can but dream I suppose!!

[HiveMind]

Hi,

Interested in this. However, how does it work if there are traces of gluten in it? (I checked ingredient list on Amazon).

Confused.

[HiveMind in reply to HiveMind]

I asked my Doc for advice on me taking VSL. He has said that he wouldn't recommend it as I take a lot of medication and as such the "inactive ingredients" also present in this could react negatively with them. Back to the drawing board!

[Penel]

These probiotics have been used successfully for colitis

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/159...

Although you may be feeling ok with a trace of gluten your gut may be being damaged. Can you ask your dietician if there is an alternative?

It's a good idea to limit your intake of sugar to help get the gut back in balance, I avoid 'free from' food as much as possible.

There are a lot of foods recommended as 'probiotic' that may help a bit.

globalhealingcenter.com/nat...

Personally I go for the yoghurt and chocolate (!).

[virgolizzy in reply to Penel]

Hi

Hard to go for yoghurt & chocolate when I can't eat dairy & if I have too much soya it effects me too.

I eat a good healthy diet, with lots of prebiotic food & have taken GF & DF probiotics before, but not of this strength & I didn't notice any difference until I used these ones. Will keep with them for now & listen to my body to make sure I don't tip any balance.

[Penel in reply to virgolizzy]

Shame about the chocolate.

It's great that you have found something that is helping, as you say - listen to your body. I have been gf for several years and my guts seem to be functioning ok now, but if I was having problems I think I would want to give them a try too.

[virgolizzy]

Hi

It states that is has traces of gluten in it & according to their website vsl3.com (which has more info on it than vsl3.co.uk) it states that it can be classed as gluten free under "the proposed FDA definition of a gluten free food, FR Jan 23, 2007,vol22, no 14".

So I'm guessing it's codex amount etc., but someone else on here, will have more knowledge than me on that aspect.

All I know, is that it is not effecting me, but then I don't class myself as being super sensitive, but through choice I don't normally even eat codex amounts of gluten, any maltodextrin etc etc. I also can't even have a spoonful of cream without it effecting me, but this product has traces of milk/dairy & I am fine on it!?

If I was super sensitive, I wouldn't risk using it & would try & find another super strong probiotic.

This one has 450 billion live bacteria in each sachet. They even do a 900 billion one!

All I know, is that so far, it has sorted out my stomach & it's the first time I've had normal 'motions' since well before Xmas ie firm & only twice a day, as oppossed to cow pats & 6 times a day & my stomach feels 'normal' - long may it last!!

If you are not super sensitive, it may well be worth a try.

[JanLB]

I was recommended these by an NHS hospital but told that they couldn't be prescribed - they are prohibitively expensive.

I use Solgar multimillion dophilus in higher than the recommended dose - also not cheap but better than VSL - better on amazon than in the shops

They help enormously and it is very obvious when I've forgotten to take them

[virgolizzy in reply to JanLB]

Crumbs! Guess I'm very lucky that my GP did a prescription for me then. Will keep a note of the ones you use tho, just in case I can't get a repeat prescription, as I want to be able to stay on them for quite a while, to allow the good gut bacteria to colonize properly etc. Thanks

[nic79]

I've been buying the 30 million, kept in the fridge ones from my doctors. I've found they really help. I've been using them before I went gluten and dairy free so with all 3 I'm almost back to normal. My bowel has a weak bowel wall, I grow multiple polyps in my bowel. Plus stomach is in my chest because of a hernia. Everything kicked off with an infection, so they were used to try to rebalance everything. Result for you getting them on the nhs. But I don't mind the £30 as they've helped so much. When I don't use them I really notice a difference.