Probiotics anyone?

[Moomin8]

Morning Peeps 😀 I hope this post finds you as well as can be 🥰

This morning finds me with little to no energy or willpower. I am off work with an awful infection/virus - chesty cough, full of cold and wiped out. I am on my 3rd course of antibiotics, 2nd course of steroids and now a blue inhaler to boot! You could sing that list in a festive tune, I just realised:

🎵 3 antibiotics

2 lots of steroids

And a blue inhaler too 🎶

Anyhoo, so - I missed the Nativity, the pantomime and the Christmas works do 😭 Those of you who know me, I work in a primary school.

It was suggested by a caring neighbour (who I think is fed up with my constant hacking cough) that I take some probiotics to aid my recovery. I fully understand that we in the RA gang need to be super-careful what we add to our mix of meds, but I was wondering how you all felt about the topic? I must say that my stomach has not been happy the last few days. Yesterday, after taking Doxycycline (I was told to take 2 on the first day and one a day thereafter) I vomited about an hour after! It was only bile (sorry for the graphics) so I'm presuming that my body wasn't keen. I'm dreading taking today's.

My main meds are Tocilizumab, Methotrexate and Sulfasalazine (keeping off the Sulfasalazine while on antibiotics, as suggested by my GP) incase you're wondering.

I did find this interesting article:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

I wish I could find the wherewithal to wrap some presents, at least my time wouldn't be wasted.

[Lolabridge]

I do take probiotics after having antibiotics to get my gut back to normal. I wait until I have finished the course.

The ones that suit me best are Proflora GI by Pure Encapsulations and were recommended by my applied kinesiologist. Also if you can eat some fermented foods like Kefir, Kimchi, Kombucha etc that will also help.

Hope you feel better soon.

[Moomin8 in reply to Lolabridge]

Thanks for your top-tips! The Proflora looks a good choice, but it is expensive 😬

[Lolabridge in reply to Moomin8]

yes it is I agree. I’m sure you could find something cheaper that could work too. Many makes have to be kept refrigerated but the GI Flora does not.

If you like sauerkraut that’s good for the gut too but not the type in vinegar.

[Sholla]

I am not on any regular meds but l have gastric issues. I think probiotics would definitely be a good thing moving forward providing you with extra support. Don't forget prebiotics which (my understanding) feed the probiotics. I would also up my vitamin intake vits c and d and garlic and ginger teas, great for fighting infection. I add nothing to mine but provided you have no sugar issues a quality honey may also be beneficial.

[Moomin8 in reply to Sholla]

Thanks for your advice, much appreciated 👍 I'm drinking hot honey and lemon (not keen on ginger or turmeric) and take 1000mg VitC, VitD and usually VitK2 (but not VitK2 while on Doxycycline) along with fish oil as my extras. I'm generally pretty fighting fit - excluding the rubbish RA part of me - but this virus/infection has just hit me hard. Considering I work in a school, I'm lucky because I usually dodge the colds and coughs, but this was one germ too far. 🤒

[wilbertjellyfish]

I once watched a webinar are the nutrition lady recommended viridian lactobacillus rhamouses. You can get it on Amazon or direct from viridian. It's a capsule. Pricey enough. I in general have a cast iron stomach and didn't notice much difference on it , kefir yogurt...some of them aren't too horrific to take, they were also recommended.

I was on doxycycline a few weeks ago and have also in past been told to stop mtx when on abx.

I'm feeling crap at the moment too, third abx and now morphine tablets for a bit of a collapsed lung.

My advice is take steroids, they make you feel better.... even when you're not. 🙈

Hope the holiday gives you a good rest.

[Moomin8 in reply to wilbertjellyfish]

Morning 🙂I haven't started my 2nd course of 30mg Prednisolone yet, I thought I'd hold off for a bit. Taking steroids, I know chips away at my overall body health, so I'll wait and see how I go without them. I have a blunted lung, due to cracked ribs a few years ago, so that doesn't help, I imagine. I hope you start to feel better soon. I'm still the same - coughing and sinuses sore with a shocking cold going on. My body aches and I'm still lethargic. If I'm no better tomorrow, I'll start the steroids I suppose. Mind you, I'm sleeping abit better, so that's a bonus.

[wilbertjellyfish in reply to Moomin8]

I do understand you're not wanting to take steroids and 30mg is quite a lot. I'm usually on 20, but have got done to 10. I've been on them five years. Still they do make you feel better. Your body will naturally produce steroids when you aren't well to help you get better so your just giving it a hand by taking them.Also a short course five days or so generally has no side effects.

I hope you don't need them but we're all guilty of putting up with level's of pain no one else would tolerate and it might be better to short term take them so long term you're back to yourself.

[shouty]

Hope you're managing to keep Doxy down. I take it prophylactically 3× week for Bronchiectasis & always sit bolt upright for at least an hour either side of taking it with food. At least you won't have to worry about staying away from hot sunshine so you don't burn. Small mercies 😕and it's a good AB

[Moomin8 in reply to shouty]

I've got this image in my head of you sitting bolt upright, rigid, not moving and looking straight ahead...for an hour! I hope you turn the telly on or have a good view to look out on? Sounds horrible!

[shouty in reply to Moomin8]

I did remember to breathe 😁

[Moomin8 in reply to shouty]

😂😂😂

[Deeb1764]

Bio-Kult Advanced Multi-Strain Formulation for Digestive System,

Was suggested to me by another autoimmune friend and for me worked really well. They do others I. Their range but she suggested this one.

[Cutes in reply to Deeb1764]

Hi, just seen your post. I too have recently bought the Biokult probiotic you mention above (because of recent tummy problems), but haven't started taking them yet, as I got rather cold feet about it all, bearing in mind, I am on immuno-suppressant, methotrexate (albeit a low dose of 5mg x weekly) and Anti TNF (imraldi) injections once fortnightly. I would ask a GP if I could actually get through to one!!! , but thought I might try asking a pharmacist instead. I just wondered if you did take this product in the end and if you are on similar meds to mine? Thanks.

[Deeb1764 in reply to Cutes]

I took it for 2 months but I am not too sure if this was long enough but I dont think I felt any change. However I was also going thro a heart issue which is still being diagnosed and so my body was all over the place. My friend who suggested it has an immune issue and swears by it.

I think I might have another go in a couple of months when maybe other things are more settled

[Cutes in reply to Deeb1764]

Many thanks for the reply. I think I will go ahead and just give them a try, particularly as I have just remembered that I have in the past, used the 'Optibac - Probiotics For when on antibiotics' (10 day dose) and have always found those good in terms of preventing the usual nausea and possible thrush symptoms that I have sometimes experienced in the past when taking anti biotics.

[Cutes in reply to Cutes]

ps meant to say I do hope your heart problems get resolved asap. All the best

[Runrig01]

I havd always been advised by several rheumatologists that probiotics should not be used when your on immunosuppressants, as they can cause infection. Also told to avoid things like echinacea that boosts the immune system, when we’re taking meds to suppress it.

[Moomin8 in reply to Runrig01]

Ah, right - OK, thanks 😊

[Runrig01]

if you google probiotics and immunosuppressed you’ll see lots of articles on it. Here’s one screenshot

Probiotics