Anybody had side effects with VSL 3?

[DaveT81]

I work in gastroenterology research in my city and one of the lead nurses I work with kindly gave me a box to try.

It's 450 billion bacteria per packet, when I've been previously taking 20 Billion per capsule. My thinking here: more must be better, right?

Only been taking them about 5 days but I was drinking half a pack morning, half in the evening. I woke up yesterday feeling quite bloated and my stomach looked like I was having twins.

I was in work yesterday too, so drank a whole sachet in a 500ml bottle of water over about 45 minutes. Had no adverse reaction, but I was woken up by my heart pounding out of my chest this morning about 3am, felt bloated and had bad lump/refluxy feeling in my throat.

Needless s to say I panicked a lot and set about speaking to Dr Google. I ended up taking an omeprazole for the reflux sensation, which eased off but I still feel bloaty and generally off a few hours later getting up for work.

Anybody experienced this with vsl 3?

[cipher12]

I had similar experience with VSL3, my symptoms worsened after taking VSL3, I read somewhere it maybe due to prebiotic culture in VSL3 but it eventually went back to how it was before after stopping it

[DaveT81 in reply to cipher12]

Thanks. I think that's what I'll do, maybe return to the capsule that I was having no issues with.

[xjrs]

I've read research that people with IBS can do badly on higher doses of probiotics (> 10 billion CFU).

I took one that was was 20 billion+ CFU and I woke in the middle of the night with severe heart palpitations as if my body thought I was under attack from all these bacteria and was trying to get rid of it.

I have since taken Alflorex (1 billion CFU). With IBS the more isn't necessarily better. Sometimes it's about getting a very good strong strain. Alflorex containds Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 which has been scientifically studied for IBS. It has helped me enormously with my IBS symptoms.

If you get in quick you can get a free 2 month trial of it by joining theibsnetwork.org for 1 year @ £24. The offer ends towards the end of August.

[DaveT81 in reply to xjrs]

Thanks, that's really helpful. I'll take a look. I was doing OK on 20 billion, so stupidly assumed that more would be better. I have stopped all probiotics for a few days but I'll have a look at those that you've mentioned.

[IBSgraduate]

Sorry to hear

[IBSgraduate]

Sorry to hear of your reaction to VSL3. The probiotic with the highest level of clinical evidence to support its use in IBS is actually Alflorex. This contains the strain of Bifidobacterium 35624

[DaveT81 in reply to IBSgraduate]

Thank you, I'll take a look at that!