Stopped - L. reuteri probiotic (DSM 17938). My latest trial in an ongoing search to alleviate my IBS related symptoms (chronic dysbiosis?)

[Meleber]

I stopped taking this probiotic because it's also not beneficial. I will try a combination of berberine and cinnamon now. On the 14th of December 2021 I have an appointment with my gastroenterologist to discuss the result of the lactulose breath test.

My latest trial starts as from the 30th of October and has ended on the 26th of November 2021. I will try the single strain probiotic, L. reuteri (DSM 17938), 100 million CFU. I stopped using bacillus coagulans (Lactospore) because for me it wasn't beneficial but it could be beneficial for you.

[Meleber]

Some research articles on L. reuteri:

Effect of Lactobacillus reuteri (DSM 17938) on methane production in patients affected by functional constipation: a retrospective study europeanreview.org/article/...

Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 (Limosilactobacillus reuteri) in Diarrhea and Constipation: Two Sides of the Same Coin? mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/7/643

Role of Lactobacillus reuteri in Human Health and Diseases ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[janetmtt in reply to Meleber]

keep us posted

[Meleber in reply to janetmtt]

Hi, that's what I intend to do. A new journey of discovery for me and my gut. "To boldly go where no man has gone before"😁

[janetmtt in reply to Meleber]

All the best hope it works

[Meleber in reply to janetmtt]

Thanks, fingers crossed 🤞🏻

[Meleber in reply to janetmtt]

I just read (didn't read all the messages) that you already have a lot of experience with trying different probiotics. Have you found one that's actually beneficial for your symptoms?

[bigbunbun3 in reply to Meleber]

Hi Meleber, thank you for your post, I had a quick look at the links you shared. Very interesting, I too would like to know how you get on 😊 Wishing you well on the journey 😃

[Meleber in reply to bigbunbun3]

Thank you. I hope it won't be a too bumpy ride.

[Haz999]

Good luck🍀

[Meleber in reply to Haz999]

Thank you.

[Orchid99]

I'm currently taking this but only at 2 drops, it should be 5. Not noticed much difference so far.

[Meleber in reply to Orchid99]

Hi, I take a chewable tablet. I bought it online, a pharmacy in Belgium. The brand is Protectis Adult. One thing I noticed till now is that some 9 hours after taking the tablet I seem to fart more then I used to do.

[Meleber]

Had a bad flare up last few days after I ate something my bowel disagreed with. Most probably did eat something with too much fat

[Meleber]

Had an appointment with the gastroenterologist today. On my request I will get a SIBO test but this will be the last thing they can (will?) do for me. Already have had several examinations and even surgery. Don't know when the SIBO test can take place because of COVID-19. Gradually more covid-19 patients in the Dutch hospitals. She suggested hypnotherapy or a different therapy to deal with the day to day consequences of having IBS.

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

The gastroenterologist told me that despite the pigmentation of my intestinal wall I can keep using casacara sagrada as a laxative. It seems that senna has the same effect on the gut wall.

[Meleber]

I will increase the dosage L. reuteri to 100 million cfu twice daily. Since I only have been using it for a week now there's not much I can say about the possible positive effects. At least it hasn't had a negative effect till now.

[Meleber]

Randomised double blind placebo controlled trial on Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938: improvement in symptoms and bowel habit in functional constipation wageningenacademic.com/doi/...

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

"Our study demonstrated that LR DSM 17938 seems to control symptoms other than stool consistency, more related to gas production and dysbiosis (namely, incomplete defecation, abdominal discomfort, pain, and bloating). Additionally, data highlighted the importance of considering both the symptom profile and the QoL in FC patients"

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

This is not the strain of L. Reuteri I use currently.

[Meleber]

I'm very tired but not sure if this is a temporary effect of taking the L.Reuteri probiotic. I started taking iron bisglycinate again (20mg), did stop taking it a while ago because there's also iron in my multi vitamin tablet. My hb is always low, beneath or just around 8. I will have a lactulose breath test the end of this month and therefore need to stop taking berberine (antimicrobial properties) temporarily. The first breath test I will have and one wonders if this shouldn't have been done two years ago when I first saw a gastroenterologist for my bowel problems.

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

For the lactulose breath test I thought I should stop taking berberine because it has some antimicrobial effects. I now wish I didn't stop taking it because in a couple of days my health situation deteriorated, became more sick than I already was. So I started taking berberine again.

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

I wrote my gastroenterologist that I became more sick a few days after I stopped taking berberine and that it was necessary to start taking this supplement again. Also wrote that I probably can't stop taking a laxative temporarily because of the lactulose breath test but that I will give it a try. Really hope that it doesn't have a huge effect on the result of the breath test for bacterial overgrowth.

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

I've contacted the laboratory because it seems that I only would be tested for hydrogen. Because I think it's methane related this test wouldn't be useful to do. I have to call them again tomorrow because the person who can tell me more about the test isn't available today.

[Meleber in reply to Meleber]

It seems that the labaratory can only test for hydrogen in my breath. The lab technician told me that to his recollection I was the first person asking if my breath would also be tested for methane. A bit curious because I was thinking that when you get tested for SIBO/IMO both gasses in your breath should be checked. Because this is one of the few labaratories in the neighbourhood that can do the breath test I think I will do the test but when negative for hydrogen you can't conclude that you don't have SIBO/IMO (intenstine methane overgrowth).

[Meleber]

I did some further reading on SIBO, because of the lactulose breath test I'll have at the end of this month.

I can check almost all of the boxes, clinical clues for possible SIBO: transient improvement after antibiotics, worsening of digestive problems from pre- or probiotics, worsening constipation from high fiber diet. Also a gluten free diet doesn't help much (I don't have celiac disease). Signs of malabsorption like weight loss and systemic symptoms like skin rashes, mood changes (neurological symptoms), prolonged fatigue.

It also seems I'm already doing some things right for a while like taking berberine, eating lactose free dairy products, low fibre intake, laxatives, low sugar intake. So if positive for SIBO I'm not sure what more can be done except from taking chronic cyclic courses of antibiotics. I'm not sure of the latter because of the possible health consequences. However if taking an antibiotic could substantial improve my quality of life I tend to take the antibiotics because I give my quality of life a low figure, definitely not more than a 4 on a scale of one to 10. Besides synthetic antibiotics there are some natural products with antibacterial properties I could try like cinnamon. I already do take berberine and it's somewhat effective. I tried oregano and garlic but don't remember these to be effective in my situation but maybe the dosage wasn't high enough.

[Meleber]

research article "Review article: inhibition of methanogenic archaea by statins as a targeted management strategy for constipation and related disorders" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

[Meleber]

Till now no difference in symptoms after I did start taking the probiotic L. reuteri.

[Meleber]

Had a lactulose breath test this morning. Will have an appointment with the gastroenterologist in a fortnight. I won't continue with L. reuteri, doesn't seem beneficial for me. Instead I will start taking cinnamon because this also has bacterial effects. I try to target methane producing bacteria in my bowel. So my antibacterial regime is a combination of berberine and cinnamon as from today.