Blowing up bellies
I have read a couple of things about huge blowing up bellies while taking supplementsi. Last night I was thinking about this (I don't seem to have too much of it) and I remembered something that might be important. Many probiotics includ fructooligosaccharides or FOS. DO NOT buy these probiotics unless you plan to take small amounts of that one and have a FOS free formula too. FOS is food for the bacteria in the probiotics to aid in their establishing a good intestinal colony and it is a very good food for them! They will get very busy and grow and multiply and make gas all the while. People have to adjust slowly to using FOS or be very uncomfortable.
Becasue we kill off the bacteria all the time with more abxi and also need to replenish a lot I suggest we might be better off with FOS free formulas. I certainly am open to debate here so go ahead if you think FOS is great...COnversely if you have had the stomach trouble and check your formula and see FOS in there, try a new different formula and tell us if it's better so we have more anecdotal patient generated data on this subject.
Marie
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Gracious, Marie, I wondered what this posting was going to be about! I switched to a probiotic containing FOS a couple of months ago and have not experienced this, whether pulsing antibiotics or not. I take two a day or three whilst taking abxi. What you say does kind of make sense, though, so it will be interesting to hear of other people's experiences. My experience is, if anything, that defecation is somewhat easier but also somewhat larger than before, at least once a day as before, but the hot peppers could have something to do with that! Also half a mango most days for breakfast......Sarah
Feeling 98% well-going for 100. Very low test for Cpni. CAPi since 8-05 for Cpn/Mycoplasma P.,Lyme, Bartonella, Mold exposure,NACi,BHRT, MethyB12 FIRi Sauna. 1-18-11 begin new treatment plan with naturopath
P Gibson - from whom is forthcoming a phase III, multi-year, multi-abxi treatment trial for Crohns - proposes that FOS (and other FODMAP) may have some untoward effects on bowel bacteria populations which may contribute to development of Crohns disease. See PMID: 15948806.
But I am not sure I like his model of the apparant Crohns epidemic. I dont have a strong opinion. I guess I favor a different model, at least for the time being.
It also seems possible that in antibiotic users FOS could tend to protect against C. diff or excess candida or the like, by helping maintain levels of bacteria that play nice. But I dont know if this really happens. So I have no opinion on FOS one way or another. Could be good for one person and bad for another. Since June Ive drunk quite alot of commercial kefir, and cant even remember if it has added FOS, but I think it does.
Sometimes I forget to search this site when I'm investigating peripheral subjects. I wish I had unearthed this before ordering my Prim__ Def____ gold-plated dirt bugs from Garden of L___ last week. On reviewing the formulation and ingredients, it still looks like a good choice, but extra info from my 3-C's (chronic chlamydial correspondents) is always good insurance.
We're experimenting with the acidophilus-only tablets we already have...we are allowing them to dissolve in our mouths after our morning and bedtime dental hygiene routines. Two mornings in a row now we have both awakened with no "morning mouth." My chronic dry mouth is now much better and wetter, the daily mouth-lining slough-off is all but gone, and my teeth feel nice and slick. However, there is a nasty looking yellowish build-up on the back of my tongue. To confuse this issue, our NACi was doubled from 600mg 2X/day to 1200mg 2X/day, so I'm getting the same NAC respiratory EBi dump symptoms I got on initiating the half-dose. The respiratory thing isn't one of Spotty's issues, so he's been spared most of this. Is this crazy to do or perhaps a worthwhile idea with the acidophilus? Cypriane~~~MS caregiver and care advocate - Dallas, Texas, USA
Joyce~caregiver-advocate in Dallas for Steve J (SPMSi). CAPi since August 06, Cpni, Mpn, B. burgdorferi, systemic candidiasis, EBVi, CMV & other herpes family viral infectionsi, elevated heavy metals, gluten+casein sensitivity.