What is this and how do you get it? Is it over the counter or some form of prescription stuff. I hear talk of it on here all the time. Thanks.

VSL #3 is probiotic. I just got the double strenth as a script. So that was great. had to pay a co-pay. I used a specialty phar, not sure if cvs has it. Mine in in powder form and i mix with juice. I normally use Flora-q as a probiotic, but having pouch issues and doc wants me on flagyl and VSL ds.
They say Align is good also

Lionspride did a fantastic post on how to go about getting it approved. I would search his posts and find it. It is in the general section i believe.

It is by prescription only, comes in powder form, and seems to work very well.

If i find the post, i will link it or bump it for you.

this should be the link

http://j-pouch.org/eve/forums/...057064406#4057064406

Thanks yes I printed out his post. It's also an over the counter but I'm going to try what he suggested and see if my insurance will pay for the VSL#3 DS kind. The pills run about 46 dollars while the powder runs 85 OUCH and you get 30 and the recommended dose is 2-4 pouch's a day. Meaning that's only about a week's worth. So that ends up being what $340 a month ouch if that's the case I'll try another method or probiotic first.

Unless I was sure it was a miracle cure then not sure the benifits vs some other pills is worth the cost.

I called my insurance company to see if they approved it and then checked with Walgreens and they had to get it in for me.

I didn't realize we should be taking so much. It's double strength so I figured on packet a day was all I needed. I didn't have a doctor tell me the dosage, I called my internist and asked her to prescribe it and just get 2 boxes, or 40 packets at a time. Styxiv - where did you find out about the recommended dosage? Thanks

When looking it up on a website of the vary same name (vls3.com) they give the dosages there. It says for pouchitis 2-4 per day to keep in remission, UC it says 4-8 a day (ouch) IBD 1-2 a day. It comes in pill form also for less like I said not sure the dosage there as all the places I've looked they only discribed the powder form.

The pouches have to be refrigerated to keep the bacteria alive. I just looked it up and since I'm taking one DS packet a day equals 2 regular strength, so I'm ok. Thanks for the info on the dosage.

Be weary of the hype --- the leading Doctor in pouchitis treatment, Dr. Bo Shen, doesn't believe the stuff is worth it.

Try a cup of coffee once a day. Works for me.

How does coffee put good bacteria in our new plumbing? Or is there something in coffee that keeps pouchitis away? Thanks

Coffee is acidic, and encourages bowel movements. I think both of these things help prevent pouchitis. Dr. Shen gave me a mild laxative (I forget the name) to keep the pouchitis away. I found out the key was that it was acidic and didn't let stool "sit" in me.

But just to qualify, I don't think there is a magic bullet for pouchitis. MY first 8 years with the pouch I would get pouchitis now and then, but for the past 4 years I've been drinking at least one cup of coffee a day (I get up early for work) and I haven't had pouchitis since. Is it the coffee? I can't say for certain.

Wish I could learn to like coffee! If it's the acid then maybe the lemon juice I put in my V-8 could help. Thanks for explaining.

I hear Dr. Shen's name on here all the time, even read a paper he wrote. My doctor trained there, think I'll ask him about it.

I wouldn't be so quick to speak in absolutes nate. Maybe it hasn't helped you, but for many of us it's been the only thing keeping us in remission.

LionsPride -- True, I should qualify my statement. Dr. Shen, says that it works in 15% of his patients.

My GI told me that there is a saying among GI's that VSL#3 only seems to work on Italians! (that's where it is made and has been tested ) So I decided that since I'm part Italian it should work on me. I doubled my dose to 2-4 packets a day of VSL3#D for almost a year now, and that with other natural stuff/canassa have still stayed in remission.