Hope everyone is doing well. Can you recommend a good probiotic? There are so many on the market now and I'm looking for advice from jpouchers. I was thinking about taking a small dose for a healthy gut. I don't have pouchitis, but wanted to start getting some in my diet. That, and I have heard so many different views on how much to take and how often. I have totally given up on naturopath doctors as so many have ripped me off big time when I had my UC and they did nothing to help me except take a ton of money from me. Anyway, your advice would be greatly appreciated. I didn't want to consume saurkraut, and some other foods because I didn't want to get major gas or diarrhea as I'm still doing the trial and error thing in introducing foods back into my diet. Thanks
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There’s no evidence that a low-dose probiotic will do you much good, and whatever weak understanding we have of a healthy gut microbiome can’t properly be generalized to a J-pouch. I take a very high dose probiotic (VSL #3), which is quite expensive, because it seems to help me manage chronic pouchitis.
Among folks who’ve posted here over the years about lower dose probiotics, the one that seems to be mentioned most often (and positively) is Align. Since there’s no good way to tell if it’s working (or even what it means for it to be “working”), at least it has the virtues of being reasonably affordable and probably harmless.
Thank you scott. I appreciate the info.
I hear Align is good, they have good deals at Target.
I eat Greek Yogurt a lot and that is naturally a probiotic. And oatmeal is a prebiotic that is good too. I sometimes mix oatmeal with Greek Yogurt to make a super food! Haha.
I have never taken probiotc pills but I do not believe it can hurt, I do it natural with the foods above 
Kefir drinks are high in probiotics but I do not like the taste, its pretty sour lol.
I have tried numerous probiotics without any findings that were useful. I tried each one for a minimum of three months at the recommended dose and saw no significant change except to my wallet. I tried only brands that were researched by reliable studies to be useful for IBS or IBD. I still wound up with chronic pouchitis that was antibiotic dependent. Only getting on Remicade turned that around.
I ones that I tried that I can remember are Culturelle, Florastor, and Align. I did not try VSL#3 because it was too expensive. My husband still takes Align and feels that it helps his function. He also has UC, but still has a colon.
Jan
Visbiome has been a life (pouch) saver for me. I take 2 pills once a day and no more pouch issues.
When VSL3 changed their formula, it really through me off. Then I read about the change on this board and switched to Visbiome.
Thank you
I take Culterelle daily- it helps with a lot of gas and rumbling throughout my stomach.