dr shen prescribed lactulose for me and i fear taking it because i am severely lactose intolerant. dr shens nurse geeta says i should have no problems but yikes! any advice is welcome.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Two completely different molecules. Lactose is a sugar (milk sugar actually). Intolerance is common in most adults.
Lactulose is also a sugar, but not digestible by anybody, as it is a synthetic sugar. It is used as a laxative, so I suppose the end result is sort of the same as the result of lactose if you are lactose intolerant (because in those people it causes gas and diarrhea). Either way, it cannot harm you.
In your case, it is not being used as a laxative. In small doses (non-laxative doses) it is used as a prebiotic, to basically feed your normal probiotic bacteria and improve your gut flora.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactulose
Jan
Lactulose is also a sugar, but not digestible by anybody, as it is a synthetic sugar. It is used as a laxative, so I suppose the end result is sort of the same as the result of lactose if you are lactose intolerant (because in those people it causes gas and diarrhea). Either way, it cannot harm you.
In your case, it is not being used as a laxative. In small doses (non-laxative doses) it is used as a prebiotic, to basically feed your normal probiotic bacteria and improve your gut flora.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactulose
Jan
I use Lactaid, fat-free milk. Works great for me. Taste like whole milk.
thanks jan but i cant afford more gas. is it safe at these doses?
"Improve your gut flora" doesn't mean more gas. If it works as intended it should mean less gas. The goal is to get the right balance of bacteria. A healthy gut has zillions of them. I'd suggest trying the lactulose and see how you do.
thanks scott. is it wise to take a probiotic with it?
My motto is to always make one change at a time. Otherwise, you don't know what is helping or hurting. Plus, with things like lactulose and probiotics, you may see more gas initially, but then things should simmer down as your gut acclimates. It is not always true, but you just cannot know until you try.
The key is patience and a willingness to put up with some temporary inconvenience or aggravation in order to achieve an overall benefit.
The reason Dr. Shen makes the recommendations he does, is because he sees a benefit overall. It does not mean instant improvement.
Jan
The key is patience and a willingness to put up with some temporary inconvenience or aggravation in order to achieve an overall benefit.
The reason Dr. Shen makes the recommendations he does, is because he sees a benefit overall. It does not mean instant improvement.
Jan
I've been on lactulose from Dr. Shen for about 2.5 years now. I don't see increased gas as a side of effect of the medicine.
Pouchington, you've gotten advice from the best J-pouch expert in the world. Plus Jan.
Shen won't always cure you with his first idea, but his idea is always worth a try.
Shen won't always cure you with his first idea, but his idea is always worth a try.
i agree. im starting tomorrow...
I have been taking lactulose for about 6 months. It has a laxative effect, but does not cause gas. I was told to take 2 teaspoons 3x daily, but the laxative effect was too powerful so I had to cut back the dosage.
I saw that someone posted in the pouchitis thread that they got off antibiotics using miralax, which is another laxative. I think that the effect of taking these laxative preparations is to flush out some of the bad bacteria causing pouchitis. If you couple that with a proper diet low in carbs and sugars, it may assist in reducing pouchitis and inflammation and possibly help you get off, or at least reduce antibiotics, as in my case.
I saw that someone posted in the pouchitis thread that they got off antibiotics using miralax, which is another laxative. I think that the effect of taking these laxative preparations is to flush out some of the bad bacteria causing pouchitis. If you couple that with a proper diet low in carbs and sugars, it may assist in reducing pouchitis and inflammation and possibly help you get off, or at least reduce antibiotics, as in my case.
I just started the Lactulose today and I was curious exactly how much and how many times a day have people been using this? My GI had no clue about it and im in the process of getting transfered to the Cleveland Clinic but im sure im months away from my visit. So I figured I would do the low carb no sugar diet and the Lactulose in the mean time. What has worked for you guys?!? How many doses and how many times a day?
See the first paragraph of my post immediately prior to yours. Trial and error. Your body will tell you how much to take.
I've been on the low carb, no sugar, high fat diet combined with the Lactulose for 8 days now. I've had no change in my syptoms. I still have nonstop urges to go all the time that are usually just very small bowel movements that at times are one after the other. Is this normal or what others are experiencing? How long until I should see a change in my symptoms? Also im taking the lactulose once a day at 2 teaspoons because it makes me go even more often. Do I need to lesson the amount and take it more often or just stick with the lactose effect in hopes that my body adjusts? Any advice would be tremendous!!! Ill hopefully get to go to the Cleveland Clinic in a month..
These threads are quite old so wondering if people are still trying or on Lactulose?
was going to try it to see if it will help my SIBO?
Have you tried treating the SIBO with more reliable methods, e.g. doxycycline or Xifaxan?
Hi
i have tried Xifaxan and still on them. But once I stop it flares up again