Before you start, you should be aware that there is recently some conflicting information of the usefulness of probiotics to treat and pouchitis, so if you are taking them for that purpose alone, then they may not have much value and may even be contraindicated. That being said, pouchitis aside, there are many studies on the benefits of probiotics for general digestive health as well as for improving general immunity. The theory is that priobiotics maintain levels of "good bacteria" in the gut, which prevents "bad" bacteria from colonizing. However, if you already have a case of pouchitis, probiotics would appear to have little clinical value as far as treatment goes.

Personally, I have been taking Align for over 2.5 years and I feel that my overall pouch function has improved significantly, particularly in gas reduction. At this stage, I am happy with the results and plan to continue with Align going forward. I am lucky enough to have had only a few bouts of pouchitis, so my main goal is maintaining the status quo rather than trying to treat a specific issue.

When you first start probiotics, you may have a temporary increase in digestive symptoms as  your body adjusts. However, over time this should improve. You need to keep taking them for at least 2-4 weeks to appreciate any positive or negative effect.

Spooky posted:

Before you start, you should be aware that there is recently some conflicting information of the usefulness of probiotics to treat and pouchitis, so if you are taking them for that purpose alone, then they may not have much value and may even be contraindicated. That being said, pouchitis aside, there are many studies on the benefits of probiotics for general digestive health as well as for improving general immunity. The theory is that priobiotics maintain levels of "good bacteria" in the gut, which prevents "bad" bacteria from colonizing. However, if you already have a case of pouchitis, probiotics would appear to have little clinical value as far as treatment goes.

Personally, I have been taking Align for over 2.5 years and I feel that my overall pouch function has improved significantly, particularly in gas reduction. At this stage, I am happy with the results and plan to continue with Align going forward. I am lucky enough to have had only a few bouts of pouchitis, so my main goal is maintaining the status quo rather than trying to treat a specific issue.

When you first start probiotics, you may have a temporary increase in digestive symptoms as  your body adjusts. However, over time this should improve. You need to keep taking them for at least 2-4 weeks to appreciate any positive or negative effect.

I'm not thinking about taking these for pouchitis I was just told they help build up the  immune system but what exactly do you mean about increase of  digestive symptoms ? And I appreciate your response Spooky 

There is some research that VSL#3 is effective for the prevention or delay of the first case of pouchitis. But, that is the only probiotic I know of with that sort of research. Long term, the data is more sketchy.

As far as general bowel health goes, opinions vary widely. One thing that is fairly consistent is that specific strains do count. You can't just pick up some random brand at the health food store and expect it to work the same as those that have been studied. For example, there is much research on Align for IBS. There is some research on Culturelle and Flora-Q for UC.

But, bottom line, it won't hurt you. You have nothing to lose but your money.

Jan

SonnyJ215 posted:

Spooky posted:

Before you start, you should be aware that there is recently some conflicting information of the usefulness of probiotics to treat and pouchitis, so if you are taking them for that purpose alone, then they may not have much value and may even be contraindicated. That being said, pouchitis aside, there are many studies on the benefits of probiotics for general digestive health as well as for improving general immunity. The theory is that priobiotics maintain levels of "good bacteria" in the gut, which prevents "bad" bacteria from colonizing. However, if you already have a case of pouchitis, probiotics would appear to have little clinical value as far as treatment goes.

Personally, I have been taking Align for over 2.5 years and I feel that my overall pouch function has improved significantly, particularly in gas reduction. At this stage, I am happy with the results and plan to continue with Align going forward. I am lucky enough to have had only a few bouts of pouchitis, so my main goal is maintaining the status quo rather than trying to treat a specific issue.

When you first start probiotics, you may have a temporary increase in digestive symptoms as  your body adjusts. However, over time this should improve. You need to keep taking them for at least 2-4 weeks to appreciate any positive or negative effect.

I'm not thinking about taking these for pouchitis I was just told they help build up the  immune system but what exactly do you mean about increase of  digestive symptoms ? And I appreciate your response Spooky 

Sonny, by increased symptoms I mean that for the first little while of starting probiotics, some people may experience a temporary increase gas and stool frequency, perhaps even some diarrhea or mild cramping. That is not to say that you will definitely experience this, but if you do have these issues within the first few days, it's not necessarily reason to stop the probiotics entirely, unless it's intolerable for you.  After a few weeks your system should adjust and "normalize." 

And Jan is right (as always! ). Not all probiotic strains are the same. I've tried several in the past - Jaimeson 4-strain, and generic lactobacillus acidophilus but I've had the best results with Align. You may actually have to try a few to find one that is best for you.