Probiotics vs. digestive enzymes

HockadooMember

Hello all - I am 10 weeks post takedown for J pouch. Everything is going relatively well except for gas. Some questions:

1. Is there a difference between probiotics and digestive enzymes?
2. Which one is better for maintaining general intestinal health and helping reduce gas?
3. I am guessing not all probiotics and digestive enzymes are created equal. What should I look for to make sure I am getting a good one?

Thanks in advance to those - several I hope - who respond to my questions.

2/9/144:09 PM

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Original Post

Scott FMember

For the first 6-7 years I didn't bother with either one and did just fine. Once pouchitis showed up I had a good reason to look at probiotics. VSL #3 is the best-studied, and that's what I currently use. I recently added S. Boulardi, which is a yeast (rather than bacterial) probiotic. In theory it should reduce my risk of C. Diff from the antibiotics that I now take.

The gas sounds like the bigger deal for you, at least right now. Most of us can't safely fart off the toilet, so gas builds up. People seem to variously get benefit from digestive enzymes, Beano, and simethicone/Gas-X. I suggest you try all of them (separately) and see what works for you. The investment is small, and no one here will know exactly what's causing *your* gas. Probiotics are unlikely to do much for your gas issue.

2/9/145:42 PM

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