Katie, I’ve had good success with VSL, but it is very expensive. At the high dose I take it costs over $600/month. The VSL web site has good discount coupons that might help you a bit. http://vsl3ds.com

You can appeal to your insurance company for coverage  with a doctor’s note. I did and it now costs medical  about 75 a month w copay. 

Getting the insurance company to cover it is very important, but they vary in how they cover it. My plan, for example, applies the full cost it to my deductible (treating it as a medical expense rather than a covered drug with a specific copay), but my deductible is well over $6,000/year. 

jeane posted:

You can appeal to your insurance company for coverage  with a doctor’s note. I did and it now costs medical  about 75 a month w copay. 

Hi Jeane - 

ok I may look into this. I have never appealed to my insurance for a presciption.  Who is your carrier? 

Can anyone recommend the most effective way to take VSL3?

Time of day?  With or without water or yogurt?  Any other tips to improve its effectiveness?   Because my insurer won't cover it I am only taking two sachets per day.

I like it in Greek yogurt as breakfast and before dinner. 

It wasn’t effective for me and from what I have heard, it’s not effective for a large number of patients with very active pouchitis. It’s more effective at maintaining a remission achieved through antibiotic treatment. Because of the low success rates and high cost of treatment (unless insurance coverage can be obtained), it should be viewed skeptically. If you can get insurance coverage for most of the cost, it’s certainly worth a try. But for me it was a very expensive placebo. My various Pouch specialists are not impressed with its efficacy in treating pouchitis in most patients.