BIO-K+ update
#293474 - 12/13/06 11:30 AM
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K2
Reged: 01/29/06
Posts: 1191
Loc: Canada
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Just an update for those who were following my starting this probiotic.
It has been working for me, and I'm thrilled. I couldn't report a couple weeks ago, I was having too much stress and my stomach wouldn't calm down no matter what I did. Well after all the stress calmed down, I upped my dose to 1 bottle/day. Since then it has been great! I was having regular BMs since getting stable that were only interrupted with stress or attacks due to triggers. BUT, I have never had BMs like this! Sorry if TMI!
I think I'm having 'normal people' BMs. There's no cramping, no urgency and no pain. I simply feel like "oh I should go to the bathroom". I don't have to go right away, it doesn't build up into cramping and urgency. When I do go, it's much more substantial than before, and after I don't feel my stomach react at all. Sometimes before my stomach used to still be a bit crampy after a BM and would take a bit to settle down.
Also, I have finally been able to eat a small amount of chocolate or cheesecake after a dinner. I used to do this before without having attacks, but I'd always have mild discomfort and couldn't do it more than once or twice a week. The past 5 days, I've had chocolate or cheesecake (about 1 or 2 small mouthfulls) after dinner with no problems! It's great.
NOTE: I do not recommend this if you aren't stable.
So.. my plan is to keep taking the bio-k 1 bottle per day until after the holidays. Then I might try doing 1/2 bottle, or alternating between 1/2 and 1 bottle per day. It is expensive stuff but honestly I feel it is worth it for me. It's costing me just under 3$ per day to have 1 bottle.
Also note, I am still following the EFI diet as before. I have been able to increase my IF and fat a little bit, but not significantly. I still don't eat triggers at all (except now the mouthfull after dinner).
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Kat
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I have tried different probiotics a few times. But I have only got worse and so I have stopped using it. Even if it might be a temporary thing when you start taking a probiotic I don't get why this happens.
This might be TMI but I have understood it as the more balanced your gut is in terms of bacteria the less smelly the gas will be, and that typically really bad smell means a bacterial imbalance. But I almost never have really bad smelling gas - yet whenever I have tried a probiotic (dairy free of course) the gas has become so disgustingly smelly it's smelled like our farmhouse back when we had cows!!! Why does this happen if I'm adding nice bacteria that everyone claims you can't really overdose?
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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While I didn't have any problems with smelly-gas, I did have problems initially when I started. I started off taking a bit too high of a dose, and my stomach was rumbly and 'off' feeling. When starting a probiotic, it's really important to ease into it and increase your dose gradually, kind of like with Acacia. While adding good bacteria is a good thing, your stomach needs to adjust to it. With these Bio-K bottles, I took 1/4 bottle for 4 days then went to 1/2 bottle. The first 8 days or so were tough, simply because I had started with too much without realising it.
Some probiotic capsules say to take 3/day. I would start those by taking 1/day. A soy yogurt probiotic is easy to start with one teaspoon and work up by teaspoons. I'm not sure with powders, but if you can take a small dose of it then that is best.
How long did you give the probiotics a try? And what kind of dose were you taking?
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Kat
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Excellent
#293486 - 12/13/06 12:08 PM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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How long were you on 1/2 bottle and now on 1 full bottle? This is so good to hear!!1
So far, my update is that it's not doing anything...but I am under tons of stress right now too! 
Thanks so much for the update, Kat!!! We'll "stay tuned" and hopefully this is a great discovery for you!!! 
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Re: Excellent
#293490 - 12/13/06 12:13 PM
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K2
Reged: 01/29/06
Posts: 1191
Loc: Canada
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I'm just glad I found a probiotic that works. I've tried one other kind and was so disappointed when it did absolutely nothing. I have a number of reasons for thinking I may benefit from getting some extra good-bacteria. I've been on antibiotics a number of times (foot surgery, wisdom teeth, UTI, etc) and also I heard being on BC pills can affect it too. There's some debate about chlorine treated water (tap water) affecting good gut bacteria too.
I went up to the 1 bottle about 7 days ago. So I did the 1/2 bottle for about 2 weeks I think, until the stress was gone. I didn't feel comfortable upping my dose until my stomach calmed a bit.
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Kat
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I hope it works for IBS-C too. I know it says it does!
Did you have problems before the antibiotics?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I think it was the shot type: maybe 50 ml or so. I think it's a Swedish brand. I had the whole shot. Maybe that was too much. It's so tiring this whole thing with IBS, you just want it to work and yet everything you try has to be by tiny amounts so everything takes forever to try. 
My fiancé has had some problems with probiotics too. He doesn't have IBS as far as we know, but his bowels act up every now and then too. He got better from probiotics for a few days then worse again so he stopped drinking it then too.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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Re: Excellent
#293499 - 12/13/06 12:37 PM
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K2
Reged: 01/29/06
Posts: 1191
Loc: Canada
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I think it should help for IBS-C, but really only if you need more good-bacteria. Only way to really know this is to try and see if it helps. I did find it helps get more out at once, which I would assume is great for IBS-C. Never thought I would be happy as IBS-D to have bigger BMs but they feel great!
As far as I know I had IBS since I was a kid. I have no idea if anything 'triggered' it to start since I can't really remember as a kid if I had a lot of antibiotics for things like ear infections. I didn't have any major surgeries that brought on symptoms either. All I know is that every time I've had to take antibiotics it's been awful. My stomach would cramp up all day and I'd be sick constantly. It would normally get better after being done with the antibiotics, but never 'completely' better. And every round of antibiotics ended up being worse than the last.
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Kat
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Yay!
#293512 - 12/13/06 02:17 PM
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Lisa Marie
Reged: 07/17/06
Posts: 1566
Loc: Lakewood, CO
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That's great, Kat! I'm so glad the Bio-K is working for you. I haven't started taking it again yet; I'm trying to get my acacia dosage up first. It's more like $4/bottle in the states, so a bit more pricey...
I'm a bit curious what will happen when you STOP taking it...?
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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I'm trying it. Maybe I just haven't gotten up to the right dose yet...or haven't been on it long enough. I did it real slow...the IBS suggested way. I'm just on 1/2 bottle for 3 days now.
I hope I get some positive results. It's a shame it's so expensive. As Lisa Marie said, it's more expensive in the US. 
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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