So I finally had a stool culture done. Everything came back normal *except* I have "very decreased levels of normal intestinal flora." Does anybody know anything about this? I am already taking probiotics and they seem to be helping a tad, but not completely.
Nothing! He had already recommended that I try Flora Q, which I purchased (at an ungodly expense). I don't really feel it's helping. He didn't really have any further advice
I know that Align and VSL3 are supposed to be the ones that have been clinically proven to be helpful. Do you know which strains of probiotics are the most prevalent in our guts? I'm not sure if that question made sense. I mean what specifically do I want to look for in a probiotic supplement to replenish the good bacteria in my gut?
Are you using a soluble fiber supplement that has as prebiotic effect such as Heather's tummy fiber? A prebiotic encourages the growth of colonic bacteria.
There are about 1500+ different kinds of bacteria in the gut. However, the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most common genuses in which there are many species. Perhaps try a probiotic that has a good mixture of 2-3 of each genus. There are some generic brands just read the label for additives such as FOS, artificial coloring, etc
-------------------- STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS