Bacterial Overgrowth/probiotics

[campcour]

i have read from other peoples comments about the high possibility of having bacterial overgrowth if symptoms of celiac disease have not cleared up. i read that "Dr. Cynthia Rudert, one of the top celiac doctors in the country, puts ALL of her new celaic patients on probiotics just in case of bacterial overgrowth. She doesn't even look for it (it can be hard to diagnose), she just puts her patients on probiotics. Many patients who have come to her diagnosed with refractory sprue turned out to have bacterial overgrowth. One probiotic she mentions is Culturelle because it's gluten-free, OTC, and doesn't have to be refrigerated"

is this something we can get at a health food store? should i talk to my gi specialist first or is it safe to go on them wihtout asking first? any opinions or suggestions are greatly appreicated!

[lovegrov]

I hesitate to answer because I am not a medical person, but it's my understanding that even if probiotics don't help, they will do no harm. You don't need a prescription. However it can't hurt to at least talk to your GI's nurse.

I've never gotten Culturelle but I think it's possible to find it in a pharmacy and maybe at a health food store. They don't sell it everywhere though. There are also other brands -- I just know this one if gluten-free and doesn't beed to be refrigerated.

richard

[MySuicidalTurtle]

My doctor put me on them right away. I buy mine at GNC. . .the ones that can stay in room temperature and are glutenfree.

[Boris]

Bacterial overgrowth is one of the most common reasons of nonresponding despite of strict gluten free diet. The way that can lead to diagnosis is to examine bacterial count in duodenal aspirate (100000bact/ml is diagnostic), that can be obtained during the endoscopy or noninvasive are glucose hydrogen or 13C-xylose breath tests. Therapy is with antibiotics, at the beginnig also lactose free diet (and if it is needed also correction of nutritional state and vitamine defficiency). Probiots are probably useful but more trials are needed. Good is is also exclude lactose intolerance and other causes of nonresponding or continuing gastrointestinal symptoms.

[Jason.R]

I agree. After going on a gluten free diet, I was feeling 85% better but was still having some nagging symptoms. I was put on a Candida (yeast) cleansing regimin along with some probiotics (which are essentially all natural and can do no harm). I did this for 2 months and my symptoms are now completely gone. As one of the other posts stated, I believe the Candida and probiotics should be standard procedure once gluten intolerance has been diagnosed and the diet has been altered.

Best of luck!

[ksymonds84]

one of the leaders at my local sprue association recommended that I try the probiotic PB 8. It is gluten free and needs no refrigeration. I found it at vitamin cottage. I have responded well to the gluten free diet but still have problems with gas etc. and she told me that this helped her and kept her husband from not wanting to get his own bed! I've only taken it a couple of days so don't know if it is working yet.