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To Buy Vsl #3 Or Not.....

fig girl

By fig girl
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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fig girl Rookie
fig girl
Posted

Hi,

My Dr. put me on VSL #3 suspecting SIBO back in July and i have been taking it but have read that it may contain small traces of gluten and i believe i'm really sensitive. I've been gluten-free since Jan. 08. The VSL seems to have helped but i can't figure out if it's bothering me. I got a box from the pharmacy right after my Dr. prescribed it (before knowing about the flavored or unflavored) and the ingredients are: Lactic acid bacteria, maltose, natural flavorings, silicon dioxide. I've only been taking 1/2 packet a day - the full packet seemed to bother me so i cut back but i've read it could be just the toxins, etc. leaving my body so maybe i should have stuck with the full packet. The unflavored on the vsl website only lists lactic acid bacteria and corn starch and i called and they didn't seem to know for sure but seemed to be going by the ingredients on the box and said that it looked to be gluten-free.

I just don't want to buy another box when it's glutening me. I'm still figuring out some sensitivities so it's hard to tell what is bothering me. I seemed to do better if i stop taking it for a day or two but i didn't take it yesterday and my stomach bothered me today but i could have been accidentally glutened. I've read some posts on coconut kefir and would like to try that soon or maybe try the next strongest probiotic that is definitely gluten free...which i've read theralac, culturelle, flora-q are gluten free. I believe I was lactose intolerant before going gluten-free but after being gluten-free for a while i tried Breyer's ice cream and it didn't bother me - i think it bothered me a little once or twice after eating ice cream but don't know if it was cc with another food. I know I can eat Lactose Free Breyer's vanilla ice cream and it doesn't bother me. When i don't have anything planned and it's on a weekend i'll try drinking milk without lactaid tablets and then with and see what happens (read this on this wonderful site).

Any ideas on a probiotic to take other than VSL #3? I still get confused and overwhelmed when my stomach will bother me like today and i haven't been journaling my food and can't figure out what it was. Thanks so much for any info!

fig girl

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YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

I am finding Ultimate Flora to be very powerful. Its enterically coated and gluten free. I am using the critical care variety (50 billion). They have different grades. I was using the Now GR-8 before but didn't have the results I wanted even though it was way better than most pro-biotics I'd had.

I have heard good things about Vsl #3 but have never tried it. I hope it doesn't have gluten in it. Like you, I react to trace amounts that are usually deemed safe...

Bea

fig girl Rookie
fig girl
Posted
  • Author
I am finding Ultimate Flora to be very powerful. Its enterically coated and gluten free. I am using the critical care variety (50 billion). They have different grades. I was using the Now GR-8 before but didn't have the results I wanted even though it was way better than most pro-biotics I'd had.

I have heard good things about Vsl #3 but have never tried it. I hope it doesn't have gluten in it. Like you, I react to trace amounts that are usually deemed safe...

Bea

Thank you so much Bea. I have taken ReLife's gentle cleanse (can't remember the exact name) and the regular cleanse a couple of years ago (before gluten-free). The Health Food store i shop at carries ReLife products so hopefully they have it. I think i'll try it instead of getting more of the VSL #3 - i took some last night and my stomach was rumbly today and i had some joint pain but it could have been cc from gluten. I made coconut chicken with Great value sweetened coconut Sun. night so i don't know if that was it or what. Ugh, gotta start back journaling tomorrow and back to really basic safe eating. Thanks again...i really appreciate your help!! :)

sickchick Community Regular
sickchick
Posted

I got back on 1 bils cause the Ultimate Flora (30's) I took gave me d and I couldn't leave my apt for a week! HAHAHAHA :lol:

I love Renew Life I have been taking their Probiotics for a year now. I notice the healthier I get over time the less powerful I need! :)

Good luck and hang in there figgirl

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted

Hmm--maybe taking too high a dose of probiotics all of a sudden is why I have had a recurrence of bladder inflammation? I thought maybe it was just a new boyfriend...

However instead of D like you Collette I have gotten constipated!

I took some remedies last night I found on the Net that helped get rid of the pain in my ureter but they gave me a bad headache and left me weak today: apple cider vinegar, baking soda and salt--taken separately in large tumblers of water, about an hour in between each. The salt was the last straw--it left me feeling nauseous.

Thankfully my usual detox stuff (dandelion root and yellow dock etc.) is working with an addition of cleavers, and chapparal well as extra magnesium citrate to counteract the constipation plus help the ph needed by my bladder. Tomorrow I will pick up some uva ursi. Calcium citrate would work for the ph too--but am taking other calcium for now (E-zorb).

So...perhaps I need to take a little less heavy duty probiotic? 50 billion is the highest they have. I went for it since I have had this seemingly intractible fungal/candida overgrowth since I first had antibiotics when I was 4 months old (pneumonia plus sprue after being introduced to gluten plus being exposed to the "Green Run" -- i.e., radiation from experiments of releasing radiation on the local population from Hanford Nuclear Power Plant in Washington State).

sickchick Community Regular
sickchick
Posted

See when I eat cider vinegar, I get severe die-off too, so in 2001 I took it out of my diet altogether (this was long before I had any idea I had celiac, but was aware of my systemic candida) but I had no idea that the die-off effects were normal... I thought I was having some wacky reactions - avoid what we don't understand, right?? lol ;)

Good girl, taking magnesium stearate, me too, 2 a day 4 me. That is supposed to help the 'relief' process too, right Bea?

So you have been aware of your Celiac issues since you were very young? I was born in 71 so that must have been close to the same time as the experiements? I vaguely remember hearing some stories on the news about some controvery regarding Hanford growing up. B)

I am not sure which is worse D or C??? :lol: You poor thing! How frustrating for you!

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