Either way, you have to stick with them for a few weeks to gain any sort of benefit. Gradually increasing to the desired dosage is good. You can try rotating when you take them (generally you'll have better luck if you take them with food), but depending on what kind you're taking, taking them before bed with a glass of water helps as well. Also, just because you don't have luck with one type of probiotic doesn't mean you can't try another. These days there are a multitude on the market so there is bound to be one you tolerate. That said, be wary of all these new foods springing up with claims of "PROBIOTICS!" With the exception of the Danactive drink and a few brands of yogurt, most of the time, these foods have such a low count of probiotics that you're not really getting any real benefit. That's not to say it isn't fine to eat them otherwise, but you shouldn't rely on them as a sole source.
Yes--what kathy said about probiotics. They can often be frustrating at first because they can cause a lot of the symptoms you are trying to prevent. But there is usually an adjustment period and generally that is 2-4 weeks on the lower end of the scale. I haven't decided if the increase in intestinal issues is an effect of the probiotic itself, or rather the balance of the good and bad bacteria "fighting it out" and the flora in the gut stabilizing, like the storm before the calm. Either way, you have to stick with them for a few weeks to gain any sort of benefit. Gradually increasing to the desired dosage is good. You can try rotating when you take them (generally you'll have better luck if you take them with food), but depending on what kind you're taking, taking them before bed with a glass of water helps as well. Also, just because you don't have luck with one type of probiotic doesn't mean you can't try another. These days there are a multitude on the market so there is bound to be one you tolerate. That said, be wary of all these new foods springing up with claims of "PROBIOTICS!" With the exception of the Danactive drink and a few brands of yogurt, most of the time, these foods have such a low count of probiotics that you're not really getting any real benefit. That's not to say it isn't fine to eat them otherwise, but you shouldn't rely on them as a sole source.
Either way, you have to stick with them for a few weeks to gain any sort of benefit. Gradually increasing to the desired dosage is good. You can try rotating when you take them (generally you'll have better luck if you take them with food), but depending on what kind you're taking, taking them before bed with a glass of water helps as well. Also, just because you don't have luck with one type of probiotic doesn't mean you can't try another. These days there are a multitude on the market so there is bound to be one you tolerate. That said, be wary of all these new foods springing up with claims of "PROBIOTICS!" With the exception of the Danactive drink and a few brands of yogurt, most of the time, these foods have such a low count of probiotics that you're not really getting any real benefit. That's not to say it isn't fine to eat them otherwise, but you shouldn't rely on them as a sole source.