Probiotic recommendation for J-pouch

Seriously just search this forum.. It's the most common question asked here.  Align tends to get the thumbs up, I personally use symprove as it is a liquid so I believe it's a more suitable firm that most freeze dried products... You spends your money and takes your chance.. definitely research the product before buying though.

Hi, Snoopy. I had success with BioK probiotic. I used the drinkable form (must be kept refrigerated) and it is also available in capsule form for travelling. Each small drink contains 50 billion CFU (colony forming units) of probiotic, and BioK guarantees the efficacy for the entire shelf life, and survives past stomach acids. Comes in flavours of strawberry, blueberry, mango, vanilla and is like drinking liquid yogurt. Sometimes I drank the whole container, sometimes split it two days. If you buy probiotic in pill form, see if it is enteric coated so it survives stomach acids and bile to reach your gut. 

Everyone’s system responds differently for sure. My go to for the past 2 years is Plexus ProBio5 for my Jpouch. I bought it just to help a friend and can’t get off it. It has probiotics, anti-inflammatory to stop bleeding, and digestive enzymes to break down food. I’ve tried to get off it to prove it’s just a gimmick and I bleed every time. It cost about $42 for me every 2 months out of pocket.

I never could take VSL#3.  My dr said it doesn't have to be expensive to work as long as it is 50 billion and above with Lactobacillus & Bifido.  I used to take Vitamin shoppe brand which was good no refrigeration.  I switched to Garden of Life 90 billion and it also has prebiotic which I need and is important for us who can eat prebiotic food.  Both cost in the range of $25 to $35.  I always look for the deals or 50% off 2nd bottle.  

I've always used Align. It can be expensive so, at times I have used the Walmart or Target brand.

I was prescribed VSL#3 but unfortunately my drug plan doesn't cover it, and it's too expensive to purchase out of pocket - I have never actually used VSL for this reason. I have tried a few  different probiotics but finally settled on Align, which I've now been using for a number of years. As others have mentioned it can be pricey depending where you buy it. I find it's cheapest at Costco. There is a store brand equivalent available at Loblaws (I live in Canada) that I sometimes use as well. It's a little cheaper than the brand name, but honestly not by much to make it worth the switch. 

One thing with Align is that they often supply coupons, vouchers and samples to gastros and family physicians. It wouldn't hurt to check with your doctor to see if he/she has some.  Every bit helps!

tf posted:

I never could take VSL#3.  My dr said it doesn't have to be expensive to work as long as it is 50 billion and above with Lactobacillus & Bifido.  I used to take Vitamin shoppe brand which was good no refrigeration.  I switched to Garden of Life 90 billion and it also has prebiotic which I need and is important for us who can eat prebiotic food.  Both cost in the range of $25 to $35.  I always look for the deals or 50% off 2nd bottle.  

Thanks for the suggestions TF.

Winterberry posted:

Hi, Snoopy. I had success with BioK probiotic. I used the drinkable form (must be kept refrigerated) and it is also available in capsule form for travelling. Each small drink contains 50 billion CFU (colony forming units) of probiotic, and BioK guarantees the efficacy for the entire shelf life, and survives past stomach acids. Comes in flavours of strawberry, blueberry, mango, vanilla and is like drinking liquid yogurt. Sometimes I drank the whole container, sometimes split it two days. If you buy probiotic in pill form, see if it is enteric coated so it survives stomach acids and bile to reach your gut. 

Thanks for the recommendations Winterberry.

jhills posted:

Everyone’s system responds differently for sure. My go to for the past 2 years is Plexus ProBio5 for my Jpouch. I bought it just to help a friend and can’t get off it. It has probiotics, anti-inflammatory to stop bleeding, and digestive enzymes to break down food. I’ve tried to get off it to prove it’s just a gimmick and I bleed every time. It cost about $42 for me every 2 months out of pocket.

Thanks for the information including the costs.

Spooky posted:

I was prescribed VSL#3 but unfortunately my drug plan doesn't cover it, and it's too expensive to purchase out of pocket. I have never actually used VSL. I have tried a few  different probiotics but finally settled on Align, which I've now been using for a number of years. As others have mentioned it can be pricey depending where you buy it. It's cheapest at Coscto. There is a store brand equivalent available at Loblaws (I live in Canada) that I sometimes use as well. It's a little cheaper than the brand name, but honestly not by much to make it worth switching. 

One thing with Align is that they often supply coupons, vouchers and samples to gastros and family physicians. It wouldn't hurt to check with your doctor to see if he/she has some.  Every bit helps!

 

Thank you....agree it can't hurt to shop around.  I just relocated to the Wilmington, DE area and will need to do some shopping and find a good GI practice familiar with the jpouch.

Bobish posted:

Seriously just search this forum.. It's the most common question asked here.  Align tends to get the thumbs up, I personally use symprove as it is a liquid so I believe it's a more suitable firm that most freeze dried products... You spends your money and takes your chance.. definitely research the product before buying though.

Thanks Bobish....I'll search the forum with any future questions.

ShaunC posted:

I've always used Align. It can be expensive so, at times I have used the Walmart or Target brand.

Thanks ShaunC