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Which probiotics?

Posted , 8 users are following.

anna91065
anna91065

Do any of you take probiotics on a regular basis for DD?

I came off antibiotics last week so definitely on the mend now but still having some symptons and wonder what steps I should take  as a preventative measure.  Any advice much appreciated.  

Supplements?  Diet ?  

I've no idea what foods affect me to be honest aside from wheat granola seems to make me bloated like a balloon so I try to lay off wheat.  

Thanks 

0 likes, 17 replies

17 Replies

  • Arranmary
    Arranmary anna91065

    Posted

    Hi Anna,

    I take acidophillus tablets from Holland and Barrett and they seem to help me. Doc seems quite happy  also.

    i am still trying to work out what works and what doesn't for me.

    good luck!

    • anna91065
      anna91065 Arranmary

      Posted

      Hi Arranmary 

      Thanks for your reply.  Will check them out in H & B.  

      Anna 

  • kieran1952
    kieran1952 anna91065

    Posted

    Hello Anna

    As a DD suffer for a number of years I found that this Forum is a god send.

    All the people here are DD suffers and at different stages and you will learn more here than the GP will ever tell you.

    Read through here and you will see that different foods cause a flare up.

    My personal no no are Onions,Berries,( Strawberrys,Blackberrys all because of the small seeds. Tomatoes,various seeds nuts and surprise surprise Bannas.

    i find with Bannas if I slice them down the middle and scrape the small black seeds out I can eat them then.

    Other suffers here can eat some of these and have intolerances to other foods.

    i hope you find out your no no but if your not sure ask you can check with your GP  here and I'm sure always ask here because someone here will know.

    The Probotic I take is Acidophilus 20 billion from H&B. Most of the forum take probotics of some form or other to get the good bacteria back into the colon/ gut.

    Good luck

    Kieran

     

    • anna91065
      anna91065 kieran1952

      Posted

      Hi Kieran 

      Many thanks for your reply.  

      I will have to start really checking what I eat and what causes my symptoms as well.  I was only diagnosed two weeks ago but do feel that stress can aggravate my symptoms ( I think!).  

      Regards

      Anna 

  • jasmine75579
    jasmine75579 anna91065

    Posted

    Hi Anna,

    I was only diagnosed in April this year so still learning, this site has helped me a lot with advice. I take Aloe Vera juice daily ( advice from fellow sufferers on the site ) eat probiotic yoghurt frequently & am trying to up my fluid intake as much as possible. Each day is still different with some better than others, these things do seem to be helping me but still very difficult to be certain what sets it off & what will help on a long term basis.

    • anna91065
      anna91065 jasmine75579

      Posted

      Thanks Jasmine 

      Definitely notice when I up the water intake I feel better so must stay on top of that.  

      Regards

       

  • susan95516
    susan95516 anna91065

    Posted

    I do don't know if they help because I am still having flares but I don't think they will do any harm

    • anna91065
      anna91065 susan95516

      Posted

      Hi Susan 

      I guess it's trial and error a lot and finding what works for us and what doesn't !  

      Good luck 

       

    • linda822
      linda822 susan95516

      Posted

       I don't think Probiotics have anything to do with flares, it just helps your tummy get better especially after taking antibiotics that cause diarrhea.

  • anna91065
    anna91065

    Posted

    I've also read that stress is a big factor in this and wonder if that is the case as I often get that knot in my stomach when under stress unfortunately and my life is stressful too so trying to eliminate as much as I can!  

     

  • nessmcd
    nessmcd anna91065

    Posted

    Hello, I'm in very much the same position having been diagnosed six weeks ago after my first flare up a month earlier which was treated successfully with antibiotics. However, I still have a lot of mild to moderate LHS pain and am finding it so difficult to work out what I should be eating. 

    I have been prescribed Fybogel but have also just started taking the probiotic fibre supplement Lepicol which I'm hoping will help. Incidentally, this featured in a recent programme with Michael Mosley who found this useful as an aid to sleep. Scientifically unproven as yet but worth trying if you are an insomniac as well as a diverticular disease sufferer!

    Anyway, wishing you luck with finding a good outcome.

     

  • linda822
    linda822 anna91065

    Posted

    Hi Anna, I took Acidophillus 20 billion for a few weeks after the antibiotics to help get my system back on track and stop the diarrhea. It helped a lot. My first and only attack was in January, i now eat everythig , no restrictions and I am doing fine. Good luck to you.
  • dan71214
    dan71214 anna91065

    Posted

    Hi Anne,

    like others i was only diagnosed a few weeks ago and also trying to figure out what causes flare ups and what helps. Intuitively i find that eatinig natural yogurt with live cultures in it is helpful. I also take acidophilus from holland and barrett and that seems to help. I have just tried Kefir which like yogurt is full of good bacteria.

    I have noticed that a high fibre diet causes me discomfort such as bloating and mild discomfort so have started eating less fibre and feel better. I have been avoiding tomatoes and any spicy foods. I have not touched coffee, alcohol or chocolate in 2 months. It is a nightmare, i am still in my 30s and can't believe i have to limit my diet so much just to avoid pain! 

    good luck with it!

    Dan

    • Guest
      Guest dan71214

      Posted

      Hi Dan

      You certainly seem to be taking sensible supplements.  Have you been prescribed with Fybogel or similar fibre supplement to bulk, soften the stools and make them easier to pass? 

      Your doctors will have advised high fibre I expect, but I bet they didn't specify soluble, like Fybogel, rather than insoluble fibre.  Things like skins and certain vegetables are very hard to digest.  I avoid potato and apple skins like the plague.  If you Google insoluble fibre you should get recommendations.  I get a lot of my fibre from home made soup, which I blend right down, or well cooked, chewed veggies.  I also drink lots of water.

      You sound as though you are on your way to working out what suits you.  For me gluten and full fat are also strict no-no's.  Wheat and gluten products are notorious for causing bloating and wind.  I never had a problem until I was diagnosed 16 years ago.  There is a good post by julia1040 about foods, with plenty of suggestions, which you might find useful.

      I expect you were also not told it can take some time - weeks or even months - for the pain to completely subside as your insides heal.  After my first 3 flares, it took a month to settle down each time, and then I lived a totally normal, active painfree life, just being careful what I ate.  So as this is your first flare, I hope you will also settle down.  It does take time and patience though.  Then you could try some of your favourite foods in small amounts and if the pain returns, at least you'll know!  Everyone is different so you have to find your own best diet.  Good luck

    • dan71214
      dan71214 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Felinia,

      thank you for the advice, very welcome indeed. Yes this was my first flare up but i ended up in hospital for 3 days on 3 different types of antibiotics! I had a urinary tract infection at the same time as pain down my left flank which also radiated to my abdomen, bad bloating and nausea which meant i didn't eat for days. The CT scan found 'mild, uncomplicated DD' and yet despite the symptoms the consultant who was treating me for the urinary infection and subsequently the GP have said that the DD had nothing to do with my hospitalisation - something i find so hard to believe given the severity of my symptoms and the fact they almost 100% match those of diverticulitis! I have posted previously about the link between DD and urinary problems and others have said that for them they go hand in hand - inflamed bowel causes bladder inflamation/infection.

      I am certainly finding that eating a careful diet is helping-  i have been out of hospital for 5 weeks now and touch wood no sign of recurrence. I am so paranoid though so extremely careful with what i consume. The doctors dismissed the DD so did not prescribe me anything for it - said it should lead to no symptoms, despite me explaining that i had just been hospitalised. I think that many GPs probably haven't got a scooby about it to be honest so this forum is actually much more helpful. 

      Would you recommend seeing a gastroentrologist? I am debating whether to do that.

      thanks

      Dan

       

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