OT -- Re:Probiotics/GI issues.

[Guest guest]

This is veering off-topic, but I am sending it to

the list in case someone else is going down this

path. Moderators, I'm sorry if it's out of place

& /or too long.

 

>>Does anyone take probiotics?

What has been the most successful for you? <<

 

VSL #3 is what my gastroenterologist suggested. It's

not cheap, but I have a LOT of problems, and this

one is considered " medical grade food " , for use only

under a physician's supervision (though you don't

need a prescription to order), and has been proven

useful for everything from IBS to IBD/ulcerative

colitis. [i know Joel Fuhrman of Eat to Live has his

patients on this one, too, and he's pretty well

respected on these matters].

 

I'm not sure it's veg, though. I've made some

decisions lately to take some non-veg meds as I am

*very* ill, and have been about 90% disabled from

illness for some time now.

 

For vegan probiotics, I've had best success with

Garden of Life's Primal Defense (their strongest

formula). It's recommended to be taken on an empty

stomach, and I have to eat small amounts frequently,

so i found it difficult to manage high enough dosing

based on level of stomach emptiness, or else I'd

still take it as my sole probiotic.

 

In many cases you may need a much stronger dose than

indicated on the bottle. You have to build up

gradually and let your gut decide.

 

An excellent resource for you (not necessarily

vegan, but none of the main ideas are inconsistent

w/ FF veganism, and I had no problems utilizing

their methods on a vegan diet) might be the book

" Optimal Digestive Health " ed. by Trent Nichols &

Nancy Faass. It includes many, many chapters on

many, many methods of diagnosis, treatment,

management, root causes, etc., and is very readable.

I got mine from the library (twice), but here is the

link at Amazon so you know what I'm talking about:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Optimal-Digestive-Health-Complete-Guide/dp/1594770360

 

Acupuncture has also been helpful for me, but it's

difficult to quantitatively describe the results as

it's such a different system.

 

I also sometimes take a digestive enzyme (from

Trader Joe's) based on enzymes from papaya &

pinapple (vegan). It's their store brand.

 

I had bigger issues with candida in the past, and

found NOW's " Candida Cleanse " to be helpful,

intestinally & vaginally.

 

Food intolerances may also be an issue, and should

be examined.

 

I've been through many tests and still haven't

pinned down underlying pathology/root causes, but I

can say this: all of my doctors have agreed that my

healthy, well-balanced, low-fat vegan diet has been

the backbone of maintaining the health I have, and

will be the backbone of regaining my health in the

future (though none of them are vegan or

particularly veg advocates in anyway, they just

think my diet is great). Try not to get discouraged.

I've been told several times by different

practitioners, years apart, that the only thing

that's kept me out of the hospital and at this level

of health is how well I eat.

 

Good luck,

Colleen (who is going to the gastroenterologist

AGAIN in 2 hours!)

 

 

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