Probiotics?

I have a sick child napping on the couch right now. She was up half the night with tummy troubles. This morning we went to the doctor and she recommended probiotics, so off we went to Target to grab some. The pharmacist was very helpful and recommended Florastor for kids, which is a yeast probiotic. After further chatting with the pharmacist, she recommended probiotics for me too --specifically Lactobacillus acidophilus, a bacteria as opposed to a yeast (the yeast probiotic was really expensive!). She says that she takes it herself and feels it improves her immune system -- quite important since she deals with sick people all the time. It also is supposed to aid in digestion and such.

So, Maddie and I have each taken our first dose and I'm really hoping it will help her out since she's been dealing with this off and on for a few weeks now.

Anyone out there have any experience with probiotics? I'm very curious to hear about your experiences, and to get your advice on the subject.

Comments

[Adina]

We do probiotics here. Sometimes kind of spottily, but we usually have them. Mostly we try to eat a lot of plain yogurt, which seems to work the best for all of us, but the supplements have been really helpful for both me and my husband. My husband has a very sensitive gut, and the probiotics help keep him in good shape. His mom and grandmother both have/had diverticulitis, so I started probiotics to help out with the eventuality of that. For me, it just helps all around. For my daughter, I notice when she isn't getting enough - since she is 3, the potty time is still shared. LOL

I usually put them in smoothies. I like the Jarrow brand - which I got at a grocery/health food store here.

[--Deb]

Probiotics are definitely a plus, and Mom and Chappy both get them. Mom in vitamin form, Chappy via Stonyfield Farm Yogurt (with its active cultures). Keeping the digestive system happy is important!

[Cathy]

El (currently age 17 months) has taken Florastor before. At about 10 months, she had an ear infection and tended to have (I am have trouble phrasing this delicately), but opportunistic stomach bugs post-antibiotics. I think she may have been having some kind of digestive issues at the time of the ear infection too. But, anyway, if you go with Florastor, watch out for thrush and/or yeast infections. I think the combination of (sweet)formula + antibiotics + yeast based probiotics == thrush/yeasty diaper rash. Which is not as much fun as it sounds. OTOH, a elementary school aged kid is a whole different thing than a 10 month old.

[mwknitter]

I occasionally have gi upsets & have found that eating Activia yogurt seems to help. Even if it didn't, I like it because it is really creamy & comes in a 4 oz container which is perfect for snacking. I definitely make a practice of eating it whenever I have to take antibiotics.

[Jennifer]

Yes! I'm a big fan of them for the whole family. The American diet is horrible. (Oops - sorry - I digress). Probiotics are great for combatting all the sugars/yeasts out there and for helping fight off all sorts of issues. Like Deb, I'm also a HUGE fan of Stonybrook plain natural yogurt. ZERO fake sugars and no sugary gimmicky yogurts.

Good luck!

[chris]

I take acidophilus, but only if I'm taking antibiotics for an infection. But I also eat at least one serving of yogurt with live cultures each day, so I figure I'm covered with that, too. Other than that, meh.

[Rose]

No, but I've been thinking about starting them as I frequently have trouble with my immune and digestive systems. Hope to hear more about it from you.

[Barbara S.]

I take probiotics and give it to the family when they remember to take them. I'm not much of a fan of yogurt, so this is easier for me. Also, the brand I use has 6 strains of lactobacillus (includes acidopholus) and two strains of bifidobacterium. It's called PB8, manufactured by Nutrition Now. I find it at Whole Foods and health food stores. I think it's great for keeping your gut in shape and probably helps your immune system. Definitely helps when anyone has any digestive trouble.