Is it ok to take probiotics for a long time

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Darin

Hello. Is it ok to take probiotics for a long time? I was hoping someone could give me some ideas on what to do. Yang

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jack hami

"Probiotics are good to regain your good..."

Probiotics are good to regain your good bacteria and usually they are taken for months but so long like years will not be good. As your body will be used to probiotics to produce good bacteria.

Q. How long does probiotics live in our intestines?
i mean should i take probiotics all my life or a certan amount over a period of time is enough? let's say i take it, problem solved, in order to mentain my healthy condition do i need to take probiotics forever? do the probiotics die the second day you are not using them? this i don't understand

"Intestinal system contains a natural balance of probiotics already and does from birth to..."

Your intestinal system contains a natural balance of probiotics already and does from birth to death. These probiotics drinks/pills/etc are basically to try to top them and to help maintain your body's digestive system, but they are quite largely a con as one of these portions of probioic drinks contains ~5m bacteria in them but only a few tens of thousands are able to survive the hugely acidic environment of your stomach to get into the slightly less acidic gut system. As long as you live healthily and maintain your own body's balance of vitamins and minerals they should always be able to maintain the balance itself.

Q. Why do i feel horrible after taking acidophilus / probiotics?
hi there, i've been on a strict non-dairy diet for years (i'm lactose intolerant). thus, i've been told i should be taking probiotics like acidophilus to replenish my good intestinal bacteria. however, every time i take probiotics after going a long time without any, i feel very bad - i develop a foul smell in my nose, my sinuses swell up a bit, and i generally fill "ill" all over. i don't think this is a coincidence with something else i'm eating, because when i stop taking the probiotics, these symptoms disappear. maybe it's the fact that they are "dairy-based" probiotics and i'm lactose intolerant? not sure. they are so small, there shouldn't be that much lactose in them. maybe my body is getting "used" to the new good bacteria? is this a temporary adaptation phase? i'd really like to know if this is a known symptom among people who are going on probiotics after a long period without them. it would be really interesting to know. thank you very much

"Maybe your probiotics are expired..."

maybe your probiotics are expired. check the expiration date. They can go bad. I've been told that they need to refrigerated also. Try a different brand of probiotics that doesn't have lactose. Or, you could take your lactose probiotics and make sure you are taking lactase pills with them (enzyme that breaks down lactose for those with alergies.) (get them at health food stores). Or, you could try a different strain of probiotics such as L. Bifidus. There are so many different probiotics. Some people that don't get good results with acidophilus get good results with L. bifidus. (again health food stores) This is probably your best bet. good luck

Q. What are probiotics and can they help with digestive problems?
i have digestive problems caused from being on antibiotics a long time ago and have tried exercise, eating fiber, drinking tons of water, and taking pills that help make you go, and none of it worked. i heard that i should take probiotics. but i don't know anything about them. what are they, where can i get them, do they have negative side affects, can they also help clear skin too?

"And probiotics will help replenish what you may have lost by taking antibiotics..."

Beneficial bacteria are absolutely necessary for your GI track to work properly. And probiotics will help replenish what you may have lost by taking antibiotics. I had a similar problem a few years back because of years of antibiotic use. It wasn't a quick process to get the GI track back to normal and it required cutting down on sugars and white carbs (wheat, potatoes and white rice). Jarrow makes a good probiotic with a pretty complete range. I use the yellow label. You will find all probiotic in the refrigerator section of a good health food store. Some yogurts on the market although they say that they contain active cultures don't have enough to build your system back up enough. There are also a lot of sugars in them. Some foods that will help feed the good bacteria as it starts to rebuild: Kefir (kind of like a yogurt), sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar. Some cheeses that are aged like parmesian, blue cheddar. they've got natural cultures and enzymes. I wouldn't go overboard on them though.

Q. Bad bacteria in the gut..i have an over growth of bad bacteria and have to take probiotics to build up the?
good bacteria which i am very low on.doc says the only medicine that gets rid of the bad is cipro and it keeps me awake so i cant take it the other one is levequine which is in the same group as cipro and it keeps me awake also. they are both out now the doc says just take the probiotics 2 to 3 times a day for a month and than one a day long time and she hopes the good bacteria will over take the bad. /she also told me to never take antibiotics without taking the probiotics because it eats up all the good bacteria.i try the yogert with live cultures also.does anyone know what else i can do to get rid of the bad bacteria????which is called pseudomonas aeruginosa. the testing i had done took a month and was done thru genova diagnostics labratory.i have heard of some herbs that work but not real good at taking herbs..maybe someone that works with intestinal problems might have some ideas.i take previcid every day and have for years due to high acid reflex. could this be why my good bacteria is so low? i forgot to mention.i take 30 miligrams of previcid daily. the throt doc said take 2 twice a day but i only take one. i could never skip even i day let alone 14 days. what are the names of these antibiotics that work? i wont take any kind of sleep pill i forgot to mention.i take 30 miligrams of previcid daily. the throt doc said take 2 twice a day but i only take one. i could never skip even i day let alone 14 days. what are the names of these antibiotics that work? i wont take any kind of sleep pill

"There are other antibiotics that will treat pseudomonas..."

The Prevacid is possibly hurting your natural gut flora by altering the natural homeostasis of the stomach and gut environment. There are other antibiotics that will treat pseudomonas, although Cipro and Levaquin are the gold standard to currently treat these ailments. The best way to take care of this is not the probiotic, this will only help keep "good" bacteria at acceptable levels, not so much at "over taking" the bad bacteria. The best way is most likely with these antibiotics, in the group of floroquinolones, although many of the third generation cephalosporins will also treat pseudomonas. The chances of these medications keeping you awake are very small and probably 25-50mg of diphenhydramine 30 minutes before you want to sleep will solve your issues and eventually solve your problem. Stay on the probiotic as it will help, only take the Prevacid for 14 days on then 14 days off and repeat, only if you really need to. Also eat healthy and take care of yourself.

Q. Austistc son wants to eat all the time.what can i do?
i know he has absorbtion problems.i`ve been trying to fix for years with no luck.probably has paratites.i`ve been using herbs for parasites for years.throws tantrums if i don`t refill his plate or cup.he isn`t fat.i use probiotics.different diets.seems sensitive to everything.i don`t know how to fix this,and can`t afford to feed him all day long.he doesn`t have praderwillie syndrome.

"As long as he is eating the right kind of food..."

As long as he is eating the right kind of food, like no junk foods,softdrinks coz this foods are the number 1 source of sugar.and sugar is not advice by an autistic person.if you cannot really control his eating habbits ,ask for doctors advice.Thats the right way.Good luck.

Q. Please help me out, i'm new to this. how much formula does an 8 month old drink a day/how often/how much?
my breastfed baby son no longer has the time to nurse since he can now crawl, so i had no choice but to put him on formula. how often should i give him formula? i am using nestle goodstart probiotics. about how many ounces does your 8 month old drink, and how often?

It really depends on your baby. I recently changed my son from having a bottle of breastmilk every 3 to every 4 hours. He takes anywhere from 5-8 ounces. I don't think he should have any less than 4 bottles a day. My son's schedule looks like this 5 AM nurse (3 oz would be my guess) 7AM 5 ounce breastmilk and breakfast right after 11AM 6-8 ounce bottle followed by lunch an hour later 3PM 6-8 ounce bottle 5-6 PM small Dinner 7PM 5-7 oz bottle

Q. How can i prevent sickness when staying long-term in a developing country?
i'm looking for advice from people with weak stomachs who manage to live long-term in guatemala. i'm envious! my husband is from guatemala and i have tried and tried again to live there... and been unsuccessful! why? i get sick - very sick. imagine going to the bathroom as frequently as 10 times in an hour over 7 days before strong medicine will begin to kick in. i've been sheltered too much of my life in the u.s. my stomach is weak, so i am very careful with everything. i make sure my dishes are completely dry and don't even brush my teeth with tap water, yet somehow bacteria there manages to get into my system. who knows how, maybe just the mist from the shower does it. on a daily basis, my stomach hurts and i get nausea after eating from gastritis i develop. about once every month, i get severely sick with diarrhea and vomiting. i should probably get hospitalized for an i.v. from fluid loss it gets so bad. seriously, despite drinking to stay alive, it feels like a slow death as every ounce continues to be drained out of you uncontrollably. has anyone ever been in a similar situation with living abroad in a developing country? if so, have you come up with any solutions to ease the pain and risk of getting so sick? or does your body eventually adapt? my stomach problems just seem to get stronger and last longer with each bout of sickness - even when i quickly react with a regimine of medicine. i'm actually afraid to go to guatemala because of the risk i take each time. it's not a parasite, just bacteria. american doctors don't have any recommendations for me other than not to go to guatemala, which isn't always an option! one person suggested taking pepto bismol every day (when you're not sick), but that isn't a safe long-term solution! another person said that i should look into starting probiotics to build up and strengthen my stomach. any realistic ideas would be much appreciated... thank you!

"Probiotics (specifically..."

Guatemala is a beautiful country (although violent crime can be common in some areas - always be aware of your surroundings), so i can understand your desire to visit or live there with your husband. You're right that being raised in the US has limited your body's ability to adapt. But as for long term solutions, that is really it - encouraging your body to adapt to its environment. In a nice hotel or nice neighborhood you could expect the sanitation level to be similar to the US, at least if you are drinking and brushing your teeth with bottled water and ensuring you food is cooked thoroughly and all vegetables are well washed (this means either cooking food yourself or eating in more upscale restaurants that cater to tourists. Remember that vegetables like leafy greens can be difficult to wash thoroughly and should be cooked if you are still having problems). If, even in that, the most sanitary environment possible in Guatemala, you still get sick, you may be out of luck. But if you can manage such an environment without getting sick, you can start taking away from that wall of protection a little at a time, i.e. brushing your teeth with tap water, eating tortillas bought on the street, eating at more common restaurants. Just remember as you try new things to do them in small increments so your body can adapt. Your immune system can handle some bacteria. and will get stronger each time it does. You get sick when you encounter more of a certain type of bacteria than your system can handle at a single time. Yes, probiotics (specifically, some plain/organic/raw yogurt) should help build your immune and digestive systems. And having some Cipro handy for when you do get sick is a good idea. So is hand sanitizer if you ever have to eat out. But as your body adapts you shouldn't have to worry about those things so much. Central America is wonderful, but to enjoy it you'll definitely have to leave your sanitary bubble. I hope that with time and some careful planning you'll get to a point where you can travel anywhere without having to worry about getting sick.

Q. How long to wait to have sex after being treated for bacterial vaginosis w/oral metronidazole + yeast question?
i am currently being treated for bv with metronidazole pills and am to complete treatment this wednesday night (after my last pill). i have purchased a bottle of acidophilus tablets to begin taking immediately after i finish the metronidazole pills to prevent a yeast infection. i have had bv before and was prescribed the gel, and immediately following that treatment, i got a yeast infection and had to use monistat for another 7 days, which was pretty awful. my questions are: 1. how long do i have to wait to have sex after i complete the metronidazole pill treatment on wednesday night without the danger of passing the bacteria that caused bv to my boyfriend and back to me? is this even a risk? would i be able to have sex the same night (wednesday)? the next night? i will have not had sex in three weeks already by then. 2. since this is my second time getting bv (and since i got a yeast infection after my last treatment), i am wondering how i can prevent a yeast infection once my current treatment is complete. did i do the right thing by purchasing the bottle of probiotics? is there anything else i can do? thank you!

you need too keep clean, naturally... especiall after sex also keep everything dry, after showering and wait atleast 7 days so your medicine can actually get through your system im no doctor, but that makes the most sence.

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