TOPIC:

While the cause of ITP is still a mystery I agree with the articles I have read so far that food allergies or even candida could be the culprit. Candida (yeast infections) and I have had a long battle for ages. I manage it with less sugar and probiotics but my probiotics seem to be losing their effect. Anyone else on probiotic vitamins? Any good brands out there?

I use a GNC brand - Ultimate Flora with 50 billion live cultures. It has 10 different probiotic strains.

I take Flora - Udo's Choice Super Adult Probiotic 10 Billion per. Needs to be refrigerated.

cheers,

john

Thanks Sandy and John

John -
I could not find any refrigerated pro biotics at the vitamin shoppe. Are these more effective? Another member on this forum also with yeast problems is using a probiotic that needs refrigeration. So looks like those may be more effective. I'm just trying to find out where to buy them

Thanks
Mdgal

Why not go to Whole Foods or GNC or Natural Grocers, Vitamin Cottage or any of them and talk to someone who knows. That's how I found the one I take - taking because I want to not because of any type of problem.

MDgal,
You can usually find the refrigerated probiotics at most Health Food Stores. (Mine has a refrigerator in the supplement/ Vitamin department. Ask one of the emplyees to direct you. Relying on the knowledge of the sales people can be rather hit or miss. I've overheard some very knowledgeable ones, and others that I'm just cringing, listening to the advice they're giving. Many times they just rely on what the sales reps have told them, which isn't necessarily unbiased. You should contact Patti, too. She can give you the skinny on the best probiotics, as well as where you can get the best price online.

On the other hand, you may just want to save yourself a lot of money (the good ones are $$$!), plus, get many more strains, as well as getting Trillions vs Billions of good bacteria, by simply adding fermented foods to your daily diet. Things like sauerkraut, kimchee, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, etc.

Here's a couple of good links to articles on why and how to do it:
Fermented Foods Instead of Probiotics

www.picklemetoo.com/articles-on-fermentation/

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/12/dr-campbell-mcbride-on-gaps.aspx

Sorry MDgal - I was wrong, do not ask the nutritionist who works at the store [which is who I talked to].

Melinda,
If it's a store that has hired licensed nutritionists, I would think that would be fine. And, the rules may be different in other states. In California, the people working in the Health Food Stores are not technically allowed to give any advice that could be construed as medical advice. They can, however, explain the differences between products.

And,the people are employed to promote and sell the various brands that the store carries, so you aren't likely going to hear them tell you to go buy a better product somewhere else. (And, there's nothing wrong with that, really--it's part of running a business.)But, I think you'd be better off reading and doing your own research first.

I used to share an office with a nutritionist. She was quite knowledgeable, but of course her clients could only get the products she recommended through her, and they were very expensive! Maybe they were better, maybe not so much--I'm not really sure. But, after referring her a few of my patients, they all confessed to me that they could not afford her, and I stopped referring.

There are some nutritionists that will simply work with you and give you suggestions, and then you purchase your supplements on your own. That's probably the better way to go , to avoid a conflict of interest.

I was under the impression that probiotics have changed in the past few years. Every brand I used to buy had to be refrigerated, but the most recent one I bought does not. I don't think it has much to do with the effectiveness of the probiotic. I'd have to research that to be sure.

April the nutritionist I talked to at the store was not pushing one product over another - I told her what I was looking for, why, and that I wanted easy, we talked. She directed me towards a number of products and I picked which one I wanted. I was taking a very strong antibiotic for 3-4 weeks and I wanted a probiotic that was for sure going to replace the good the antibiotic was killing off. After the antibiotic was finished I decided to keep taking it.

I would never trust a professional who supposedly has my best interest at heart but pushes one product for their own personal gain!! [I'm from Missouri so inborn is "Show Me"] Shame on that nutritionist in your office!! My cousin was a nutritionist, she would never have done anything like that.

Sandi I take one that doesn't need refrigeration too - I find that so much easier, if I want to leave town there is no need to worry about refrigeration. How would I have taken a refrigerated one when we were in Germany for a couple weeks last year?

For me, out of sight, out of mind. I've had the ones that had to be refrigerated and I totally forget they are there until one day I look behind the ketchup and see that its been expired for a year.

How is everything taking their probiotics? I take mine with food but not sure if it is more effective without food

Ha, I take it whenever I think of it and at a time when my scripts have not been taken for at least an hour.

Is there an advantage of taking probiotics as a liquid versus a pill? I recently starting taking Garden of Life piobiotics pill but not seeing a lot of improvement

April -
I wish I could easily lay my hands on the alternative methods you suggested

Yeast overgrowth is what has caused my ITP. Accompanied with a high sugar diet and weakened immune system from chronic stress. I take Garden of Life probiotics (refrigerated) 4 per day; 6,000mg vitamin c and high potentcy multivitamins; and on a low sugar/carb diet.
It's been 8 months, and my numbers are still 193+

Thank the Lord!!