Can Probiotic cure IBS

[Joalbert]

I'm going to by some Probiotic for IBS, it's suppose to be specially made for an IBS patient. My question is does anyone have used Probiotic to help with IBS? And did it work?

Any positive or negative feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Belial1134]

My GI Dr diagnosed me with IBS last month (no C or D though, just the abdominal discomfort) and specifically told me to stay away from probiotics.

I didn't ask why. But I would think it wouldn't hurt to double check with your GI dr if it's worth looking into or not

[ktharayil]

My IBS symptoms started almost seven years ago.I tried almost everything.Gluten free,sugar free( FODMAP) diet made me feel better. But recently I started acidophilus ( 2 billions) a day and looks like I am 100% free of ibs symptoms.I am still continuing taking acidophilus and gluten free diet.
Now i use coconut sugar without any problems. I think right kind of probiotics help IBS.

[Barb2012AZ]

Have had IBS for decades....took Cipro for bladder infection and my IBS got better. Did some research...found out Cipro killed off all the bad bacteria in my gut...then my new primary care doctor told me to take probiotics...I said I had tried some but they didn't help..she said to look for one with MANY different kinds of good bacteria..popular brands have only ONE kind of culture.  I am in heaven....for the first time in years no more IBS.  I bought a brand called Nature's Bounty at local grocery store because it had 10 different KINDS of bacteria...there are probably others. Just make sure it has more than ONE kind of bacteria...the more strains of different probiotics..the better. Good luck.  

[deni55]

In answer to your question....no...there is no 'cure' for IBS.  As someone stated, IBS is a collection of symptoms that researchers have not found any definitive cause for.  There are so many variables in the type of symptoms, the intensity of symptoms, the triggers, etc....but thank goodness, research continues.

Probiotics can't hurt to try.  Discuss any OTC regimen with your MD before you start.  

From what I've gathered from those that have tried/are on a probiotic regimen, you can expect increased symptoms (gas/flatuence) for a short duration...but you're talking several weeks if not months to see the true results of whether a probiotic is truly helping with your GI issues.  Don't expect a quick fix with this.

There are many different types of probiotics.  Please choose carefully after doing research on your own.  Don't just pick one because it is advertised for IBS sufferers.  Join IBS forum boards..(also joining medscape and searching on there) and get personal references from those that have tried probiotics for their experiences.  Remember that what someone else has experienced, you may not.

Some of the probiotics out there can be costly, so be wise with what you try and check out any control studies, etc. before you spend hard-earned money.

Good luck!

[Joalbert]

Thanks everybody for the advice. Now how can I get rid of stress, because everytime that I go somewhere new or far, i get nervous and then my bowels just go crazy.

[Niffer991]

I believe that probiotics will help, but relieving stress from your life and eating healthy foods in small quatities will make a big difference in conjunction with your probiotics. For the long term, yogurt helps supply the good natural flora as well. There are many web sites discussing foods to stay away from and foods that help IBS and I found foods to make a bigger difference than anything else. Relieve any stress of course also becuase that is a big factor.

Hope it helps

[lagoya]

probiotic can help in ibs esp if you were on antibiotics for a long time.the trick is to find the right balance to restore the natural flora in the bowel.i have tried them myself and yes they can work for a while but i am not sure of a cure.i think ibs is a mixture of different symptoms and it is difficult to control one without unsettling the other.
eating foods at reg interivals is also good esp medium sized meals and good excirese to strenghten those muscles.best of luck