Step 1. Symptoms & Diganosis

It’s important to know what you have.

Symptoms of a yeast infection:

• Burning
• Itching
• Irritation
• Soreness
• Odd discharge
  

Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis:

• Burning
• Itching
• Irritation
• Soreness
• Odd colored discharge(yellow, grey, green)
• “Foul” odor(examples: fishy, rotten meat or eggs, dirty gym socks).

There are also people who only have chronic itching & irritation only on the exterior of the vagina. This could still be a sign of a yeast, fungal infection or bacterial infection & it would be wise to follow the treatments steps below.

Many times the differences between a yeast infection & bacterial infection is a strong odor, but there are always exceptions to the rule. For accurate diagnosis it is probably best to seek a doctors opinion.

Step 2. Treatment

Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment

You need to treat whatever acute infection is present before you can move on to more permanent solutions of prevention. Usually with bacterial vaginosis antibiotics are given to the patient, which are taken(usually orally) for 7 – 10 days. If you do not want to take antibiotics or do not have immediate access to a doctor you can try a douche mixture of 1 tablespoon(or 15ml)  hydrogen peroxide to 1 quart(or 1 liter) of distilled water. Repeat this for 7 – 10 days. Normally douches are not recommended & it is definitely not recommended you use this as a regular treatment. The bacteria that reside in the vagina normally produce hydrogen peroxide themselves. Douching the vagina will clear out both good & bad bacteria, this method is used to rid yourself of bad bacteria that have overrun the good bacteria. If you do not have a douche handy, you can try Cara Douche Syringe Bulb, it’s got pretty good reviews on Amazon.com.

Yeast Infection Treatmeant

Most stores will offer a variety of yeast infection treatments. You’re welcome to try any of them you like. Many have reported more success with longer duration treatments, for example using Monistat 7 instead of Monistat 3. In some cases yeast can be extremely resilient and may not be knocked out entirely by many of the products on the store shelves. In this situation you might want to try Gyne-Lotrimin 7, which has clotrimazole, a very potent anti-fungal medication(yeast is part of the fungus family). Gyne-Lotrimin 7 is an off the shelf product but is not carried in many stores.

For those experiencing external vaginal itching it still would not hurt to try treatment with Gyne-Lotrimin 7 just to rule out a mild, but resilient yeast infection.

If all else fails you will want to talk to your doctor to see if there is anything more potent or to verify you have a yeast infection.

Step 3. Prevention

If all has gone well you should be rid of your current infection be it bacterial or yeast based. If you are not you may have a yeast infection instead of a bacterial infection, or vice versa, or you may not have either and should seek medical guidance to ensure you are not dealing with something entirely different.

Prevention breaks down into two steps, supplementation & habits.

Step 3a. Preventative Supplements

Vaginal Probiotics (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Your vagina has an eco-system all it’s own. It’s actually somewhat similar to the digestive tract as it relies on healthy bacteria called probiotics to maintain the healthy eco-system. The most common strain of probiotic found in the vagina is L. Acidophilus. L. Acidophilus creates hydrogen peroxide in the vagina, which kills off bad bacteria. It does so in small, controlled amounts so as to not kill off the good bacteria as well. When you take antibiotics or use a douche usually it will wipe out all the good bacteria as well as all the bad bacteria. This can set you up for chronic recurring problems because your vagina will essentially be defenseless to foreign bacteria or yeast. Even if you haven’t taken antibiotics recently & you do not douche you can suffer imbalances which may cause the loss of healthy bacterial flora.

So the question is, how do you restore healthy flora back to the vagina? Many times you will hear from friends or even doctors to “eat more yogurt” or “take probiotics”. This actually doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If you are taking these probiotics orally you are very unlikely to see vaginal benefits. The digestive tract is not in anyway connected to the vagina. The digestive tract will not absorb probiotics into the blood stream and transport them to vagina. The only plausible scenario I have heard that allows probiotics from the digestive tract to cross to the vagina is through anal-vaginal crossover. Essentially relying on fecal residue either on the skin or on underwear to find it’s way into the vagina. This is not a reliable or quick way to restore healthy vaginal flora and many many women have found out that eating a bunch of yogurt or taking an oral probiotic has done nothing to improve their condition.

The solution here is introducing probiotics directly to the vagina itself, bypassing the digestive tract altogether. The only problem is that there hasn’t been a lot of research in developing a vaginal probiotic suppository, at least in the USA. If you live in Canada or Austrialia you might want to look for the products EcoVag or GynOphilus. You might be able to find these through overseas pharmacies if you’re in the USA, but it will be costly for transportation.I am not quite sold on EcoVag or GynOphilus mainly due to their cost.

It’s important to realize that probiotics are rated by CFUs(Colony Forming Units), the more CFUs the higher the likelihood the bacteria will set up shop. However, too much bacteria could lead to irritation & be counterproductive. There are many probiotic products on the market that tout they have billions of CFUs in them. Billions of CFUs are fine for the digestive tract as it’s extremely long, many many times longer than a vagina. The vagina needs only a fraction of the bacteria that’s required for the digestive tract. EvoVag & GynOphilus have 25 million CFUs which is an appropriate amount, but again the cost is something to consider. You can easily spend $20 – $30 for 10 doses, which is pretty pathetic when all you’re getting 250 million CFUs worth of probiotics.

The best alternative I have found is Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus. It has 100 million CFUs, which is more than EcoVag’s 25 million CFUs, but not enough to be overwhelming. The size is similar to EcoVag& the cost is much much lower than EcoVag. I am talking orders of magnitudes lower. You can get approximately 400 Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus pills for the price of 10 EcoVag pills. You don’t have to buy this brand if you don’t want to. You can track down a different brand of Lactobacilus Acidophilus or Lactobacilus Gaseri. Just make sure it doesn’t have more than 100 million CFUs in it or any sugars, sugar alcohols or Fructooligosaccharides(FOS).

To use the probiotic pills directly, you will want to insert one capsule, deeply into the vagina, every other night for two weeks. You can then drop back down inserting a capsule once or twice per week. During your period you can stop using the capsule. You can probably keep this regimen going for as long as you’d like. It is possible you may need to continue this regimen long term to maintain vaginal health.

If you have a lot of itching or burning while taking probiotics vaginally, stop taking them. There may be mild itching or burning after insertion, but this should go away & not linger.

Oral Probiotics (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

As I mentioned above oral probiotics are not very effective at preventing bacterial vaginosis or yest infections.  It is still probably a good idea to take one though. Oral probiotics aid the immune system & may improve your digestion. Additionally, if there is anal-vaginal bacterial cross-over, having a lot of good bacteria involved is better than not having any at all.

You could actually take the Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus orally, but you probably would need to take quite a few pills daily. I would recommended at least 5. You might look into taking a higher potency probiotic such as Align or Renew Life Ultimate Vaginal Support.

You can also eat yogurt, but you will want to avoid yogurts that are high in sugar or corn syrup, have artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, stabilizers or other weird gunk. Yogurts to avoid are things like Yoplait or Light & Fit, which are essentially “dessert yogurts” & are not going to be keys to healthy anything. Your best bet is to look for an organic yogurt that is lightly sweetened with honey or cane sugar. You could also go about replacing sour cream in your diet with plain yogurt as they have similar flavor profiles.

AZO Natural Yeast Symptom Prevention & Relief (optional)

AZO is an herbal supplement that many women recommend for helping to prevent, as well as relieving, yeast infection symptoms. It’s also inexpensive and worth trying. Good reviews on Amazon.com as well.

Cranberry Extract (optional)

Cranberry extract is mainly helpful for preventing urinary tract infections. It is not directly related to the treatment of yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis, but lowering the chances of urinary tract infections will also lend to a healthier vagina. Reducing areas where bad bacteria can propagate and cause problems is always a good thing. AZO makes a cranberry extract, which also has good reviews.

Multi-Vitamin (optional)

If you are not already taking a multi-vitamin, then now would be a good time to start. There are many multivitamins on the market. You could try Rainbow Light’s Women’s One or whatever is available at your local store. I’d suggest getting one online that has good reviews. Taking vitamins will help boost your immune system, which may help fight off or prevent infection.

Step 3b. Preventative Habits

Preventative habits are things you can do to help prevent future reinfection.

Hygiene Habits

• Do not continually use a douche.
• Do not use vaginal wipes or products like Vagisil, as these only mask the problem.
• Wipe front to back after bowel movements & urination. Being sure to avoid the vagina.
• Avoid scented tampons, pads or pantyliners. Look for hypoallergenic products.
• Switch to sanitary pads instead of tampons, at least during or after treatment.
• Avoid overly washing the vagina.
• Avoid deodorant soaps around the vagina. Look for castile soaps which are made from natural oils.

Clothing Habits

• Avoid tight restrictive clothing, especially around the crotch area.
• Wear cotton panties, avoiding synthetic fiber based panties.
• Change panties daily.
• During treatment it may be a good idea to invest in some cheap cotton panties which can be washed in hot water with bleach. Be sure to rinse well & dry well. This should ensure bacteria / yeast are killed. Warm laundry water is lukewarm & laundry soap is usually not anti-bacterial.
• Use an unscented/allergy sensitive laundry soap.

Sexual Habits

• Avoid sexual activities during treatment.
• Avoid risky sexual behavior such as anal sex or multiple sexual partners shortly after treatment.
• Even after treatment if you engage in risky sexual behavior you may be more susceptible to recurrent infection.
• Ensure your sexual partner(s) are clean and not suffering from yeast, fungal or bacterial infections themselves.
• Avoid lubricants that contain Glycerin as bacteria & yeast can feed off of it. Try Astroglide Glycerin & Paraben Free or Pjur Silicone Lubricant.
• Bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections & urinary tract infections are usually not caused by sexual activity unless one engages in risky behavior. You do not need to be sexually active to obtain an infection. Bacteria & fungi are all around us, there is no need to assume someone is involved in risky behavior because of an infection.

Health Habits

• Reduce sugar intake. Sugar can be absorbed by the blood and sugars do show up in the vagina. Avoid sugary sodas, juices or coffee drinks. Bacteria & yeast love sugar just as much as we do.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise will burn off sugar as energy, ensure proper blood flow to all parts of your body & is good for overall health.
• Be sure to shower & dry immediately after exercising.
• Avoid public pools, hot tubs & exercise equipment while doing treatment.

Conclusions

If you still do not have relief after going through these treatments, then you may have an issue that needs to be looked at by a dermatologist to see if you might be suffering from a skin disorder such as Vaginal Lichen Planus.

Hopefully this information has been useful to you and if you have anything to add, please do leave a comment below.

Related posts:

1. What Is The Best Probiotic Supplement For Gastroparesis?
2. Giardia Infection Linked to Irritable Bowel & Chronic Fatigue

Plantains - Photo By Daegis

Well it appears your mother may have been right about eating your broccoli, especially if you’re dealing with Crohn’s Disease. Scientists have found that people dealing with Crohn’s Disease seem to have problems with certain bacteria invading their gut, specifically a certain type of E. Coli. The fiber in Broccoli & Plantains may help block the E. Coli bacteria from being absorbed by the gut, thus reducing chances of infection & irritation.

Just what is a plantain? It’s basically a banana that isn’t sweet. In some places you can find “plantain chips” which are salted, not sweetened. As far as broccoli goes, the best way to cook

it is to steam it until it’s brilliant green, then remove it immediately. This will allow it to retain flavor & texture. I really do no like mushy broccoli. Even with these findings some people may not be able to tolerate these foods, so don’t put caution to the wind. Take it slow.

References:

University of Liverpool Press Release

Related posts:

1. E. Coli’s Relationship With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
2. Mustard, Broccoli & Other Veggies Key To Intestinal Health
3. Fighting Crohn’s Disease With Comedy

This is a follow-up to my post “Align Probiotics Review: First Glance“. I did have some time to try out Align Probiotics and see how they worked out for me. Check out below for a week by week run-down.

Week #1

Week  #1 started out pretty well. I did notice that I was dealing with some aches and fatigue, possibly due to Align clearing out toxins or possibly due to something else entirely(I am known to get sinus infections randomly). Within a few days these aches and pains stopped. I think I did start to see some benefit from Align almost immediately. Improvements such as not having to go to the bathroom as often, bowel movements feeling more complete & perhaps even less gas/cramping. Having the pills labeled by the day of the week was pretty handy to keep on top of taking it. I tried to take it the same time each day.

Week #2

Continued improvement, but maybe not as large a leap as the first week. Things seem pretty stable. Maybe a small amount of constipation this week ,but not too bad. I think Align is probably a bit more gentle due to only having 1 billion colony forming units versus other products promoting having 6 billion or sometimes 20 – 50 billion colony forming units.

Week #3

This is where our story goes a bit south for Align. I started having chronic constipation again and even started getting some mild lower abdominal pain. Mild nausea also, probably from being constipated. This is pretty typical for me when my body has decided to go south on the probiotics. Also during this time I was under some stress, so perhaps this played a part in it as well. So ultimately I do not blame Align probiotics for fouling up, but rather I just have a touchy system.

Week 4

Unfortunately, at this junction I decided to discontinue taking Align probiotics, in hopes of reliving some of the constipation. Also the stress eased up in my life during this time as well.

Conclusion

I do not think that Align is a faulty product and actually it’s been the most successful probiotic I’ve used. I have a very touchy system and have had much less luck with other probiotics.  I definitely think Align probiotics are worth trying, especially if you’re suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

[Buy Align Probiotics from Amazon.com]

Special thanks to Proctor & Gamble for supplying the samples of Align Probiotics.

Related posts:

1. Align Probiotics Review: First Glance
2. Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
3. Product Review: Goodbelly Probiotic Drink

Align Probiotics Review

Buy Align from Amazon.com

Recently Proctor & Gamble’s marketing department got in touch with me to take a look at their flagship probiotic, Align. While I haven’t actually started taking Align yet, I’d like to share some of my first thoughts on the product.

I’ve seen Align advertised before & it has received good reviews on places like Amazon.com. I am a little skeptical on mass marketed products that have slick packaging. In some cases the word probiotic is used to attract people to a product that has little digestive benefit. In one case I got some terrible breakfast bars that supposedly had “probiotics” in them, but they were barely a step above sweetened laminated cardboard. I don’t think this is a goal of Align since they are strictly focusing on a probiotic supplement where the cardboard is only in the packaging, not the actual product.

Packaging

As I said above the packaging looks very nice. I received some sample sized versions which have a little fold out flap with information about Align & it even has a nifty 7-day calendar to track your progress. The capsules themselves come in a flat blister pack for 7-days. You can tear each capsule away from the sheet before opening it. Each capsule has a day of the week listed on it. I am not quite sure if this is how the retail 28-day supply is packaged, but I’d imagine it is similar. Additionally Align promotes the use of the AlignGI.com website, which has an online digestive tracker. All these ways to track your progress, I feel are helpful. One of the hard parts about taking probiotics is taking them consistently and at a regular time. Anything that makes it easier to remember to take your probiotic or to really be able to track your progress, I see as a good thing.

Contents

As for what’s in Align, it goes 100% with the B. Infantis 35624 strain of bacteria for it’s probiotics. There are a lot of products that mix it up and go for a bunch of different strains. I am not too worried about only one strain of bacteria being in there, it may even be beneficial to focus on producing a single high quality strain than to put in a mix of different, but lower quality strains. B. Infantis 35624 has been shown in studies to improve Irritable Bowel symptoms.

Align contains 1 Billion Colony Forming Units(CFUs) of B. Infantis 35624, this is considerably lower than other probiotics on the market. Again I don’t mind this so much as I think CFUs are overrated. Really it’s about quality. If you have 20 billion CFUs but they all die before hitting your gut or are contaminated with other things, it’s not going to do you any good. Also a lot of people have problems tolerating high doses of probiotics. Going low & slow may be the best approach.

Another positive is that it would appear Align uses a vegetable based capsule(not geletin), so vegetarians probably shouldn’t have any problems taking this. There is no lactose, gluten or soy in Align either. There is “Milk Protein” listed as an ingredient, but trace amounts are found in other probiotics as well.

Criticisms

One thing that does bug me is the use of Titanium Dioxide & FD&C Blue #1. Perhaps this was something that came out of focus groups or something. I would have preferred no artificial coloring in the product at all. I am sure there’s only a tiny bit in there, but if I am only going to see the capsule for a few seconds before popping it in my mouth, I shouldn’t care if it’s “white” or “off-white”.

Cost & Money-Back Guarantee

Align is some what pricey, especially when you are dealing with only getting 1 billion CFUs per capsule. However, if it does turn out to be higher quality & works for you, then I am sure it’ll be worth the money.

Align is offering a Money-Back Guarantee, which is actually pretty sweet. Try it for one month, if it doesn’t work, take them up on the refund.

Where To Buy

• Buy Align from Amazon.com
• Find a local store.

Disclosure:  I was supplied by Proctor & Gamble with samples of Align. The positive or negative outcome of this review is not based on receiving these samples.

Related posts:

1. Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update
2. Review: Custom Probiotics CP-1 50 Billion CFU Adult Formula
3. Review: Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children

If you’re not aware, Gastroparesis is paralysis of the stomach. Basically the stomach no longer churns properly or doesn’t do it as often as it should. There can be variations on why this is, such as nerve damage, muscle damage or the pyloric sphincter does not relax. Basically, food does not empty from the stomach like it should. The symptoms essentially are like having a stomach flu 24/7. It is very difficult to eat food like a normal person and it can be very debilitating. The causes range from viral infection to diabetes to gastric surgeries.

Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in the lower gut. These bacteria help digest food & aid in preventing infection. They do not usually have a direct impact on the stomach, but keeping your lower gut healthy, may prove beneficial. This would be especially true if you’re dealing with a wonky upper digestive tract.

Here are a few things I’d suggest trying, possibly before trying probiotics. But there is nothing saying that you can’t try probiotics at the same time.

1. Iberogast – This is an herbal pro-kinetic, it helps the stomach and digestive tract move again. I would say this should be #1 on everyone’s list, including doctors!

2. B12 Vitamins – There is a theory that gastroparesis could be caused by damage to the vagus nerve. B12 is VERY important in the recovery of damage to nerves. Given that someone dealing with gastroparesis might not have very good absorption, talk to your doctor and get a B12 deficiency test or ask to get B12 injections. Not only could this be helpful for nerve health, but could also improve your energy levels as well.

If you want to try oral supplementation, you could try Nature’s Bounty Vitamin B-Complex which has a small B-complex dosage that would probably be easier to digest. I’d also strongly recommend a Methylcobalamin B-12 supplement, the one I stand by is NSI’s Methylcobalamin 500mcg capsules. They do not have any fake sugars like most methyl-b12 supplements. Methyl-B12 is B12 in a form easily absorbed by the body.

3. Digestive Enzymes – Enzymes breakdown your food, I’ve read some reports that they are not effective with gastroparesis, but I would not write them off. Anything you can do to help breakdown your food before your stomach tries to go to work on it can help! You could try CompleteGest Digestive Enzymes or Now Foods Plant Enzymes.

4. Probiotics - While they don’t directly affect the stomach, having a healthy lower digestive tract could help keep things in sync and hopefully reduce symptoms. I’d suggest Align Digestive Care Probiotic which has a low probiotic count (1 Billion CFUs), you can then double or triple it if you feel the need for a higher dosage. Starting small is probably important.

Don’t give up hope. Many people have recovered from Gastroparesis. I myself dealt with some very tough symptoms for 3 months during the summer of 2006. I know for some they have dealt with it much longer than I ever did. As far as I know my cure was a steady diet of Rice Krispie Treats & Nature’s Bounty Vitamin B-Complex. But perhaps it was also the Zelnorm or the Prozac or a bunch of the other stuff I was trying at the time. The B-Complex though seemed to be night and day after I started taking it. I wish I could guarantee that would be the case for you.

Even for those who are not helped by these suggestions, there are still options like the Enterra Pacemaker or hopefully Tranzyme will see the light of day. Don’t give up hope!

If you’ve used a probiotic and have or have not found success, please post the brand/type you use.

Related posts:

1. Treatments For Gastroparesis
2. Probiotic Tips: Help Choosing Probiotics
3. Guinea Pigs, Rats & Ghrelin Helping With Gastroparesis

What’s in Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children?

It contains the following probiotic strains:

• Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus Casei
• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bifidobacterium breve
• Bifidobacterium longum

The main one we’re concerned with is B. infantis, which as been proven in studies to help with IBS symptoms. Overall, these strains all have a purpose in our gut. One thing to keep in minds is that this product does contain FOS, which can cause gas for some people.

What does Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children taste like & how do you use it?The taste of a probiotic is not something you normally have to deal with as most are in pill form. The taste is sweet, most likely due to the FOS content. It doesn’t taste bad at all, I liken it to a mildly sweet apple flavor. Once you mix it in with water or a beverage you can’t really taste it. I would recommend mixing it with room temperature or moderately warm water. Cold water seems to cause it to clump together.

Again the nice thing about this product is that you can measure it out exactly to control how much you’re taking. I decided to start with a very small amount, 1/8th teaspoon and then double it every week until I reached maximum dosage. This is not something you can usually do with other probiotic supplements because they are in pill form and rely on the probiotics being contained within the pill before entering the lower gut. The FOS in this product, I believe, is suppose to help it get through the stomach acids and into the lower gut where it can be effective. Though, I am not certain how effective this delivery method actually is.

Keep in mind as well that this product does require refrigeration

Did it help my IBS?

Initially, I believe I was having some positive results. The first couple of days were similar to other probiotics I’ve taken, I felt bloated & somewhat nauseated. This did subside somewhat over the following weeks. I noticed a mild improvement in the regularity of bowel movements, though my symptoms were not dramatically improved. Unfortunately after about a month of use, I accidentally left my fridge door open and all my food became spoiled & perhaps my probiotics. Not wanting to risk taking “rancid” probiotics, I bought a new container. I resumed my 1 teaspoon regimen, which is where I was at, at that time. Unfortunately I got bloated and became nauseated again with this product immediately, even though I seemingly had been using it before at the same dosage. I am guessing perhaps the batch I had before was older and thus perhaps less potent.

Would I recommend the product?

Yes I would. It did improve my symptoms for a short period of time. I have a touchy system so don’t use it as an example, it may work much better for you than for me, so it’s definitely worth a shot. Taking a powdered form is good for dosage control, which is pretty much impossible with a pill.

Where can I get it?

You can check out your local supermarket or nutrition store. I found some at my local Fred Meyer’s(may also be called Kroger’s in some areas) or purchase Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children from Amazon.com, by clicking the link.

Related posts:

1. Align Probiotics Review: First Glance
2. Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update
3. Product Review: Goodbelly Probiotic Drink

GoodBelly Strawberry Fruit Juice Drink

GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drink

I found out about GoodBelly juice drinks from my local public radio station. Between shows they’d have an advertisement for the “non-dairy probiotic fruit juice based drink”. Intrigued I went off in search of this stuff. The first visit to the GoodBelly website suggested that my local Fred Meyers carried it, but when I went there it was not to be. I then tried a local Safeway(may also be known as Vons), which did indeed carry it, but it took some looking as it was near the yogurt and not on the juice aisle.

So what exactly is in GoodBelly? Obviously it’s a fruit drink with probiotics, but getting in a bit deeper it appears they grow their own strains of B. Lactis & L. Planatarum299v from oat flour & barely malt which I imagine the little bacterias munch down on. While their test show that the product doesn’t contain detectable amounts of gluten, it is not considered a gluten free food. This is important if you suffer from Celiac Disease. So basically you whirl some juice concentrate, fruit puree & probiotics together & you have GoodBelly.

How does it taste? Pretty good actually! I tried the Bluberry Acai & the Strawberry flavors.  There’s a slightly sour aftertaste to it, but it doesn’t taste bad. It is comparable to other juices you’d find on the market, just not as sweet(which is a good thing). I could not find the quart containers, so I had to use the little “Good Belly Plus shots”, which are about 2.7oz(80ml) each. There are usually some fruit seeds hanging out at the bottom of the container no matter how well you shake the darn things up.

Was it effective? The little shots contain 20 billion colony forming units(CFUs), to me, this seems like too much. While their website does state “You can never get too much of a good thing”, I would have to disagree; especially for people just starting with probiotics. Much better to taper up with a small amount of probiotics to let your system adjust. Overall I experienced the same thing I’ve dealt with with other probiotics – constipation  & bloating.There is such as thing as the “Herx Effect”, where you have to tough out these symptoms for days/weeks before you start feeling the benefits. However, I’ve tried toughing it out with other products and in the end I have to stop taking them because these symptoms do not subside. Thus, my search for the perfect probiotic continues. Importantly, do not take my experience for your own. Try the product, see how it works for you! We all have different bodies & mine is extremely picky. Bottom Line:  It did not cure my IBS, but who knows about yours?

Cost? Cost is a concern, it was about $3.50 for 4 little shots. You’re suppose to drink one per day. This could get pricey, especially when considering you can get a bottle for a months worth of probiotics in some cases for $10. You’re looking at $26.10 per month if you’re going to be drinking a GoodBelly a day. Keep in mind though that some of the higher quality probiotics are just as much and don’t offer as many CFUs, nor are they as tasty. GoodBelly does offer a $1.00 off coupon on their website. This lil’ coupon could save you quite a bit! It looks like you can only use it once per visit, but you could just do it with your weekly shopping & be good to go. The website has had it up there for months, hopefully they don’t take it down anytime soon.

Final thoughts? A worthy choice for those who may not like taking a pill or those who are adverse to trying healthy things. It’s worth a shot! :)

If you don’t have access to GoodBelly locally you can order some GoodBelly ToGo packets from Amazon.com.

Related posts:

1. Review – GoodBelly BigShot Probiotic Drink
2. Review – GoodBelly Splash Probiotic Drink
3. Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update