Semicolon Stories

Praise the Lord for Probiotics

November 28, 2010 at 8:56 pm Danielle B Leave a comment

For anyone else out there who suffers from IBS-type “stuff” – boy do I have some good news for you.

Toward the end of October, I was having some major trouble. I have had a relatively easy-going experience with my bathroom habits ever since my surgery over a year ago, considering I have 12 inches of large bowel left. I’ve certainly had my days and weeks, but generally, it had been going well. But all of the sudden, it’s like my body remembered that I hardly have a colon and started revolting. And it’s favorite time to revolt? About 3am.

I’ve been doing some freelance work for Dr. Taormina and happened to ask him if he had any tips for what might be going on with me. He suggested that I try a probiotic. He’s never steered me wrong yet, so with his advice, I went for it.

And then I began hearing the angels in heaven singing.

Well, not really. But let’s just say after four weeks now of taking the probiotic, my problems are (mostly) gone. And the two occasions where I’ve had problems – I forgot to take the pill that day.Which means… I am definitely on the probiotics train now.

What Are Probiotics?

Basically, probiotics are a dietary supplement that help get your digestive system balanced. Probiotics are good bacteria, and essential for healthy digestion. Because the percentage of good bacteria naturally decreases as we age, our bodies sometimes need help getting some extra good stuff in. Often times diet and stress can disrupt the natural balance of good bacteria, and a probiotic can help balance you back out.

While there are a ton on the market, I will say that I’ve been taking a supplement called Align. There are several others out there – just make sure before you buy one that the #1 ingredient is not sugar. (Look on the back of the bottle.) I’d recommend going with a GI-doctor suggested pill before purchasing anything expense at your fancy drug store. Align is a little pricey (it was around $25 for a month’s supply) – but let me tell you – it’s totally worth it for this semicolon gal.

So that’s it folks. For any of my fellow GI-suffers, try it out and let me know how it goes, okay?

Entry filed under: Colon Stories. Tags: align probiotic, Dr. T, GI problems, probiotic.