Probiotics

Question
Laurie
I am 55. Since my mid forties I have suffered from severe bloating after eating, and a distended stomach all the time.
I am not overweight, and I dont drink alcohol.
I eat very healthy, low fat/red meat, lots of fibre. I also jog daily.
The doctor can find nothing wrong, I have had lots of tests including a colonoscopy,the only thing he could think of was to try probiotics.
I dont really like yoghurt.
I did try some probiotics in a capsule from Walmart that didnt really help, but some research says the off the shelf ones are no good-they must be refrigerated. Also they should be enteric coated?
Any thoughts on my situation appreciated including what brand to purchase.


Answer
Dear Van,

I have not heard any studies to promote one brand of probiotics over another.  Some do not need to be refrigerated because of their processing, and some need to be refrigerated if they will not be used by a certain date.  Some of the more common brands are Danactive and Actimel.  I also saw a study on the effectiveness of a brand called GanadenBC.

I can think of a couple of other things to try... the bloating may be a reaction to something in your diet... dairy and gluten come to mind.  You might try an elimination diet: eliminate dairy from your diet for a week and see if you notice any difference.
Eliminating wheat is a bit more difficult, you'll find, since there is flour in a whole lot of food products.  But, in fact, some people do suffer some minor symptoms such as bloating as a  type of allergic reaction to gluten, the protein in wheat.  You will find a lot of information on the internet about gluten-free diets nowadays and a lot of products made gluten free since so many people have found their digestive symptoms go away when avoiding this substance.

The other idea you might bring to your doctor is the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.  The reason it's called a syndrome is there is no definitive test to diagnose it; it is a collection of symptoms, such as bloating, discomfort, nausea, and alternating diarrhea and constipation.  There are medications to treat irritable bowel syndrome and they can bring your life back to normal.

It may also be as simple as cutting down on the fiber in your diet--you say you eat a lot, and it often does cause bloating depending on the amount.  Generally lots of fiber is a good thing, but there may be some type you are consuming that is just irritating your bowel and making your abdomen distended.  Keeping a diary for  a few weeks may bring some information to light: jot down what you eat and any noted symptoms.  You may discover you are symptom free after a certain meal and much more uncomfortable after certain foods.  Then you will be able to control all these symptoms yourself.

Good luck.  I would really like to hear back from you in a few weeks regarding what you find out!

Laurie

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