*Warning: I’m going to talk about my guts – literally. If this offends you, please leave now. IBS is something that happens to more people than you probably realize.
I couldn’t find any good numbers on how many people “they” (whoever the “they” are that do these studies) think suffer from IBS. I’m betting it’s a lot based on the fact that there are commercials for medications during prime TV viewing time. You can count me among one of them. It’s gotten to the point that it’s affected my daily life so much over the last 7 years that I finally had to see a GI doctor.
The journey to diagnosis with the GI doctor has been pretty straight forward. There were scopes and tests to rule out other things first. I even went back to my allergist to rule out food allergies. Since nothing else seemed to fit, IBS was the diagnosis. Then we had to decide on a treatment.
First course of treatment was to try a probiotic for 30 days and see how that helped. Probiotics seem like they’re pretty straightforward, but they’re like anything else. They’re not one size fits all. The first one I took, that is supposed to be one of the best, did the opposite of what we wanted it to do. The second one we tried seemed to work a little, but I was still living my life around not really eating, and when I did, knowing where every public bathroom in town is located.
There is new research out that indicates that IBS may be caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the guts. For whatever reason, be it previous illness, other natural causes, whatever, the person may be experiencing a gut flora imbalance. My next course of treatment was an antibiotic for ten days, and then the probiotic to put the good flora back. I felt good on the antibiotic. I tried the sample of Provella I had gotten as the probiotic to put the good flora back. For my case, it didn’t work.
Now, that’s not to say it doesn’t work at all. It could be that we didn’t kill off enough of the “bad” bacteria the first time to give the “good” a chance to establish themselves. I like that Provella has strains in it to also promote vaginal health. Not all insurances will cover the antibiotic I’m taking. I’m very lucky. The one I’m taking doesn’t mess with vaginal balance. Most do. In this case, Provella could be very handy for women suffering from IBS.
I haven’t given up on Provella entirely either. After a follow up with my GI doctor, I have a new course of treatment that includes a longer cycle of the antibiotic, and then the probiotic in between antibiotic cycles to try to restore gut balance. Since Provella has a time release coating to help bypass having the majority of the flora being destroyed by stomach acid, but rather the live cultures reach the intestines, it has potential.
Something you should know about Provella is that it’s one of those OTC medications that’s behind the pharmacy counter. You don’t need a prescription, but you do have to ask for it.
**If you take Provella and have any adverse side effects, you can call this toll free number: 1-855-899-9180.
***None of the information in this blog should replace that of a medical professional. I’m not a doctor. Seek one out if you have medical issues. I’ve just relayed my own personal experience. This post was part of a campaign by Mom Central Consulting. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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