Visbiome High Potency Probiotic

I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.

I am reviewing Visbiome’s Regular Strength High Potency Probiotic in capsule form. Though Visbiome does have two other options for you to consume this product. They also have a lemon cream flavored powder and an unflavored powder. This product is meant for those who suffer from IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Pouchitis and Hepatic Encephalopathy. I myself suffer from severe IBS-C so I was extremely curious about this product.

Visbiome is considered a Medical Food, which means it is meant to be taken under the supervision of a doctor, and is meant for the dietary management of a disease. Each capsule of Regular Strength Visbiome contains 112.5 billion bacteria. With the package of Visbiome there is also a paper that tells you how to take the Visbiome according to what condition you have. You could also experiment with the dosage and time of the day you take it to figure out what works best for your body. There’s also a more potent form of Visbiome that requires a prescription from your doctor.

The primary ingredients of Visbiome are:

·      Lactobacillus acidophilus

·      Lactobacillus plantarum

·      Lactobacillus bulgaricust

·      Lactobacillus paracasei

·      Bifidobacterium breve

·      Bifidobacterium longum

·      Bifidobacterium infantis

·      Streptococcus thermophilus.

I listed each strain of bacteria that is in Visbiome so you can do your own research if you want. But overall this is meant to increase the good bacteria in your gut. People with the above mentioned illnesses usually are deficient in good gut bacteria due to treatments for the illnesses.

The Good

·      I started going to the bathroom more regularly. As I said before, I have severe IBS-C my “normal” pattern for a bowel movement is roughly once or twice a week if I’m lucky. I started taking this and I was going to the bathroom every two days.

·      My doctor said that my bowel sounds were more active than they were compared to what they usually sound like.

·      This probiotic only made me somewhat sick, whereas other probiotics I’ve tried have made me go back and forth between constipation and diarrhea.

·      I generally just overall felt better while taking Visbiome, before I felt sluggish and kind of like my stomach is weighing me down. While I was taking this it felt like my stomach was processing things more quickly than usual.

·      I actually found myself getting sick less while taking it; I didn’t get very many colds or other infections.

·      When my body adjusted to taking the probiotic I also noticed that I was having a lot less stomach pain and cramping.

·      I liked that the bottle was easy to open and close because I have a lot of pain, pre-arthritis and hyperextension in my hands.

·      They’re regular sized capsules, so they are easy to swallow if you have problems swallowing but don’t want to take the powder.

The Bad

·      When I first started taking it I did feel sick, though the bottle does say that you will feel bloated when you first start taking it. I experienced bloating and a short stint of mild diarrhea.

·      Since the bottle is easy to open it could be easy for kids to get into, so make sure you keep it out of reach.

·      Since the Visbiome needs to be refrigerated it makes it more difficult to remember to take. I don’t put it in my pillbox from fear that the bacteria will begin to die from being kept at room temperature for too long. Though you can keep it stored at room temperature for one week without if effecting potency I’d rather not take my chances.

·      It comes in a lot of packaging, which I think is excessive for such a small bottle. It comes in a large shipping box and inside that box is a cooler, which has several ice packs in it. Sure that’s all reusable but I think they should try to cut down on packaging size.

Overall

Overall this is a great product and definitely worth looking into and or telling your doctor about. This is really something that I will continue to take even when I have to buy more on my own. It’s expensive but honestly it’s completely worth it.