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Mandy-I love probiotics but in fairness to your statement isnt it normal for cultures to vary widely depending on what you cough up and where it happens to come from? Just wondering as mine always vary widely.</end quote></div>
Good point, but for me, I NEVER could change my cultures except with IV antibiotics. So, this was a huge coup for me against these nasty bugs. As you know, good bacteria actually fight for space with pathogenic bacteria, so getiing my mucosal membranes repopulated with the right kind is key to fighting the others. Also, a perfect example of bad bacteria going haywire when the normal flora is not at a proper level is c.diff. The friendly bacteria "turn on" the fighting Th1 response (which is documented in many studies) and in turn modulate inflammation and allow for the right cytokines (inflammatory chemicals) to alert the t cells that they should be fighting.
Also, a different study I posted a while back found that in cf babies who had NEVER been on antibiotics there was a over population of bad bacteria in the gut...which included bacteria often seen in cf lungs. Also, some of these babies had a huge overgrowth of yeast, yet did not exhibit oral thrush. Probiotics change the mucosal environment making it more inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria, fungus, virus. Interestingly, everytime we nuke our bodies with Iv antibiotics, we kill most bacteria (good and bad) on every mucosal surface. So, taking from this study from cf babies we can conclude that as adults we no doubt have issues with our normal flora in the gut and on other mucosal surfaces. Even when you don't have a yeast infection, that does not mean your good flora is perfectly balanced.
When we kill off all these bacteria, what will grow back first? We know we as cfers (from countless studies) have an issue good flora which affects ph balance and allows for a more acidic environment and growth of bugs who thrive in a more acidic environment.....
Your bad bugs are going to grow back first and get a strong hold before the good ones.
So, to answer your question (long and winded) no, I don't think it is out of left field to deduce that my culture changed with probiotic usage....Also, look at this last study I posted. How could probiotics keep cfers from being hosptialized without fighting these bacteria?
You have to remember, at that point in my life (almost 2 years ago...maybe 3 I need to check) I was resistant to all antibiotics, had terrible reactions to them, and had not had any growth of normal flora in ANY culture. I ALWAYS coughed up same bugs, growing at same rate, resistant to same drugs...that changed 2.5 months after startig probiotics with no inhaled antibiotics, no oral (not even zithro...can't take it bc of myco) and no IV.
Hope this helps.
mandy
Mandy-I love probiotics but in fairness to your statement isnt it normal for cultures to vary widely depending on what you cough up and where it happens to come from? Just wondering as mine always vary widely.</end quote></div>
Good point, but for me, I NEVER could change my cultures except with IV antibiotics. So, this was a huge coup for me against these nasty bugs. As you know, good bacteria actually fight for space with pathogenic bacteria, so getiing my mucosal membranes repopulated with the right kind is key to fighting the others. Also, a perfect example of bad bacteria going haywire when the normal flora is not at a proper level is c.diff. The friendly bacteria "turn on" the fighting Th1 response (which is documented in many studies) and in turn modulate inflammation and allow for the right cytokines (inflammatory chemicals) to alert the t cells that they should be fighting.
Also, a different study I posted a while back found that in cf babies who had NEVER been on antibiotics there was a over population of bad bacteria in the gut...which included bacteria often seen in cf lungs. Also, some of these babies had a huge overgrowth of yeast, yet did not exhibit oral thrush. Probiotics change the mucosal environment making it more inhospitable to pathogenic bacteria, fungus, virus. Interestingly, everytime we nuke our bodies with Iv antibiotics, we kill most bacteria (good and bad) on every mucosal surface. So, taking from this study from cf babies we can conclude that as adults we no doubt have issues with our normal flora in the gut and on other mucosal surfaces. Even when you don't have a yeast infection, that does not mean your good flora is perfectly balanced.
When we kill off all these bacteria, what will grow back first? We know we as cfers (from countless studies) have an issue good flora which affects ph balance and allows for a more acidic environment and growth of bugs who thrive in a more acidic environment.....
Your bad bugs are going to grow back first and get a strong hold before the good ones.
So, to answer your question (long and winded) no, I don't think it is out of left field to deduce that my culture changed with probiotic usage....Also, look at this last study I posted. How could probiotics keep cfers from being hosptialized without fighting these bacteria?
You have to remember, at that point in my life (almost 2 years ago...maybe 3 I need to check) I was resistant to all antibiotics, had terrible reactions to them, and had not had any growth of normal flora in ANY culture. I ALWAYS coughed up same bugs, growing at same rate, resistant to same drugs...that changed 2.5 months after startig probiotics with no inhaled antibiotics, no oral (not even zithro...can't take it bc of myco) and no IV.
Hope this helps.
mandy