You may experience slight changes like gas or mild diarrhea as they begin to work. These symptoms usually resolve within a few days and won't return with the continued use of probiotics. If the symptoms are very uncomfortable or you experience severe diarrhea, stop taking probiotics and call your doctor.
If you experience ongoing side effects from probiotics such as bloating and gas, it may be a good idea to take a break from probiotics and ensure you are taking the correct strain and dose.
Some may wonder about possible safety concerns associated with long-term use of a supplement. The good news is probiotics are not likely to cause harm over the long term. While there haven't been any long-term studies yet, numerous studies and reviews have found probiotics to be safe for adults, children, and infants.
When probiotics administration is suspended, the probiotic cells are rapidly released, resulting in dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and disruption of the intestinal metabolites and physical function.
There have been no rigorous scientific studies that look specifically at what happens when healthy individuals stop taking probiotics. However, if you stop populating your gut with “good” bacteria — either through supplements or food — the delicate balance can be disrupted and “bad” bacteria may begin to take over.
This is the reason why you need to take probiotics day after day. Safety is not a concern - there are no indications of a maximum duration of intake from any probiotic producers. Acute toxicity studies in rats (at 1000 x dose) indicate probiotics are safe over a long period of time, even at high doses.
Since your body works to naturally maintain a healthy balance of these "good" bacteria, there's no need to take probiotic supplements regularly. Instead, once your symptoms improve, it may be time to stop taking them. Of course, since this is a medical decision, it's best to consult with your doctor.
There is no known risk of addiction or dependency when taking probiotic supplements. It is safe to take probiotics on a long-term basis without causing dependency or addiction.
probiotic+ Along with taking probiotic supplements, functional medicine doctor Wendie Trubow, M.D., says it's important to eat a diverse diet rich in fiber and beneficial bacteria. As long as these nutrients are making their way into the gut, Trubow says missing a few days of a supplement won't be as big of a deal.
Bottom Line: For most conditions, take probiotics for at least 3-4 weeks to see if they work for you. Acute diarrhea and food intolerances are exceptions to these guidelines.
Probiotic risks
One theoretical risk of probiotics is if someone has an immune system weakened by illness or medication, that person could get sick from probiotics. Another concern about probiotics is that they're considered dietary supplements, not drugs.
Probiotics may restore the composition of the gut microbiome and introduce beneficial functions to gut microbial communities, resulting in amelioration or prevention of gut inflammation and other intestinal or systemic disease phenotypes.
You might have stomach upset, gas, diarrhea, or bloating. Those symptoms usually go away after your body gets used to them. If you have an immune system problem or another serious health condition, you may have a greater chance of issues. Some reports have linked probiotics to serious infections and other side effects.
The short answer: It takes most people 2 to 3 weeks to feel significant benefits when they start taking probiotics. That's because probiotics need time to accomplish their three key goals: increase your good bacteria count, decrease your bad bacteria count, and reduce inflammation.
“Don't take a probiotic supplement with hot food and drinks such as tea or coffee as this can lessen the chance of the bacteria getting to your gut unharmed. Give it 30 minutes after taking them before you reach for the teapot.”
The ideal time to take probiotics is right before bed because "the gut is pretty inactive at night. If you think about it, you don't usually wake up in the middle of the night to poop,” says Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterology and internal medicine physician and clinical advisor for Gastro Girl.
Help your body digest food. Keep bad bacteria from getting out of control and making you sick. Create vitamins. Help support the cells that line your gut to prevent bad bacteria that you may have consumed (through food or drinks) from entering your blood.
Then she found an article in Mental Health Daily about the side effects and adverse reactions to probiotics that people have reported. And there she found her answer. That if you take more than 20 billion CFUs (she was taking 400 billion CFUs) per day, you can get side effects. And anxiety is listed as one of them.
Building a healthy microbiome can take up to 6 months if the correct healthy habits are adopted (diet, exercise, sleep and stress management - and also supplements if needed) however it really is a lifelong journey because you need to continue these habits to maintain a healthy microbiome.
We recommend patients rotate every 30 to 90 days to a different probiotic, as each of them contains different strains of microorganisms.”
The biggest way to tell if your leaky gut is healing is when your energy and vitality have returned, you've regained mental clarity, your mood has improved, you've returned to your ideal weight, and you feel like your best self. It's important to remember that, as with most health concerns, gut health is on a spectrum.