posted
I'm currently pregnant and my LLMD said to go ahead and take probiotics along with my lyme treatment (Bicillin IM). I've only done a few weeks of the probiotics, however I am really hesitant to continue taking them.
Alot of online research I've done suggests that probiotics are very benenficial during pregnancy. But I'm still a little hesitant......so I've been drinking alot of Kefir and avoiding yeast/sugar.
Has anyone here taken probiotics during their pregnancy?????
Posts: 29 | From Texas | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
Me. I've never heard anything but positive statements about probiotics and pregnancy.
May you be as well as you can throughout your pregnancy. I was pg with twins while having an undiagnosed and untreated case of LD. They had few to no health issues and are still growing strong. While I always keep one special eye on them to make sure there are no lyme-like things going on with them, I would be doing that, anyway, given what I've gone through. Take care!
Posts: 252 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2010
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
if you are treating with any abxs you need probiotics to replenish the good intestional flora.
You don't want to risk yeast or C-diff. especially while pregnant.
Take the probiotics.
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Best wishes for you & the babe! Smile
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Some good suggestions in that group but there is one major caution. L-Glutamine supplements should be avoided, unless a tiny amount of an overall balanced formula taking into account the articles below (and then going further with research). -----------
Slide #6, the OUTLINE slide, and on slide #10, and #11 - it lists L-Glutamine.
Be very careful with L-Glutamine. I would try to avoid that at all costs, actually unless a stomach is really in bad shape and then just tiny amount.
L-Glutamine can raise the Glutamic Acid level in the brain and that causes nerves to become very irritated - triggering anxiety, even seizures.
L-Glutamine is in food but added amounts can be far too much for anyone with any kind of neurological disorder such as lyme, "MS" etc.
For stomach lining repair, a very tiny amount will do just as well as a large amount. Never take this to get more energy, it works in the wrong way for lyme patients to use it that way.
DGL, slippery elm, marshmallow root are good for stomach lining. A tiny amount of L-Glutamine might be added to those but may not be necessary for someone who has weak adrenal function or nerve irritation.
Anyone with seizures should not take L-Glutamine supplements. I learned that the hard way. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- How supplementation with L-Glutamine can create further toxicity & irritation to brain/nerve cells for those with neurological illness and a compromised blood brain barrier (as with lyme): -------------
AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS I: GLUTAMINE - with Reference to the Related Compound Glutamate
-by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D.
Excerpt, half way down the article:
. . . Glutamate in Neurological Diseases
The other concern about glutamate is related to its essential role as a neurotransmitter. The levels of glutamate in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) are highly regulated, since the neurons have sensitive receptors for the compound.
* In some neurological diseases, it is found that glutamate levels in the central nervous system become unusually high at sites of pathology. This can occur, for example, if the rate of degradation of glutamate is slowed by an impairment of the enzymes that are involved.
* Also, glutamate is excreted by immune cells that take part in inflammatory processes; the result is high local concentrations at the neurons in progressive neurological diseases such as MS and ALS.
* Glutamate levels in the central nervous system can also increase when the blood brain barrier is substantially weakened, as occurs after neurological surgery.
* The excess glutamate at the neuron acts as a poison; at high enough levels, the nerves exposed to glutamate can be completely and permanently damaged, so that they are no longer capable of transmitting signals.
* Thus, while glutamate is a major component of the body, and an essential part of the nervous system, high levels localized in the nerve cells can be quite toxic, and this is readily demonstrated in animal models.
* Laboratory research has revealed that in the progressive, debilitating disease ALS, one of the many processes involved in disease progression appears to be damage of nerve cells by accumulation of glutamate.
* In relation to multiple sclerosis, changes in control of glutamate homeostasis in the central nervous system might contribute to demyelination of the white matter of the brain (19).
Based on preliminary animal studies, it has been suggested that glutamate dumped by immune cells can exacerbate the nerve damage (20).
* One of the means by which a stroke (causing blockage of blood circulation to the brain) results in brain damage is through an increase in glutamate levels in the brain cells (of course, oxygen deprivation and other effects are also contributors). These findings point to local glutamate excess as an important factor in brain diseases.
* Since glutamine is converted to glutamate, supplementing glutamine at very high levels in persons who have such neurological disorders may be contraindicated.
. . . . - Full article at link above. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- If someone has a reaction to L-Glutamine, this is of interest as it addresses glutamate neurotoxicity: ----------------------
Prevention of ammonia and glutamate neurotoxicity by carnitine: molecular mechanisms.
Llansola M, Erceg S, Hernandez-Viadel M, Felipo V.
Laboratory of Neurobiology, Instituto de Investigaciones Citologicas, FVIB, Valencia, Spain.
Carnitine has beneficial effects in different pathologies and prevents acute ammonia toxicity (ammonia-induced death of animals).
Acute ammonia toxicity is mediated by excessive activation of the NMDA-type of glutamate receptors, which mediates glutamate neurotoxicity.
We showed that carnitine prevents glutamate neurotoxicity in primary cultures of cerebellar neurons. This supports the idea that the protective effect of carnitine against ammonia toxicity is due to the protective effect against glutamate neurotoxicity.
We are studying the mechanism by which carnitine protects against glutamate neurotoxicity. Carnitine increases the binding affinity of glutamate for metabotropic glutamate receptors. The protective effect of carnitine is lost if metabotropic glutamate receptors are blocked with specific antagonists.
Moreover, activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors by specific agonists also prevents glutamate neurotoxicity. This indicates that the protective effect of carnitine against glutamate neurotoxicity is mediated by activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. The molecule of carnitine has a trimethylamine group.
Different compounds containing a trimethylamine group (carbachol, betaine, etc.) also prevent ammonia-induced animal death and glutamate-induced neuronal death.
Moreover, metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists also prevent the protective effect of most of these compounds. We summarize here some studies aimed to identify the mechanism and the molecular target that are responsible for the protective effect of carnitine against ammonia and glutamate neurotoxicity.
Finally it is also shown that carnitine inhibits the hydrolysis of inositol phospholipids induced by activation of different types of metabotropic receptors, but this effect seems not responsible for its protective effects.
PMID: 12602515 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- Back to the original question, yes, indeed, probiotics are not only safe, they are necessary. Antibiotics often cause system yeast/candida infections that can be very rough.
Probiotics can help prevent that. Probiotics are food, really. Be sure you have a very good brand of probiotics as all brands are not at all equal.
Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) can also be extremely helpful beyond probiotics but you'd want to check with your LLMD (most LLMDs know about OLE and many use it) - or a naturopathic doctor (ND) &/or read more about its use during pregnancy.
Ginger capsules are often suggested for use during pregnancy to offset nausea. Ginger also has other good properties that can be helpful during lyme treatment. -
Posts: 48021 | From Tree House | Registered: Jul 2007
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