OT Completely OT and NAYY health issues, just want opinions if anyone has some

No I haven't tried it, but it looks interesting. I Googled Threelac UK and found it here, so perhaps you can find an Australian source and save on the International Surcharge?

Hugs to you Cheryl, and will be thinking of you and your 'gang'.

It is good to be a skeptic.

Let's look at the ingredients and skip the hype.

Bacillus Coagulans, Bacillus Subtilis, and Enterococcus Faecalis. Other than some vitamins, some powdered lemon juice, yeast, and sugar. These bugs are the active ingredients. Part of their claim is they are live.

OK, eat some canned tomatos and then go chew on a blade of grass and you will probably ingest more of the first two than they have in their pills. That third one makes me wonder. They claim to have FDA approval, but if their formula actually contained live Enterococcus Faecalis they sure as hell would not get it. That particular bug inhabits your large intestine, if it is running around your insides anyplace else you are liable to be very ill indeed.

Their "oxygenator" is just a hoot. It's a charcoal pill with a fair bit of magnesium, potassium, and sulfer. Note that it also has 30mgs of sodium if you are watching your salt. It contains enough nitrogen that I would hazard that they bought cheap sodium, potasium, and magnesium. Unless I am mistaken, and I may be, their three bugs in the other stuff are all anerobic. "Oxygenating" your system would not likely do anything positive for an anerobic organism you were expecting to do you good. Oxygen kills anerobes.

Moving on to the general premise. They are full of it. Candida is familiar to any woman who has had a yeast infection. It has a cousin that causes thrush, and an uncle that causes digestive troubles when you have overdone it on the rolaids. Yes the critter is common, but it is not the root of all illness.

I think it is funny that they put yeast in the formula with their "fungus fighting baccilus".

NightMist had to read the thing cause I have chronic sinusitis

Please be careful!

I can understand why you are suspicious of general medical practice because you have been in bad health for a long while, but the sellers of these sorts of "alternative medicine" are aiming exactly for desperate people like you.

What the sellers are doing here is a common technique of scammers. They take a recognized authority [Mayo] and twist the recognized authority's material to their own purposes. Here they present a letter from Mayo that says antibiotics may not work for sinusitis, and use that as a launch pad to say they know the cure, which Mayo says nothing about.

In my opinion, they just want your money.

Martha

Yay! I knew someone here would be able to give me some intelligent comments. Nice to know my scepticism is still justified.

TVVVVM

Cheryl, You can add yogurt with live acidophilus culture and achieve the same basic results, I believe, at much less cost and no big worries (save cholesterol!).

I'm sorry to hear of your pending surgeries. Snuggle up with your fur babies for some emotional therapy and take care.

Elizabeth in Spring, Texas

I have terrible sinus issues, too....it sounds gross, but nasal irrigation is the onlt 'natural' remedy that helps me. No affilication with the company or the product except to be a satisfied customer of both.... -Irene

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." - Mae West

Cheryl, I read your note and went to the site before I went to bed. Thought about it overnight. My first reaction is that this is a bunch of people out to promote their own agenda. First, they quote a "letter" from Mayo Clinic that says that antibiotics may not be the best way to treat chronic sinusitis. Which is true as far as it goes. But then to jump to the idea that not only sinusitis but a whole long list of diseases/syndromes are all caused by the same thing! that just put my back up. Many of the things on that list do have known, effective treatments, and some have fairly well understood causes, etc. And it is highly unlikely that any single organism could cause all those various things. sigh. Also, the site seems to group yeasts, molds and fungi as the same thing.

form (here is your mold),

In the first place yeasts are not fungi and cannot "morph" one into the other. And molds are something entirely different. (As Rick just said, yeasts and fungi may actually be different "Kingdoms" not just different genuses (?? whatever the plural of genus is).

It is good to be skeptical. I am too. (of course the 2 years as a Biology/psychology double major/Pre-med student may have something to do with it.

Wish there was a magic pill that would help a lot of us. The biggest problem, as you pointed out, is that too many "magic pills" have been handed out too freely and the after effects are causing us problems now.

I sympathize and hope you get to feeling better soon. Good luck with your upcoming surgeries. I have one that needs to be done sometime. But being currently without health insurance that is way on the back burner.

Pati, > As some of you may be aware my general health has not been

have you been to see a natropath? Our insurance covers them, I have a suspicion that if your state recognises them, then they may have to or something, even if that isn't the case, it suspect it may well still be worth consulting one, so you end up spending your money on the best "alternative" treatements for you, rather than whatever worked for someone else.

Until recently I'd never been down this route, but I've found in helpful for my whole family, for example, my daughter who is 2 now, had an ear infection and afterwards her ears didn't drain of fluid all conventional medicine had to offer were antibiotics, but that was worthless once the infection was gone, the natropath recommended a combination of things and within days her ears were clear.

Cheers Anne

I agree with the irrigation thing. All we use in our family though is warm salt water, snort and blow and its amazing how much it makes a difference. Yeah it is gross but WOW does it feel better when its done!

~KK in BC~ who suffers from every allergy known to man............

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." - Mae West

Cheryl,

I do not know about that specific product. I can say, with absolute certainty and with personal experience, that probiotics can help with problems associated with antibiotic use.

As NightMist pointed out, Candida is in a family of critters that cause vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, and gastrointestinal distress. These critters occur naturally in our bodies, and normally are kept in their place by our own body chemistry and a bunch of good bacteria.

An ANTI-biotic, by definition, kills bacteria. A 'broad spectrum' antibiotic kills different types of bacteria, kind of like when you use a bug spray and it kills the honeybees and ladybugs as well as the fireants. A broad spectrum antibiotic is like a bomb to your system. Normally, after the destruction your body's clean up crew sets things to rights. Sometimes though the body is overrun by scavengers. Taking a PRO-biotic is like sending in the marines to protect the body from looters.

Some personal experiences: When my youngest was a toddler she had repeated ear infections. The eye ear nose & throat specialist wanted surgery to place tubes in her ears. I was concerned about the anesthesia, and was also concerned when I read that the tubes could let bacteria in as well as draining fluid out. My pediatrician suggested a course of prophylactic antibiotics (6 months of amoxil). Within a month of beginning treatment my daughter had a fire-red diaper rash, that nothing seemed to help (I now know it was Candida). In desperation I tried an infant probiotic. The powder mixed in her juice, and the rash disappeared.

When my mom came to live with me she was in poor health. Her doctor prescribed an antibiotic for an infection and she didn't want to take it because the 'last time' she was on it the antibiotic caused stomach pain and diarrhea. I convinced her to give it a try. No side effects, and mom insisted it must have been a new prescription. It wasn't. I had included a probiotic with her daily vitamin packet.

My family takes probiotics anytime an antibiotic is prescribed, and it does make a difference.

Now, as to the article you pointed out - knowing what the 'yeasties' can do if they overgrow it is not inconceivable that repeated bouts of sinusitis could be aggravated by Candida. Taking probiotics couldn't hurt and might help. I doubt it needs to be that specific brand, however.

Regarding some of the concerns NiteMist pointed out. Some small amount of yeast is in probiotics to feed the bacteria, else it would die. As to the "Enterococcus Faecalis" - I, too, would be VERY leery of taking any bacteria from that family. The manufacturer, however, points out that some types of probiotics have multiple strains in the same 'family' - and that the 'family' is enterococcus faecalis but that the exact strain is not harmful and is not named in order to prevent others from making the exact same formula. That's doesn't sound really unusual. Dannon is one company in the US that has PATENTED a specific type of probiotic bacteria

To sum it all up, I can't speak for the specific product, or the use for sinus infections, but I can say that probiotics are safe and effective when used before/during antibiotic treatment.

When my daughter was small, she often got ear infections and would get diarrhea from the antibiotics. A couple times the doctor prescribed the probiotics. Then one time I had a different doctor; when I asked about the probiotic, he recommended to simply use yogurt with an active culture. It worked for her. When DD had the yeast infection diaper rash, the dr. prescribed monistat or something similar usually used for vaginal yeast infections; he told me to use it as an external ointment on her bottom.

Julia in MN

Dear Cheryl, Since being diagnosed with a disabling autoimmune disease four years ago, I have been accosted by way too many people wanting to tell me about, sell me, convert me to "THE" cure. No such beast exists.

Here is the very best way to get in the best possible shape before your surgery:

1.Quit eating sugar and anything with sugar in it. Stop eating bread and bread products, as well as pasta and white rice. Make most of your daily diet a mixture of leafy green vegetables, yellow veggies, fruits. Whole grains and lean meat also have a place in your diet. But meat servings are only 3 ounces. That's about what you can hold in the cup of your hand. Or the size of a deck of playing cards.

1. Eat only when hungry and only until you are satisfied.

2. Give up caffeine, alcohol and tobacco.

1. Walk as far as you can each day. Walk a little farther the next day. Avoid being outside when the sun it at it's strongest.

2. Drink plenty of water and sleep at least 8 hours every night.

1. Find something bigger than youself to believe in and believe in it with your whole heart.

I know this all sounds dreadfully dull and fairly hard to do but I believe this is the soundest way to achieve the best health possible.

And no, I don't adhere to t his diet. I drink plenty of caffeine and eat too much sugar. I am currently fighting carb cravings because of a new drug I'm taking. Every time the dose increases, so does my craving.

Anyway, don't get me started on molds, yeasts, candida, noni juice, langosteen juice, simple sugars, t he guaiffenisen protocol or even blood type diets. Sorry. I don't buy a single bit of it.

Eat sensibly, exercise as much as you can, sleep soundly at n ight. It's all any of us can do.

Sunny

Oh, I'm sorry Cheryl. I intended to say I hope you get to feeling better and that your surgery goes well and you heal quickly.

Hugs, Sunny

Thanks, Nightmist. I didn't like the sound of the whole thing, but didn't feel well enough informed to offer an opinion or advice.

I think you are right, and the product is not what is needed by someone who suffers from chronic sinusitis.

Interesting, Irene. Thanks for the info, I must look into this. For the past 10 years, the only things that help me are to snuffle salt water up my nose and hold it for a few minute before (gently!!) expelling it, and a nasal spray product called Astelin that is non-habit-forming BUT which makes me sneeze uncontrollably for a minute or so after using it. However, after the sneezing stops I am good to go for 12 hours or more. Astelin is great if I use it at night, I breathe freely all night and wake in the morning with no coughing from the post-nasal drip. Used in the morning, it helps until I get to work, where the paper dust keeps us all sneezing throughout the day, no matter what we use.

Thanks for all the comments and advice.

I think I will stick with my original gut reaction of skepticism. I have been reducing my meat intake for a couple of years. I am no longer the carnivore I used to be lol! and I already take probiotics. I have a nasal irrigation system, and I think I will just slowly adjust my diet and lifestyle to what I think is reasonable. Sadly, exercise is just about out for me, and I miss that a lot. It is only a few years ago that lunchtimes were spent running around airfields (about 5km) for fun in all weathers. But times change. I don't believe in magic cures, but I think I can probably come up with an improved lifestyle without trying anything too extreme.

Thanks to all who took the time and trouble to respond.