Florastor Probiotic Side Effects, Benefits Reviews & Directions
What is Florastor Probiotic? What are the ingredients? What is the dosage for kids and adults? How good is Florastor Kids? What are the side effects of Florastor? Is Saccharomyces boulardii iyo safe? What do user reviews & ratings say? How effectiveness is it when used for diarrhea & C. diff? Why, is the Florastor 250mg so much sought? What’s the price and where can you buy this probiotic product? Read on for details
What is Florastor (Saccharomyces Boulardii Iyo)- Ingredients & OTC.
Florastor (Saccharomyces Boulardii ) Meaning/Definiton, Formula & OTC
Florastor is the brand name of saccharomyces boulardii, a type of fungus commonly referred to as yeast. In other words, saccharomyces boulardii sometimes referred to S. boulardii or SB is a strain of yeast. It was first extracted from lychee and mangosteen fruit in 1923 by French scientist known as Henri Boulard.
What is Florastor probiotic formula? It is a supplement manufactured in France by company known as Biocodex. Biocodex, which has 6 independent subsidiary companies based and operating in the USA, was founded by Michel Hublot and François Vallet in 1953
The company uses a unique dehydration procedure to protect and preserve the fungi in Florastor. This process does not need any refrigeration. Lyophilization is the name Biocodex has given this procedure, and hence denote the non-spore forming yeast in their supplement product as Saccharomyces boulardii lyo.
The fact that Florastor is made up of a type of fungus makes it unique. Why? It functions like good bacteria but it is not a type of bacteria. Almost all other types of probiotics are bacteria.
Another unique feature is the ability of Saccharomyces to weather the harsh acidic environment of the stomach, thereby stating intact until it gets into the intestines where it starts to work.
Is Florastor an OTC probiotic? The answer is yes! This product is readily available as an Over the Counter (OTC) probiotic usually in form of capsules or powder packets. It is actually one of the top best OTC probiotics
Florastor Ingredients
What is Florastor made up of? The main ingredient is probiotic yeast (Saccharomyces boulardii iyo). For adults, each capsule has 5 billion CFUs (colony forming units). The kids version has additional fructose and tutti-frutti flavor. Other ingredients include;
- Lactose
- Magnesium stearate
- Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose
- Titanium dioxide
- Colloidal anhydrous silica
Florastor Kids, Adults & Dosage : Capsule/Powder Packet 250g
Florastor is available in two major categories, for kids (Florastorkids) and adults. Read on to learn more about the supplement facts and dosage for both kids and adults. For both kids and adults, Florastor helps support a healthy digestive system as well as maintaining the intestinal flora balance as you will learn shortly.
Florastor Kids (Powder Packet 250mg)
According to the manufacturer, Florastor Kids is available entirely as a flavored powder packet. The flavors are provided to match the kids’ tastes or make it more enticing for their consumption.
Each capsule or powder packet is made up of 250 mg of active Saccharomyces boulardii lyo. Hence, one capsule and one powder packet can be used interchangeably. Florastor Kids powder packet also contains tutti-frutti flavor.
Florastor for Kids- Supplement Facts
Serving Size: 1 Powder Packet
The amount of ingredients for every packet is as follows
- Saccharomyces boulardii lyo– 250 mg
- Lactose- 33 mg
- Fructose- 472 mg
Additional Ingredients: Colloidal anhydrous silica and
tutti-frutti flavor.
The daily Value is not established.
Adults-Capsules
The adult version of Florastor is available in forms of capsules. Below are the supplement facts.
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
The amount of ingredients for every Capsule is as follows
250 mg of Saccharomyces boulardii lyo
33 mg Lactose
Additional Ingredients: Magnesium stearate, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, titanium dioxidetutti-frutti flavor.
Just like the kids version, the daily Value for the capsule is not established.
Florastor Dosage for kids & Adults-How to take & Duration
How much of Florastor your body requires will depend on your age and purpose for which you need it.
According to the manufacturer, the general Florastor dosage is one or two capsules or packets twice a day. This is the recommended dosage that will aid in protecting your intestinal track.
For the purpose of promoting intestinal health, the amount you need is two powder packets or capsules twice daily for a duration of 30 days.That is 250 mg times four which amounts to 1000 mg every day.
For the purpose of maintaining your intestinal flora you need to take 500 mg of florastor( one powder packet or capsule twice) on a daily basis.
How to take Florastor
Generally, it can be taken with or without food.
Either swallow it whole or open the capsule or packet and empty the contents on your tongue then follow it with four ounces( about a half cup) of a drink that is water or juice.
If you have difficulties in swallowing, simply open the capsule or packet and sprinkle the contents over semi-solid food such as yogurt or applesauce then swallow right away. Instead of the semi-solid food you can also dissolve the contents in pure liquid (juice, water, milk, formula)
Florastor Overdose
What if you take too much Florastor? For overdose, it is recommended to that you seek emergency medical attention.
Points to note on Dosage
- Florastor is not recommended for persons under the age of two months.
- When considering the use of herbal supplements, seek the advice of your healthcare provider regarding the correct dose and frequency. In this case make a point of consulting a practitioner who is trained in the use of Florastor (Saccharomyces boulardii iyo) supplements.
- Once you have decided to use this supplement, use it as directed on the package or as directed by your healthcare provider, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider.
- Never should you use more of this product than is recommended on the label.
- Do not take different formulations( for example powder alongside capsules) at the same time without seeking advice from your healthcare provider
Florastor Uses- Medication, Diarrhea, Babies + Studies: What is Florastor good for?
From a general perspective, as probiotic supplement, Florastor is intended to help promote your body’s own natural intestinal flora (micro-organisms). Owing to the fact that the primary ingredient of this product is Saccharomyces boulardii, studies indicate that it is possibly used for;
Treatment and prevention of a number of gastrointestinal (GI) problems, including a few various forms of diarrhea. One type of diarrhea S.boulardii can treat and prevent is that caused by antibiotics. Antibiotics prescribed for different bacterial infections in various parts of your body can disrupt the “beneficial or good bacteria” in your gut, washing them out of your system along with the “bad” ones. Normally, this type of diarrhea stays for few days, but it in severe cases can lead to colitis or Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) colitis, which requires hospitalization. According to studies, taking S. boulardii alongside your antibiotics can minimize the chances of acquiring diarrhea.
S. boulardii can also treat traveler’s diarrhea, which is usually caused by eating contaminated food or drinking water that not clean or safe while you are traveling.
Yet another study established that it can prevent diarrhea associated with tube feedings.
Additional studies have also indicated that S. boulardii can be used to treat other types of diarrhea, which include;
- Acute, persistent (chronic) and rotaviral diarrhea in children.
- Diarrhea associated with the HIV virus.
- Diarrhea caused by gastrointestinal take-over (overgrowth) by “bad” bacteria in adults
According to WebMed. SB is also used as medication for common digestion complications such as
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis),
- Lyme disease, a bowel disorder called relapsing Clostridium difficilecolitis,
- Bacterial overgrowth in short bowel syndrome.
Other individuals have used S. boulardii for fever blisters, lactose intolerance, vaginal yeast infections, teen-age acne, high cholesterol levels, urinary tract infections (UTIs) , and hives.
Florastor Benefits -What is it good for?
In nutshell, the benefits of Florastor include;
- Just like any other probiotic, it keeps the balance of intestinal flora
- Safe for anyone two months of age and older
- It is gluten-free
- Works well with antibiotics
- Vegetarian
- It is portable especially for individuals travel a lot and have active lifestyles
- Does not need refrigeration
Florastor(Saccharomyces Boulardii Iyo) Side Effects-Constipation, Nausea & Gas
Is Saccharomyces Boulardii safe? What are the disadvantages, cons or bad effects of taking Florastor? Does it cause constipation, bloating/gas or nausea?
Not all side effects are Florastor have been documented, but according to available information, Saccharomyces boulardii lyo is said to be likely safe for majority of individuals when used correctly for up to 15 months. Following are some common side effects Florastor.
Gas & Bloating
The most common side effect of almost all probiotics including Florastor is an increase in stomach gas. Alternatively, bloating may occur. If you experience effect worsens or continues, make sure you notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly.
Constipation & Thirst
Another side effect of this product is mild constipation thirst. However it does affect very few individual (less than 1%) and in many cases, symptoms disappear within a few days.
Hearsays have it that Florastor causes nausea. Little or no documented information is available to back up this statement. Much of it is personal accounts/or experience.
Risk of septic shock if taken by individuals with dwelling vascular catheters. It is therefore not recommended for such patients.
This probiotic supplement should not be used together with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) due to risk of increase or decrease in blood pressure.
It is also not good for those who do not sit well with soy, it has been noted to contain traces of soy.
Caution should be taken especially by those individuals who are allergic to yeast or are taking any antifungal medication.
Further, for individuals who are dehydrated, lactose intolerant or a healthcare provider’s advice should be sought before consuming these products.
Florastor Reviews – C. diff
What are the reviews and user ratings for Florastor? Basing on major online stores like Amazon and Drustore, following are the customer reviews and ratings.
Amazon Reviews
On Amazon, out of 434 customer reviews, 74% give this product a 5-star rating Which implies that they recommend this product. It works best Gastrointestinal Infections such as C.difficile
Most critical review is based on the presence lactose which makes it less effective to some extent.
On Drugstore.com,96% of the users would recommend the product. It is labelled as the best seller. Most users agree that it helps with C. diff
It gets an average rating of 4.7 basing on 258 reviews.
Basing on the reviews, it is effective, easy on stomach and simple to take. A number of users also say it does not work and it is expensive.
Where to Buy Florastor, Price & Coupons
Where can you buy Florastor probiotic (saccharomyces boulardii) for kids and adults? What is the price and are coupons available?
The product can be simply bought from online store including;
You can as well get it from product website. Further, the website can help locate a retailer near you
The price varies depending on where you will purchase it from. For instance, on Amazon it is sold at $32.90 while on Drugstore it goes for $40.99.
On Costco, it goes for $57.990 including shipping and handling.
Coupons of up $3 less are available on the product website.
Points to note before or while buying Florastor
- Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination
- Some diet supplement products have been found to contain possibly harmful impurities/additives. Check with your pharmacist for more details regarding the particular brand you use.
- The FDA has not reviewed this product for safety or effectiveness. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more details.
More probiotic Brands & Reviews
Visitor Rating: 5 Stars
I was given a sample of Florastor by a gastroenterologist. I split the pill, taking only half. Within about 15 minutes, I had pain, a temporary obstruction. It was quite scary for an hour. I called the mfg to tell them. I was told Florastor was to fix diarreah, which I did not have. No where on their website or packaging did it say this. I don’t know what they say today.