Align Digestive Care Probiotic Supplement, 28-Count

I am 26 and have been dealing with IBS-D since I was 18. I have seen many different doctors & tried many different approaches to help in reducing my symptoms. As there is no real cure for IBS, I obviously hadn't had much luck with many of these approaches such as antispasmodics, increased fiber, etc. My only quick fix relief would come from taking Immodium. As many IBS sufferers experience, it has significantly altered my quality of life over the years from avoiding certain social functions to even avoiding food altogether. The hardest part was having to watch other people, such as my boyfriend, also constantly having to deal with "my stomach issues" as a result of needing to flee from different places once an episode set in. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when an episode would occur...sometimes just thinking about having to eat while outside the comfort of my home would bring one on. Yet, certain foods such as coffee, dairy, and alcohol would almost always trigger an episode. As a teacher, I'm not able to use the bathroom whenever needed, so I tried Align after reading the positive reviews here. (I did try Digestive Advantage first, but with little success.) I am currently on week four & I am feeling better then I have ever felt before. I started having one, normal BM a day within four days of taking align & the urgency to constantly have to go within seconds of eating has subsided. I have progressively been getting better with each day-with only some bloating the first several days. In the past 4 weeks, I only had one flare up & many of my trigger foods have caused me no trouble. I know that IBS is some how affected by our body's response to our nervous system, so it can not necessarily "cure" that mental aspect of IBS..you'll need to build confidence in the product and what it does. I would absolutely tell you to try this product if you are an IBS-D sufferer. It just may work in reducing your symptoms and giving you back a better quality of life like it has done for me. I wouldn't normally go out of my way to write something like this...but I feel it is important for people to see this because I know just how debilitating IBS can be for many.

I've tried tons of supposed "cures" before - Zelnorm never worked for me, and neither have over-the-counter medication. Special teas and other foods just made me even sicker, and I finding meals every night that wouldn't leave me in pain was quite the chore. Align was a last-ditch effort for me, and I am absolutely floored by it. Within a couple of days of taking it, I noticed a difference, and a week later, I'd never felt better since I was a teenager. With the exception of chocolate (alas!), all of my previous trigger foods no longer affect me. If I were a religious person, I'd almost want to call this a miracle. If you have IBS or other digestive conditions, and your doctor does NOT seem to really take you seriously (mine kept attributing my condition to anxiety, when anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely laid-back and stress-free), then you should definitely try Align.

I purchase this product for my 86 year old Mother who was hospitalized with chronic diarrhea and this product has certainly helped her. I recommend it highly. I would like to see the price drop some but it is an excellent product for anyone with digestive/bowel problems.

i have been using this product for one month now and could not be happier with the results. for years, i have experienced daily anxiety when i would go out shopping or out to eat with friends because my stomach was unpredictable. now i go out and i don't even think about it. what a blessing! if you are reading this because you have stomach issues, give it a try and i truly hope you have the same results.

I have been taking this product for two months on the recommendation of my doctor. I have been having major gastrointestinal problems over the past year and a half and I have tried every diet, medication and procedure you can think of to try and diagnose and eliminate the problem. Align is sort of a last ditch effort. Oddly enough, I feel better overall (more energy, less anxiety over my symptoms, etc.) but the actual gastrointestinal upsets haven't gone away, although they may have lessened in severity. I'm going to give Align one more month and then go off it to see if my improvements are due to the probiotics or something else.

For anyone who's either taking Align or considering it, you may want to check out Dr. Eamonn Quigley's new booklet, Probiotics and Digestive Health. There's entire Chapter( Chapter 5) which discusses Bifantis in detail and also provides excellent studies and research on it.

In addition, there's a complete Q&A section in the back of the book on Bifantis.

After trying many Probiotics, Align has helped my IBS symptoms considerable. I would highly recommend taking it.

This was recommended to me by my GI since I can no longer (obviously) take Zelnorm which worked wonders for me and Amitiza made me miserable enough to stop taking it and just try to deal with my symptoms. This OTC really works. I have IBS-C, not sure how it would work if anyone out there has IBS-D but it worked for me.

I started taking align from the suggestion of a friend who suffered from similar IBS. She had great success with the product. I did not. Align just brought me from one extreme to another. I dealt with the bloating and constipation the 1st week because you're warned this side effect is a possibility in the beginning. But the second week was worse, the 3rd week worse than that and after a month I would have given anything to suffer from IBS again. I looked six months pregnant from the bloat. I've stopped taking it and am anxiously awaiting the cessation of these terribly uncomfortable side effects.

I was very surprised that Amazon had this. I would not have thought I could find it here but Align's web site listed all the people who had it, so I compared prices. Amazon was the cheapest then, I don't know if they will continue. I could have had free shipping too but I didn't order soon enough and needed to continue taking it without a gap. This product has been extremely helpful to me. I have had IBS symptoms for quite some time in my life. And recently I had some major medical problems with my stomach. 11,000 $ plus of fancy testing and we are all left scratching our heads. I was given several align trial packs by a doctor to see if it would make a difference. I started them over spring break so that any side effects (the gas you read about) would not make me miss classes. I'm glad I did because I was so tired that first week. I had a lot of gas and because my body was so weak anyways, I just slept a lot. But I noticed the gas was different!! There were lots of little bubbles as opposed to large pressures building with sudden release. I have now been taking align for several months and have continued to see consistent improvement. There were a couple instantaneous changes like the gas, but you really have to stick with this product. I have more energy now as well. +++ I have only had one time of IBS like symptoms in the last couple months!! My patience paid off. For the price, this is soooo worth it. To be complete, I should say that I also started working out on average 4.5 days a week (when I started I could only do about 6 min on an elliptical), and I take pepcid. I have a lot of nasal allergies and the pepcid I think helps my gut not react... besides being an anti-acid it is an antihistamine. I also take vit D. So, that is my complete set up. I was doing everything except the Align, for a month before starting it with a little improvement. I feel like my improvement approximately tripled when I started taking align. I will not cease taking it unless there is a crazy good reason.

I have been using this product for the last year. I noticed an amazing difference after the first two weeks of use.
Every afternoon, whether I had eaten lunch or not, my stomach would be bloated and painful. I could barely function. It was awful. But once I found Align - my whole quality of life changed for the better. I no longer have any afternoon symptoms. I am completely committed to re-ordering every month.
Another additional plus is my body now handles international travel transitions much easier.
This is a terrific product!

I have very bad IBS and gas problem and they have been bothering me half year. I read the review of this product and decided to give a try. I am very pleased with my first 30 day result. My stomache won't make any sounds anymore, and my gas problem has been significantly decreasing. I am going to get more bottles. If you are runing out and can't get a hand on the product immediately, in the mean time, you can try to eat probiotic yogurt after evey meal. It helps just like the pill but with limit strenth.

I was having problems with my stomach and the doctor told me to try taking this for awhile to see if it cleared up my symptoms. It has worked great. I usually couldnt eat ice cream but after taking this for a few weeks I gave it a try and had no problems. I will definitely continue to make this a part of my daily routine.

I bought Align with the blessing of a pharmacist and a $5 coupon. "This will be the answer to my digestive prayers!" I thought, eagerly reading the instructions. A little extra gas and bloating in the first few days? No problem -- I don't remember a time when I didn't have gas and bloating, I can handle it! So I forgave the first weeks' worth of added discomfort. The second week was much the same. Surely the third week would open the floodgates of relief I've been waiting for! Nuh-uh. By the fourth week, this sometimes bloated, gassy, constipated and crabby person became a full-time bloated, gassy, constipated and crabby person. Now I wasn't the only one suffering, so was my poor husband rubbing my swollen belly. The day after I stopped taking Align my bowels came back to life. Ironic isn't it? It sounds like Align has done wonders for a lot of people. I just wish I was one of them.

I never expected I would be writing a review for a product like this, especially one that's so personal. But I feel like I need to share my story in hopes that it will help someone else.

Over the last year, I have been trying to lose weight (halfway to my goal!). As some weight losers know, there sometimes comes a point during dieting where you can become constipated. About four months ago, I hit that point, which can be very disconcerting for anyone, let alone people trying to lose weight. I also suffer from occasional upsets(stomach pain from gas, potentially IBS, diarrhea, etc.). At my wits end, I decided on a lark to try Align based on the commercials, web searches and reviews here at Amazon.

When you first start taking Align, it's recommended that you start tracking how you feel, stomach-wise. It comes with a four week chart, with helpful hints as to what you should expect, especially as you first start trying it. I was a bit concerned that the first week mentions constipation (when you're already suffering from it, the last thing you want to do is make it worse...), but I decided to just give it a try. The first few days, I didn't really notice much of a change. I still had occasional gas pain and the constipation. But as the week went along, I noticed some changes.

I stopped following the chart because I'm forgetful and didn't really think about it until I started running out of pills. At that moment, I realized...hey, it'd been a few weeks since I was constipated, my stomach didn't feel upset with me and things were running as they should. But still, I was skeptical and I stopped taking the pills when my four week supply ran out. Within a couple weeks, I started noticing problems starting up again. A week and a half ago or so, I ordered a subscription to Align from Amazon (to get the discount) and within a week, I'm feeling a million times better. I'm more regular than I have been in quite some time, I have absolutely no pain and I'm losing weight again.

I went into Align, thinking it was a load of you know what. I figured that I'd give it a chance but I was honestly expecting nothing out of it, except being $25 poorer. Two and a half months later and I'm pretty much a believer. I don't think Align will help everyone; it's obvious here on Amazon that you have a load of people who it's worked for and some it doesn't. But I would recommend that, if you're on the fence like I was, you order a box and give it a try. You've really got nothing to lose and it might just work for you like it has worked for me. It's expensive, but, hey, if it helps me with my weight loss goals and making me feel as great as I do right now, it's worth it.

I used this for 3 months before realizing Align was the culprit that made me more constipated than I've ever been in my entire life!! I'm a very active, clean eating, health conscious 37 yr old female and I am a huge advocate of probiotics as they've not only helped some of the symptoms of IBS (e.g. bloating, occasional constipation, gas, diarrhea, etc.) that I've had for about 15 yrs but I've noticed a HUGE improvement in my immune system. Since Align has coupons, commercials, great reviews & is even available at Costco I figured why not switch from my Swanson brand products that I order via the internet (one month supply is about $14 & they've worked for me for about the last year) to something I can get at almost any store if I run out? Here's a big moral to the story is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing >>> Well I was so miserable I had to resort to taking Miralax & STILL wasn't feeling like I was emptying out completely (sorry to be so blunt but you since you're reading reviews for this product I figure you can handle it LOL). I finally realized that the only thing I'd really changed in my diet recently was that I ADDED ALIGN. I stopped taking Align & within a few days I'm almost back to normal. Good Lord it was getting so bad I was about to buy an enema-yuck! Align may work for many people & that's great but pay close attention to how it effects you so you don't go through the misery I did. Good luck!

THe produce claims to begin to work within a couple of weeks, but I found that there is improvement almost instantly. I will keep using it.

I was given a sample of this product by my gastro in response to an over two month ordeal with what was tagged as a "post-infectious IBS".
I tried it with a lot of skepticism as prior to receiving the sample I tried a number of probiotic products - pills, fortified yoghurt etc. and none seem to have been making noticeable difference.
Align started working almost immediately - on day two and three the most bothersome symptoms - pain, urgency, bloating were significantly diminished, the intestinal noises subsided. I'm now into the third week of using it and I'm feeling almost back to normal - the improvement is noticeable and consistent. I just ordered a full bottle to continue the treatment.
One downside is that it seems to be creating some bloating but I found a way around it and take it at night.
I can now eat normal foods after being on a yoghurt and banana diet for weeks and I feel like I got my life back.
Love it and recommend it to anyone with digestive problems.

Recently, a representative of Procter & Gamble (PG) offered to me FREE samples (plus a purchase discount) of Align probiotic for my patients and blog readers.
Here is the quote from the e-mail I received:
"...Procter & Gamble is offering a deal where you can get $10 dollars back when you buy
$30 worth of any two or more of our GI (Gastrointestinal) brands...", and later "...include in your post/review that Procter & Gamble is providing you with free samples of Align".

Well, so far so good, right? I respect Procter & Gamble, a huge 170-years old company with tremendous resources. Plus, so heavily advertized Align probiotic has already caught my attention earlier.
Probitiotics are live, naturally-occurring microorganisms that promote healthy digestion, boost the immune system & contribute to general health & well-being. However, for people with impaired digestion choosing a right probiotic can be a confusing, choosing a wrong one can be dangerous.
Therefore, before jumping with both feet on such lucrative proposition, my professional reflex of clinically trained Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist has taken control. And, as I've been doing for the last 25 years with ALL the products I recommend to my patients and use myself, I've decided to go through a routine "nutritional ingredient analysis" of the product.

I have been somewhat surprised with the results of the analysis. Read for yourself.
Align Ingredients: Probiotic strain: Bifantis (Bifidobacterium infantis 35624), 1 x 109 colony-forming units (1 billion) (4 mg), microcrystalline cellulose (for even dispersal of cultures), hypromellose (vegetarian capsule shell),sugar, magnesium stearate (for even dispersal of cultures), milk protein, titanium dioxide, sodium citrate dihydrate, propyl gallate (antioxidant stabilizer), FD&C blue #1, riboflavin (colorant)

The Good News: Bifidobacterium infantis 35624
Align probiotic was developed by Procter & Gamble, a huge company with tremendous resources. They have been around for over 170 years.
Align was formulated with the Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 bacteria strain. In a 2009 review of scientific studies on IBS probiotic treatment, Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 showed significant improvement in the composite score for abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating/distention, and/or bowel movement difficulty. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has been shown to prevent invasion of the gut lining by one of the bacteria thought to be responsible for inflammatory bowel conditions such as IBS and reduced inflammation in the gut.

The Bad News:
A properly designed probiotic is supposed to work with your body, not against it. For people with impaired digestion and sensitive gut even small doses of potentially dangerous additives and fillers can diminish positive effect of a good bacteria in any probiotic. Here is what have been added to the good bacteria in Align:
1) Sugar
This is public enemy #1. Sugar suppresses the immune system and can cause gas and bloating in people with chronic yeast infections, IBS/IBD and Celiac disease. Marketing a `breakthrough' probiotic containing sugar is backwards logic!
2) Magnesium Stearate
I learned during my visits to few supplement manufacturing facilities that magnesium stearate is used as a lubricating agent for equipment used in manufacturing capsules and other dietary supplements. Magnesium stearate ensures supplement production at a faster rate, and prevents the ingredients in capsules sticking to various parts of the machines used in manufacturing. Can supplement be manufactured without magnesium stearate? The answer is YES. But it will take longer time to manufacture the same product thereby making it more expensive. In addition, individuals with sensitive digestive system might have a problem with absorption of supplements containing magnesium stearate.
Czap, AL. Townsend Letter For Doctors and Patients, July 1999, Vol.192;Pg. 117-119.
3) Titanium Dioxide
Over the years I have consumed a lot of nutritional supplements; therefore, after reading numerous nutritional labels I have realized that titanium dioxide powder is a popular ingredient used in supplement manufacturing. So, I wondered: " What is Titanium Dioxide? Am I eating a metal"? According to European Commission Environment "titanium dioxide pigment is a white powder with high opacity and brilliant whiteness. These properties have made it a valuable pigment for a broad range of applications in paints, plastic good, inks and paper. Titanium dioxide is also used in many white products including food, cosmetics, UV skin protection". So, vitamin manufacturing companies use this titanium dioxide powder to make our supplements to look white and pretty. There is no added health benefit for ingesting titanium dioxide except if you want to admire your supplement pill on your dinner plate. Furthermore, titanium dioxide has recently been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen "possibly carcinogen to humans'' when inhaled. I think, we can do just fine without eating titanium dioxide.
4) Propyl Gallate
This is a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling. It has been classified as a "xenoestrogen" -- a substance with estrogen-like effects that is stirring international health concerns. "Xenoestrogens have been linked to a range of human health effects, including reduced sperm counts in men and increased risk of breast cancer in women".
5) Artificial Color FD&C Blue #1
FD &C Blue #1 is so toxic that FDA (Food and Drug Administration) have issued a warning to healthcare professionals about its toxicity including death in patients receiving enteral feeding (introduction of liquid food through a tube inserted into intestine.
Why would P&G add such a toxic coloring to its probiotic remains a mystery to me.

Conclusion
In my opinion, Align is somewhat missing the mark, and especially so for people with impaired digestion and GI problems. The potentially harmful additives and fillers included in the product could produce negative effect. That is probably why there are over twenty comments/posts on the Amazon site talk about negative effects of Align for some people.
On a positive note, the good bacteria of Align does work in your gut, provided you are not sensitive to the coloring and the fillers. Also, P&G have done a really good job in manufacturing their products from 100% recyclable materials.

As always, I am just delivering the message. To take or not to take Align is ultimately YOUR choice.

I suffer from a disorder called gastroparesis, so my stomach does not empty food for a really long time. My GI doctor recommended that I take Align to help reduce the bloating and gas associated with my delayed digestion. This product does everything it claims to do. I take it every single day and I find that bloating is basically gone and my stomach feels a lot better. I do not experience any negative side effects from Align whatsoever, and I would recommend it to anyone.

I use Align which was recommended to me by my doctor. I searched the for the product in every drugstore known and could not find it. I was surprised when I learned Amazon had it. I ordered Align and it was at my front door step within a matter of days. The product does wonders for me.

I have IBS since 1992, usually triggered when drinking milk, wheat, yeast, lack of exercise, or work stress. Stomach always bloating when IBS strikes.

I learned 'Align' and the Bifido Infantis 35624 strain probiotic at a public seminar in 2007. I was questioning the speaker pannel doctor (a specialist) about a certain 'miracle' (I thought) after a 10-day 2006 winter trip from Paris where I ate 1-2 cups of Yogurt freshly delivered to hotel at 5 am daily. On the way back home in the SQ flight, my IBS usual bloatedness suddenly disappeared and I was free of IBS for the next few months. The pannel doctor caught up with me after the seminar at the hallway, told me it was due to the French yogurt might be using a different good probiotic and they were freshly alive because of cold winter. Whereas back in tropical Singapore, most Yogurt sold on the supermarkets could have been half-dead (the ideal temp is around 4 degree C) during transportation.
I was introduced by him to Align but couldn't find it in Singapore, nor in most cities in Europe or USA. Strange! Thanks to Amazon.com, I finally shipped them to Singapore via Singapore Post's USA address (VPOSTUSA: https://www.vpost.com.sg/) - again, the Aligh distributor doesn't ship outside of USA.
The first week Align slightly improved my IBS. It did have some initial side effect when the bloatedness worsen after a diarrhoea (due to an unrelated sea-food food poisoning virus GE). I was told that was normal when the good probiotic works. My GP encouraged me to continue and the 2nd week onwards my life has been 90% free from IBS (meaning you are not aware of IBS). I will continue for another 6 months with Align.

Can somebody explain why P&G is not promoting 'Align' aggressively and globally? any USA FDA or local health authority's ruling that forbid selling Align in other countries ?

First off, I had my gall bladder out in Aug '04 and since then my digestive track just kept going downhill. By the following January I was impacted drastically and could no longer function normally. I found myself running to the bathroom whenever I was nervous or often when I was eating. It didn't have to wait until after I was done, sometimes the urgency hit after a few bites. Knowing there was not a bathroom often made it worse.

I had horrible urgency that would send my body into chills or hot spells. I would get dizzy with the need to go to the bathroom. I was going up to 15 times a day. I had to stop eating during the day. I could not eat until after my son got home or I would find myself barely able to hold it until he got off the bus.

I had a colonoscopy and was put on Prevalite to "soak up the bile from the lack of gall bladder" and it only made me sick. It worked for a week then no longer had any effect.

It was not until week two that I noticed real notable changes. Week three and four were very gassy but I will take that over having to run to the bathroom every hour. Now I go once sometimes twice a day. I feel normal for the first time ever. I still have to go with a bit of urgency but no where near the having to RUN to the bathroom. And it decreases a little each day and I am able to hold it if needed.

My gastro has been trying to get me to take it for my IBS. I started 2 days ago and have been quite miserable since. I have a terrible taste in my mouth similar to when I'm taking antibiotics. My stomach is bloated big time and is hard as a rock, its very hard for me to pass gas and it really hurts. My IBS alternates my biggest symptom is pain and its just making it worse. I know it takes 30 days to really accurately evaluate it BUT I dont see putting my body through this misery in the hope that it will be helpful. From what I've read on my ibs online support group, it works if you are diarrhea predominant for some, but others say their constpation is worse.

I wouldnt tell someone NOT to take it but I wouldnt expect miracles from it either. Unfortunately IBS is a very individualized disorder, so are its treatments, so for some it may be worth trying.

I have never written a review on Amazon but I feel I have to for this product. For the past several years I have suffered from terrible gas on a regular basis. And I mean deathly stinky and painful! I tried food elimination to no avail and the probiotic yoghurt. Then I tried this product. I'm a big sceptic about these kinds of things and didn't expect much. They are right about the adjustment period. The gas got worse for a the first couple of weeks. But I stuck with it. I couldn't believe the miracle. Once over the adjustment period I haven't had gas like that since. I still have occasional gas like anybody else - but it doesn't smell or hurt. I am just amazed by this product. It really has changed my life. I'm sure everybody's bowels are different but it worked for me. Its worth every penny each month.

This product was recommended by my doctor. I was not sure that it would work for me, I have tried cheap versions of this type of product without sucess. I have suffered with IBS nearly all of my life and in the past few years I have become lactose intolerant and the IBS has caused me to fear travel and many foods.

Align started working immediately. I will never be without it again. I can eat anything that I want without problems. Best of all, I no longer have the urgency that plagued be before.

Since having a baby in March 09, my wife has been troubled by frequent nausea and diarrhea with abdominal pain. Sometimes it would get so bad she would just curl up in a ball on the living room floor and not want to talk or anything. We went to the doctor who ran all sorts of blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound which showed nothing. We were very much despairing as it was becoming debilitating for my wife.
Enter Align... within days she was better. Her bowel movements improved, her nausea went away, her energy level increased, her appetite increased, and most importantly, she feels like she can live her life again.
My only explanation of what might have happened to my wife is this... during labor she was given an antibiotic via IV for strep. I believe it also killed off the beneficial gut bacteria as well, resulting in intestinal imbalance. Align appears to have restored the balance for her. I am without explanation as to why the medical community does not have a protocol for administering a course of probiotics after strong antibiotic treatments as the need is obvious.

Unlike many of the other reviews I read here, I really didn't suffer from serious digestive problems. However, occasional bloating and/or constipation annoyed me and I just wanted to not have to ever be uncomfortable or look for alternative clothing choice when I "felt fat." Well, align didn't turn me into a fashion model, but I no longer even think about digestive problems or bloating. I've been taking align for about 6 months and I never deal with digestive disturbances any more, so I would say even if you don't have serious problems, this is a great way to just always stay on a steady track without any problems. I do feel overall better since I began taking this

I was having serious colon problems for 2 weeks that lead me to 2 doctor visits, the 2nd with a colorectal surgeon. Without a diagnosis, he scheduled me for a colonoscopy after eliciting a positive blood stool test. He asked me to start a probiotic in the mean time, and I started Align that night. Literally, 2 days later I had near-complete reversal of my symptoms, and I've had none or minimal adverse effects. As a medical professional, however, I suggest everyone who takes this with potentially serious diagnoses to remain in contact with their physician even if Align resolves your symptoms. You (and myself included) may still have a serious health problem that really requires professional monitoring. I could still have anything, including Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, polyps, diverticulitis, a parasite, or even cancer. I will consult with my physician as my procedure date approaches to see if he still wants to proceed. I imagine that he will at least want to examine me again and perhaps recheck for occult blood. However, I must say that I am very, very impressed with the effects this has had on me. I can focus on my life again, rather than this illness, and I feel back to myself again.

Align is a great product! It started eliminating my digestive problems a few days after I started taking it. I took it for a month, then switched to a generic probiotic. Big mistake! I bought some more Align and have been fine since then.

Recommended by my GI specialist among the glut of probiotic supplements on the market. Made by reputable company (P&G). Seems to help reduce my gastrointestinal symptoms. Have been taking it for over a year.

My wife has problems with IBS and saw a recommendation of this product. She has just begun to take her second 30-day box of this product, and she believes that it is finally beginning to take effect. The product information had said that in some cases it may take up to 30-days to have effect. She recommends it to any others who may be suffering from IBS.

I found out about this in my Fibro newsletter, that it works for IBS with Fibromyalgia....I felt that a whole capsule was too much for me, gave me cramps and the runs, but I now open the capsule and take 1/3 the powder out, and it works great! No more constipation, cramps OR the runs, for the most part. Sometimes I skip a day, if I don't need it, and all in all a great product for Fibromyalgia sufferers who also have IBS.

I've had IBS-A for years, but it developed gradually so I didn't take it seriously until it severely impacted my life. Fear of colonoscopy kept me from seeing a doctor and therefore suffering longer than necessary which was silly, because when I finally saw a doctor he immediately diagnosed IBS - no colonoscopy required.

My doctor suggested a gradual approach & recommended I start with fiber supplements (Citrucel to be exact) and a medication to help with sudden flare-ups. When that didn't provide nearly as much relief as I had hoped for he said it might be as good as it gets, so I asked about other possible treatments he had mentioned during my initial consultation and only then did he recommend Align, siting it over other brands because of its ingredients.

Taking Align sporadically doesn't work. I know, because it took me three weeks to get through a week's worth of capsules. However, after taking it faithfully for two weeks as prescribed it is working wonders! I feel 97% like a normal person and I hope symptoms continue to improve with continued use.

BTW, yogurt didn't work for me. Per my doctor, yogurt doesn't contain the same beneficial bacteria as Align.

I purchased Align specifically for my mother after she became terribly sick with C.diff. Someone I knew was taking it after having C.diff. After my mother had gotten C.diff as well, I bought a box of Align for her. Well, within days she was feeling so much better. Within a week she was feeling wonderful, singing Align's praises, and thanking me and my friend for saving her life because she felt certain the C.diff would have killed her at her age. A doctor advised another friend to take it along with the antibiotics she was taking for this gastointestinal bacteria. None have gotten a reoccurrence of C.diff while on this probiotic.

I have dealt with IBS for over five years. I was introduced to Align by my gastroentrologist. I took it for several months with good results and then I started having occular migraines. I stopped the Align for several days, the occular migraines stopped. Then took one again - another occular migraine. In spite of the relief of some of my IBS symptoms that I gained from Align, I had to stop again. Then I read in the reviews about the chemicals in the casing. Evidently the chemicals had built up in my system and reached an overload. It took me several weeks to realize that I could open the capsule empty the ingredients in food and throw away the casing and chemicals. I have done that for about a week now, with no occular migraine. So, I have ordered more Align from Amazon and hopefully, I will be taking it into the future.

I've been taking Align for 9 months now and it's been fabulous. The first two weeks were very hard while my body adjusted to the good bacteria. After that, there was a noticiable difference in the amount of gas and bloating I had. It's not a cure-all. I still have to watch my diet and stay away from certain foods, but overall, it's improved my quality of life pretty dramatically.

I have tried a number of Probiotics over the years with no luck. My GI doc told me about Align a few months ago. I started it immediately, and what a difference! There were times when my belly would look like i was going to give birth within a week. Bloating, pain and chronic constipation was the norm for me...until Align. If you suffer any of the problems mentioned, try it today. You'll be amazed. I was.

I've tried half a dozen probiotics before finally giving in and trying Align. I avoided it because it's so damn expensive and I thought it was just a big corporation jumping on the probiotic bandwagon. It's also just one strain so I figured some of the multi strain ones would be better. Turns out this is the best one I've tried. The only other one that had such an immediate and obvious effect is the Digestive Advantage brand. But ultimately DA made me a little constipated and just didn't feel quite right. By all means give it a try if money is an issue since it's much cheaper than Align. I also tried Culturelle which is ok but not nearly as spectacular as Align. Align not only reduces gas but makes it less malodorous. I noticed it working within 24 hours. I can't believe such a tiny pill can make a difference. I've been on it about a month. Last week I started drinking Goodbelly probiotics too. They sell it in the yogurt section and this stuff kicks ass too. With Align and Goodbelly combinded, I'm having WAY less gas. This is awesome.

My other favorite supplement is Carlson's Magnesium Glycinate. Great for moods, energy, abnormal heart beats, and it also gives you awesome vivid dreams. (B6 gives awesome dreams too.)

I have suffered with IBS fo over 15 years. Imodium would help . The "attacks"
of diarrhea were spontaneous, sometimes after a milk product but not always.
I started taking Align, just added to my pills never thought much about it.
I noticed a little gas, a litttle noise, nothing alarming. Time past I needed antibiotics for a urine infection after that the diarrhea was worse. The Holidays came, busy with family, diarrhea became more frequent. I was in depends every night and if I had to go out also wore depends. I lost 10 lbs. over the Holidays.Good but not the way I wish to lose weight. I have to wait over a month to see the G.I. doctor so I went to my Internist. He ordered stool specimens (no results yet). I finally remembered the daily Align but it is suppose to help!!! I called the G.I. doctor's office he said "stop the Align". Two days later I have only had diarrhea once. I believe the Align was the cause of all this misery. I'd like to know why. I took Align for about 6 weeks. D. Lonergan

I was "diagnosed" with IBS years ago and Zelnorm was the miracle drug for me but after awhile, I went off of it and never had an episode of IBS until recently, which was just mild. Heard of Align and had a $5 off coupon so thought I'd try it. Biggest mistake EVER! I only took this product for five days and the fifth day I took it was the WORST ever! The second day I was on it, I started to have a the feeling that I was trying to digest a million pieces of broken glass. I had the worst cramping and the bloating was almost unbearable. The last day I was on it, I was up all night with the worst painful cramps ever. I also did vomit. Never experienced anything like this ever. I wish this product worked for me as it has for others, but this product made my symptoms 1000% worse. The day after I stopped taking it, the painful cramping and bloating stopped.

If you look at the review number on this product- a lot of people seemed pleased with the results ALIGN offers them. But then, you also have those who were unhappy with ALIGN.

I can't say the product is actually a bad one. It just did nothing for me.

I mean nothing- zero- nada. I might as well have been taking a placebo.

With the fact that this is one Probiotic that is given a lot of advertisement and physician backing, I feel other quality Probiotics are being overlooked.

I definitely believe in the benefits of taking Probiotics.

There is no doubt that it can help people with a vast majority of gastrointestinal symptoms and in general, taking a Probiotic is good for one's health overall.

(I even give my dogs probiotics. First thing I noticed? Their coats became softer within a few days.)

I am still seeking the ideal Probiotic for myself. ALIGN was not it.

It apparently does work for some people, as you can see from the favorable Amazon member testimony.

However, when you read the testimonies,take the time to note AMAZON'S rating indicator, because there are some negative reviews,too.

I felt the need to contribute my input on this product so that those who also did not get the expected results on such a greatly touted product, did not feel alone in their disappointment.

Amazon is offering a decent price on ALIGN; but when I purchased ALIGN it basically came down to A DOLLAR A PILL- and I bought the smaller unit.

When I find a Probiotic I can brag about, I certainly will be back with a review.

Right now, ALIGN is popular, but that doesn't mean it is the best Probiotic out there.

My doctor suggested that I try Align for the stomach discomfort I was having. I was constantly feeling bloated, having a lot of gas, and other discomforts that go along with the digestive system not working properly. I have been taking Align for about 5 or 6 months, and it has really helped. I don't have the bloated feeling or the gas since I found this great product. Being regular has also improved. I was glad to find it at Amazon. I checked it thoroughly at Amazon until I found the best price. I order it (28-count box) through the subscribe and save every month and I don't think you'll find it cheaper anywhere else. I searched everywhere before getting it through Amazon. Didn't mean to write a book, but I love it and it works for me!

After about a month of taking Align, there was a drastic change in the behavior of my stomach and bowels. If I ate responsibly for IBS and took Align every day, I had very few episodes of stomach cramps and diarrhea, and the constipation and pain occurs a lot less frequently as well. i highly recommend anyone with IBS or even with a little stomach upset to give Align a chance. But make sure to give it a month to see any results. I promise it's worth it!

My doctor recommended this product, and after almost three weeks, I have to say that I do feel better. I am more comfortable and going more normally. With IBS, this is not often the case. I would recommended this product to anyone with IBS.

I wanted to give it a fair chance, so I took it for 3 months. By the middle of the 3rd month I had developed such bad GERD that my eyes and sinuses were burning. I stopped it this week and moved to Digestive Advantage to see how well that does. The GERD started subsiding the first day after the change, but it's not gone yet. All that and my constipation is still the same. I'm glad it worked for so many. Wish I was one of them...

Ok, so here's a real review. Not a review that was written a couple days after the trying this product either. I waited 2 whole months to write this review because I know how important these reviews can be for a person (like myself) struggling with intestinal problems. Sometimes you try everything and start to give up and totally abandon any idea of relief.

So, does it work? Yes. It started working for me almost instantly. By the next day I was going regularly. I have struggled tremendously for years with abdominal pain, cramping and bathroom irregularities. I saw every doctor in the world and was prescribed all types of pills. Then one day I just so happen to see the commercial for Align and decided to give it a shot. I was thrilled to see that it had worked. This is perfect for anyone who suffers from intestinal problems such as IBS.

I would never recommend any product that didn't work to any one who suffered as much as I did with these problems. Try it, trust me, it works.

****UPDATE****WARNING!!!!
Though in the earlier review I wrote is completely true, there seems to to be a stipulation. When I wrote this review I had initially done so after trying it for a couple months. I bought this order from my local drug store. Soon after writing this review I ordered Align on Amazon. After trying it for a few days I noticed that I was not getting the same results.....at all. It had suddenly stopped working all together. WELL, turns out there was a good explanation. I called my local drug store and told them I had ordered these pills online. I was informed that since I lived in Texas ordering pills through the mail was a very bad idea, and the post office agreed. Turns out the these pills along with other capsule pills are quickly deactivated by a hot mail box. So the pills I ordered were completely useless with in one hour. If you can, do not order these during the summer months, especially if you live in a hot state. I learned the hard way. But this in no way effects my initial review of Align. Align is an excellent product. I've just learned to spare the few dollars and get it at the drugstore. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering if the heat effects shipments to drugstores, it doesn't....usually. There is a big difference between these being transported in hot conditions such as truck trailers and cargo and sitting in a 160 degree mailbox. Even trailers won't soar to those temperatures. Just a friendly heads up.