Happy Birthday to me - Activia and a Colostomy
I am a disabled arthritic with reactive arthritis. I have been on prednisone (20mg a day) for about 5 years now. I have a repressed immune system from the prednisone which I must take because my arthritis attacked me everywhere, not just in my joints. I have lost 60% of the macula in my right eye.
As little as reducing my prednisone dosage to 15 mg a day results in the macula in both eyes flaring up with edemas. I've been told that I have a "soft tissue" arthritis. I am also HLB-B27 positive. That is a gene that indicates my skin type.
For pain, I‘ve been put on opiates because my kidneys and liver have sustained too much damage from NSAIDS.
A big side effect of opiates is constipation…SO - to get away from Metamucil everyday...
I studied the package carefully; there is no warning on the package for persons with impaired immunity. I started Activia on Feb 4th and consumed one serving a day, as directed, until Feb 9th 2006. That evening I had a case of diarrhea that smelled worse than anything I ever smelled before. I couldn't wait to get out of the bathroom! (Since then, I have learned that this smell is a known side effect.)
The next morning, Feb 10th,, 5:30 AM, I had severe pain across the bottom of my abdomen. I was convinced I had a bladder infection.
I called my primary physician, talked to his nurse who refused to give me antibiotics. Her words; “You need to go to the emergency room, you could have appendicitis.”
Up to that point (about 9:00 AM) I had NO INTENTION to go to a doctor, let alone a hospital! But the pain kept increasing.
So I called my wife (11 AM) to come home and drive me. I knew I couldn’t drive myself; I was too nauseated and dizzy. She got home from work about 12:30. We made up our collective mind that we’d put up with the wait in the emergency room instead of the walk in clinic and we drove to St Vincent’s in Bridgeport.
We didn’t leave right away; I’m still convinced it is a bladder infection. We left at about 1:30 pm.
Because we drove, not taking an ambulance, we got placed in the waiting room instead of going straight into the Emergency Room. After about 20 minutes I told my wife to tell the reception desk that if I didn’t get a place to lie down in the next 5 minutes, I would have to lie down on the floor, and I meant it.
SO… Five minutes later (about 2:30pm) the intern is checking me over and they were taking my vitals. My temperature was 100, blood pressure 100/60. Pushing and poking, looking in every nook and cranny, the intern says “Mr. P, we really can’t see anything wrong with you.”
…….The nurse takes my blood pressure one more time: 60/30! Bingo
My little room was invaded by 10 people. They started an IV. I am about passed out from the pain even though I am on an opiate patch for my arthritis. My temp went to 102 to 97 to 101 to 99. Blood pressure was as low as 50 / 20.
They RAN me down to a CAT scan, called the Chief Surgeon, pumped me up with antibiotics and something to increase my blood pressure, inserted a catheter. As soon as the got my BP over 100, they RAN me to the operating room.
I woke up at 1 AM with the last 8 inches of colon removed. The official diagnosis was diverticulitis. The doctors don’t believe that the yogurt did it. If you read the Activia web sites downloadable document for medical professional, it tells you that the lactic acid level increase by 29% and fecal matter flow increases by 100%.
They were very clear to me that if my wife got me there 20 minutes later I would probably have been dead from the bacteremia. The stool had also leaked into my pericardium. One of the interns said to me that a large percentage of people they see with my condition arrive to the emergency room already dead.
The Chief Surgeon tells my wife and daughter I'm in really bad shape and he can't promise anything. They had to wait 5 hour of surgery to find out I was going to be ok. They had a big section of my intestines pulled out of me so that they could get to the bottom section.
I wear a colostomy bag and will require 2 surgeries to be put back together again.
I believe that this is happening to other people who have impaired immune systems and try Activia. I keep reading about people that have tried Activia having extreme nausea and dizziness.
It makes me shake in memory of that day!
(I woke up in the ICU at 1:00 am of Feb 11th to a nurse saying “Happy Birthday, we gave you a nice bag to wear!”)
Dannon has created a product that may be fine for the vast majority of people. I would NOT have tried it if there was a warning about problems in people who have impaired immune systems.
Well, either I’m right and there will be a class action suit against Dannon, or I’m wrong and it was a coincidence. I really believe that my colon has a hole in it because I ate Activia yogurt. I really hate the fact that if I’m right I have to wait until other people lose their lives to be proved right. This is a case where I would get a hefty chunk of money if I’m right but very much hope I’m wrong because of the suffering being right would cause.
If anyone else has gone through an "Adverse Event",of any type, please post a comment or start a new blog.
This blog site should become a repository of information regarding any problems people have with Activia. I will try to post as much information as I can.
Make sure, if you have surgery like I did that they preserve the pieces taken out. My colon was about to be disposed of when I called and asked them to preserve it.
Check back soon!
Tom
ps: I sent that nurse flowers AND candy.
As little as reducing my prednisone dosage to 15 mg a day results in the macula in both eyes flaring up with edemas. I've been told that I have a "soft tissue" arthritis. I am also HLB-B27 positive. That is a gene that indicates my skin type.
For pain, I‘ve been put on opiates because my kidneys and liver have sustained too much damage from NSAIDS.
A big side effect of opiates is constipation…SO - to get away from Metamucil everyday...
I studied the package carefully; there is no warning on the package for persons with impaired immunity. I started Activia on Feb 4th and consumed one serving a day, as directed, until Feb 9th 2006. That evening I had a case of diarrhea that smelled worse than anything I ever smelled before. I couldn't wait to get out of the bathroom! (Since then, I have learned that this smell is a known side effect.)
The next morning, Feb 10th,, 5:30 AM, I had severe pain across the bottom of my abdomen. I was convinced I had a bladder infection.
I called my primary physician, talked to his nurse who refused to give me antibiotics. Her words; “You need to go to the emergency room, you could have appendicitis.”
Up to that point (about 9:00 AM) I had NO INTENTION to go to a doctor, let alone a hospital! But the pain kept increasing.
So I called my wife (11 AM) to come home and drive me. I knew I couldn’t drive myself; I was too nauseated and dizzy. She got home from work about 12:30. We made up our collective mind that we’d put up with the wait in the emergency room instead of the walk in clinic and we drove to St Vincent’s in Bridgeport.
We didn’t leave right away; I’m still convinced it is a bladder infection. We left at about 1:30 pm.
Because we drove, not taking an ambulance, we got placed in the waiting room instead of going straight into the Emergency Room. After about 20 minutes I told my wife to tell the reception desk that if I didn’t get a place to lie down in the next 5 minutes, I would have to lie down on the floor, and I meant it.
SO… Five minutes later (about 2:30pm) the intern is checking me over and they were taking my vitals. My temperature was 100, blood pressure 100/60. Pushing and poking, looking in every nook and cranny, the intern says “Mr. P, we really can’t see anything wrong with you.”
…….The nurse takes my blood pressure one more time: 60/30! Bingo
My little room was invaded by 10 people. They started an IV. I am about passed out from the pain even though I am on an opiate patch for my arthritis. My temp went to 102 to 97 to 101 to 99. Blood pressure was as low as 50 / 20.
They RAN me down to a CAT scan, called the Chief Surgeon, pumped me up with antibiotics and something to increase my blood pressure, inserted a catheter. As soon as the got my BP over 100, they RAN me to the operating room.
I woke up at 1 AM with the last 8 inches of colon removed. The official diagnosis was diverticulitis. The doctors don’t believe that the yogurt did it. If you read the Activia web sites downloadable document for medical professional, it tells you that the lactic acid level increase by 29% and fecal matter flow increases by 100%.
They were very clear to me that if my wife got me there 20 minutes later I would probably have been dead from the bacteremia. The stool had also leaked into my pericardium. One of the interns said to me that a large percentage of people they see with my condition arrive to the emergency room already dead.
The Chief Surgeon tells my wife and daughter I'm in really bad shape and he can't promise anything. They had to wait 5 hour of surgery to find out I was going to be ok. They had a big section of my intestines pulled out of me so that they could get to the bottom section.
I wear a colostomy bag and will require 2 surgeries to be put back together again.
I believe that this is happening to other people who have impaired immune systems and try Activia. I keep reading about people that have tried Activia having extreme nausea and dizziness.
It makes me shake in memory of that day!
(I woke up in the ICU at 1:00 am of Feb 11th to a nurse saying “Happy Birthday, we gave you a nice bag to wear!”)
Dannon has created a product that may be fine for the vast majority of people. I would NOT have tried it if there was a warning about problems in people who have impaired immune systems.
Well, either I’m right and there will be a class action suit against Dannon, or I’m wrong and it was a coincidence. I really believe that my colon has a hole in it because I ate Activia yogurt. I really hate the fact that if I’m right I have to wait until other people lose their lives to be proved right. This is a case where I would get a hefty chunk of money if I’m right but very much hope I’m wrong because of the suffering being right would cause.
If anyone else has gone through an "Adverse Event",of any type, please post a comment or start a new blog.
This blog site should become a repository of information regarding any problems people have with Activia. I will try to post as much information as I can.
Make sure, if you have surgery like I did that they preserve the pieces taken out. My colon was about to be disposed of when I called and asked them to preserve it.
Check back soon!
Tom
ps: I sent that nurse flowers AND candy.
posted by tompart at 10:20 PM
57 Comments:
Started Activia three days ago and have not noticed any side effects of any kind. My immune system is good for someone nearing fifty years old. I am not on any kind of medication and eat a basically healthy diet of homecooked meals.
If anything starts to happen, I'll post it here. After reading this though, I think I'll cut back to one container a day instead of two until it is gone and not buy it anymore. I don't want this product creating a situation that would not have been created had I not eatened it in the first place.
Danone Activia - I have just worked out by a process of elimination - gives me sweats, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. I have sarcoidosis and have just thrown it all in the bin
I've been eating Activia for 2 weeks now. I don't have diarrhea, but I have stools that burn. I have to apply vagisil to my anal and vaginal area to sooth the discomfort. After reading what happened here I think I will go to the doctor to make sure I am ok.
FIM
(from wikipedia) Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis,
Other causes may include a colonic spasm which increases pressure, which may be due to dehydration or low-fiber diets (merck manual online 2005); although this may also be due to constipation.
Diverticulitis is a chronic problem you had caused by taking the opiates which caused your constipation.
The yogurt may have caused massive amounts of stool through the opening you already had in your colon due to your unknown medical condition.
Its possible that Activa should have warnings for people suffering from constipation and that people should consult the advice of a physician before attempting to use it.
I have been eating Activia for about a month and have never felt better... as a matter of fact, had my baseline colonoscopy a week ago, and my gastroenterologist said I had one of the cleanest, best looking colons he has seen in a long time.
I have Alopecia, and because of it, a compromised immune system, since it is an autoimmune disorder. I am also pre-diabetic, and in the time I have been eating Activia, 2 containers per day, have had absolutely no problems with it... I guess I might be one of the lucky ones who can tolerate it, and I know I am not the only one, since this stuff flies off the shelves at Wal-Mart as quickly as the guy in the grocery store puts it up.
Can you seriously believe this yogurt put a hole in the colon of someone with a history of diverticulitis? From my understanding of the condition, it is an ongoing irritation and erosion of the divertuculum of the colon, so couldn't the problem that caused the coloectomy and resulting colostomy been there before the Activia was consumed?
Just asking...
Yeah, just sue them! That is ALWAYS the answer, huh? I guess you will sue the hospital for providing medical care.. don't forget the surgeon too! One of these days we won't have food to eat and we CERTAINLY WON'T HAVE MEDICAL CARE. I hope you enjoy your "hefty settlement."
I've always had digestion problems. Slow digestion, impacted bowels, etc. My parents thought Activia could help.
WRONG!
I've been eating one serving a day for almost 2 weeks, and have progressively gotten worse. It began with quite a bit of gas, then the diarrhea began. Now I have the gas, diarrhea and the most miserable cramping i've ever experienced. At least once a day, I clutch my guts and double over in pain, and im always bloated and in pain now. This crap is going in the trash!
Anyplace we can report this to?
I ate Activia 5 days in a row (one 4 oz. serving per day for breakfast) last week, and on the 4th day, I noticed major stomach cramps. They would hit me out of nowhere, and I would be rendered useless. It is now day 7 after starting Activia, and I am STILL suffering from cramps, diahrreah and chills. I spoke with another friend who has tried the yogurt, and she said the same thing happened to her after 3 days of eating it.
I am so glad I have been reading about the adverse affects of Activia!!! I started using Activia this past Sat. 8/25. On Monday, Aug. 27, my stomach started feeling fluttery. On Tuesday, I started feeling nauseous and I then started having stomach cramps. I was taking Activia in the morning for breakfast. I am also glad Anonymous commented because I thought I was going crazy with a burning sensation in my private and anal areas, but I have not had diarreah. I also have been having night sweats which I have not had in quite some time. I have had everything you guys had except the diarreah. I will be throwing this stuff in the garb when I get home from work!! And to think, I was gonna buy more!!!!
I bought Activia a week ago when my braces caused an infection in gums. I went on antibiotics and opted for yogurt instead of probiotics.
The second day on the yogurt I felt bloated and crampy. Thoughts on this- 1. I am no where near my period. 2. I do not get crampy. 3. Its "just gas".
By the end of the day the pain was so bad that I could not leave the house but not bad enough to brave a trip to the ER. That night I had issues sleeping; as I tried to turn my body the cramping would increase near my abdomen (left side).
Other thoughts: Maybe it is a urinary infection? Nope- I am on anti-biotics.
I did not suspect the yogurt and needed to continue taking this because I was still on the antibiotics. I went off of them by day four because I did not know what the problem was. The pain subsided. I had one more yogurt just to test the waters and immediately the symptoms recurred.
I am throwing the yogurt out. The pain it caused me was like the pain my appendicitis delivered years ago. I still feel some sort of pain or congestion in my abdomen and my stool went from black and watery to bright green- but that could also be from all the antacids I have been drinking. It has been about 5 days since the entire ordeal started.
Certainly you must be honest and admit that the Diverticulitis was preexisting. Yogurt cannot cause a hole in your intestines. What you present here is misleading at best.
Man I feel so stupid to have been persuaded by Activia's claims about their product which obviously has been causing problems.
I ate it for 8 days and I am also having very severe cramping, nausea, dizziness and night sweats.
I don't understand how they can continue to sell a product like this.
I am so sorry to read about all of the difficulties everyone here are experiencing. However, I am here to tell you I am have been eating Activia for almost 3 months now, and I have never felt better. I eat one container with breakfast, and one with dinner, mixed in a smoothie with fresh fruit.
I had previously posted here, right after my baseline colonoscopy, and still have the medical issues I had described in my original post. I am so pleased with the results from the yogurt, and I guess I am just one of the success stories for this product.
Like I said, I have been eating Activia religiously for over 3 months, and have no problems with diarrhea, cramping, bloating or any other complaints listed here; as a matter of fact, those were difficulties I had prior to eating the yogurt. Once I started eating it, these problems subsided considerably!
I keep checking back here to see if anyone else is singing the praises of Activia. I feel bad for those who are experiencing the problems and wish them well... I plan on continuing to eat the yogurt as long as it is available at my local grocery store!
Some people will blame anything. Geez...let's sue. Good luck with the "lawsuit".
You should really be ashamed of yourself.
Just FYI, I'm posting anon only because I don't have an ID here. Not "hiding" from anything.
I'm have a weakened immune system and eat Activa just fine.
I have been eating Activia over the last few weeks and my stomach has never been worse. I actually went to the doctor today for blood tests... He suggested IBS and Chron's!!! I think I'm going to stop eating this stuff too..
I started antibiotics on Friday (it's now Sunday) and on the way home, I figured I'd buy some Activia to try to keep my intestinal flora from being wiped out.
Two doses of antibiotics and one Activia later, I noticed some "intestional discomfort" ...not anything horrible, but just... pressure.
One more dose of antibiotics and one more Activia later, I was quite nausious. Add one more dose of antibiotics and a night of sleep and I was miserable - I was passing a lot of gas and generally felt like I wanted someone to shoot me and put me out of my misery.
I figured I'd stop the Activia and keep on with the antibiotics just to see if one thing was causing the problems... not even 6 hours since I took the antibiotics, I feel tremendously better. No more gas, but some nausia is lingering.
I would certainly say that Activia needs some more research/testing to see if there are certain people who should/should NOT eat it. ...or at least some sort of warning label.
Laura D in Fredericksburg, VA
Just tried this stuff last night. And all night long I had a gas pain in my gut. This morning, I had to run to the bathroom. Last time I felt this way was when i completed the prep for my colonoscopy. Still have lingering pain and i ate another one this morning. That will probably be my last.
Thanks everyone for sharing, I thought I was crazy thinking a yogurt with no warnings at all could cause that drastic a side effect in less than a day.
I started Activia 2 days ago, January 22 2008, and I had to stop. I eat a pretty healthy diet, high fiber and low calories but I thought I would give Activia a try. Now, Im pretty regular, but Activia was just horrible. I noticed the affects right away. I have the worse gas and now when I go to the restroom, my stomach hurts like crazy. My stool is not, how shall we say, "sturdy" anymore. I have the worse diarrhea and its embarrassing since I have to go about 7-8 times a day.
I was a nut and bought in bulk. Im sending it back to Danon to get my money back.
2/2/2008 This is my second time trying Activia and I am giving up. The first time I tried it a few months ago, for only 2 days, it really helped with digestion. I left the rest in the fridge too long and had to throw the whole pack out.
Two weeks ago I bought two packs of it. I'm done with 1 pack already (at one Activia every other day). Let's just say that this time didn't go so well. After eating even a small meal, I get the worst cramps in the world. I have to go to the bathroom at least 5-7 times a day. I feel bloated all of the time. I haven't even eating Activia for a few days now and I still have all of these symptoms (though Activia says that the "benefits" will last for weeks after consuming Activia-AND I CANNOT WAIT!!!)I am definitely going to look for my receipts and I am mailing them to Dannon ASAP.
Greetings! I bought some Activia at the store and have been taking it for a week or so. I expected some side effects of the healthy bacteria killing things in my gut, so far it's been fine but I thought i'd Google and see what other's have experienced before continuing or giving more to my child. I have Lyme disease, definitely a compromised immune, and often constipation. Today I woke with pain in my appendix area (lower right hip) and some painful gas, later I had a large "movement" and that has relieved the pain so that it is very mild. My guess is that the "bifidus regularis" in the Activia attacked something in my appendix and moved it out - the appendix is supposedly a producer of bifidus bacteria when healthy. In other words, it's pretty strong stuff. I don't know if I will continue with Activia, I much prefer Stonyfield Farms but it's so expensive. My guess is the bloating and pain people are experiencing is from the healthy bacteria going to work on their unhealthy guts. Sorry to hear of your experience, it makes sense that ingesting a lot of good bacteria would cause a flare in an infected gut like that. You may want to try Hulda Clark's bowel cleanse recipe to kill any hidden infection in the gut. Sincerely, Susan
Started Activia a couple of weeks ago when I noticed it on the shelves of the local market. I said to myself, why not try it? Whats the worst that could happen? From the second night that I tried it, when only eating 1 serving a day, I experienced horrible diarrhea and stomach pains. I skipped work a couple of days when it got that bad. As soon as I stopped using Activia, i returned to normal (after about a week of using the product). I have a decent immunity and am not on any drugs, etc.
my mom has been eating this for about a month or more, she says she feels really good, doesn't bloat like normal and she has even lost almost 10 or more pounds! she even has had me starting it now and it has been great so far! :]
I certainly don't want to "sue" anyone, but I have experienced the exact same symptoms presented in this blog. I started Activia about a week and a half ago. At first it was just mild discomfort. After eating it one day (I checked the expiration - it was still good), I was suddenly doubling over in stomach pain and on came a sharp, severe headache that lasted about 2 hours. I am a 29 year old female with no prior history of IBS, or any other type of stomach or bowel problems. I am tossing the Activia and finding another yogurt. It's just not worth all this discomfort.
I wanted to try Activia because occasionally I get a little constipated but after talking to my daughter who is approaching her 40th birthday, she warned me that the stuff contains gelatin amongst the listed ingredients. She is vegetarian, therefor wondered why a yoghurt should have such a content in the first place. I am a little suspicious of claims for pro and perbiotics in the first place, as a sensible diet with fibre and fruit and vegetables as well as sensible amounts of carbohydrates and proteins and fats should be ideal to keep one fit and well without supplements. To a vegetarian, I wonder if taking amounts of gelatin could be dangerous in fact, certainly if my girl eats anything with meat in it it makes her ill now after being a vegetarian for many years because her body cannot adapt to animal proteins. I get very bad indigestion pain (breathing difficulties as well as cramps) if I eat certain cooked foods like red peppers- char grilled or some spiced pan fried without oil vegetables. Eating five a day is a bad experience for me because it causes the runs. A long time ago I had a hermaeroidectomy and cannot afford to be either constipated or have the runs. Sorry about the spelling of the disease- piles in simple english.
Was talking with a friend who tried Activa & she said she had to stop because it was giving her diarrhea. She is always coming up with something that is wrong with her so I paid her no mind, bought some & started eating one a day four days ago.
Right away I started having mild nausea, but never contributed it to Activia. Well, today I woke up with severe diarrhea & the mild nausea is still with me. It's got to be the Activia. I bought two four packs & the four I still have left are going in the trash.
I think this product should have a lot more information on the package about these possible side effects. Had to take off work today & hope I can go back tomorrow. This stuff has caused me some misery as well as a days pay, so far. Wonder if I should write to Jamie Lee Curtis since she is the one who told me about Activia. (smile)
For all you people that have had to run to the bathroom, have cramping, clutching your guts etc .... ever think its all the McDonalds, KFC, bon bons etc .... when the probiotic culture hits your bile tract .... im sure you system goes into shock .... maybe get a healthy lifestyle then try it ..... Danone not one ever said that it would take a sloth and make them into a Olympic Champion. Some people are just unbelievable ....
day 3, got horrible sharp cramps/pains in my left side and had to leave my shopping trip to come home. Not eating anymore of this crap. It really scared me but is passing now.
Activia sounds like its a great product, but it has cause me nothing but pain. I am young, (27) healthy, active woman. I work out and eat well, however after a long trip, my digestive system was slow and had a hard time getting it back into the swing of things so to speak. So I tried activia and it did help with my digestion, but now 2 days after not eating it anymore I have really bad cramps. Like its not fun....I am currently having trouble eating because when I do its painful. I know this is related to the activia and will not eat or buy it again. Activia is not a safe product as far as I am concerned.
[Went with the ANON. as I`m not a joiner.] Saw this junk [Activia] advertised. Figured I`d try it as I`ve had anti biotics in the past for a sinus condition a couple of years back and thought I`d give it a try to replentish " all That Good Stuff" . Am in pretty good heath with no related problems, Have Been As Regular as clockwork My entire life [ 64 years], have not experienced heartburn, constipation , gerd, indigestion or really painful gasssss, don``t have headaches, and eat a healthy diet. Ate this Joke stuff for just TWO Days [ Six Days Ago] and have experienced since starting Activia with just TWO tubs ingested 1. SUPER PAINFULL GASSSS,2. CONSTIPATION,3. Very Bad INDIGESTION 4. Nausea . 5. Startings of Heartburn. 6. Medium Gerd/Acid Reflux. 7. Headaches. Naturally experiencing this and more after just TWO SERVINGS in TWO DAYS [ and the Activia Was My Only Diet Change] I Quit this obviously dangerous stuff Fearing what else may start Happening !!?? My Entire Regularity Schedule has changed to being PLUGGED ROYALLY and so far [ six days now since my first spoonful] It hasn`t gotten any better, my intestines seem to be strangled, my BM s are abnormal,made up of many small particles and TRYING to Have a BM [ let alone a normal BM] Has become a real job and requires a long stay in the John[ which before Activia was fast slick ..in and out wham-bam] Everything eaten has turned to painful cramps and gassssssss.. and I`m worried !! I was Healthy and having a couple of easy and normal BM`s daily just 7 days ago !! I have no heath insurance and just am prayin` to God.. this bout thanks to Activia Yogurt Passes soon and That I stopped eating this junk early Enough and my intestines don`t completely turn to Concrete !!!!! Not very Impressed with the product to say the least..and actually very upset this stuff is allowed to be on the market without giant Warning labels !>>Once Happy , Regular and Healty in Az. << and worried to death !! If you are thinking of "Trying This Stuff " my suggestion would be .... DON`T !!!
Have been eating Activia for approx. 3 months now (one a day). Have also gone from a healthy, once a year doctors visit kind of gal to one ER visit and three doctors visits in the last three months. My symptoms were severe upper GI pain, bloating, and nausea. My bowels stopped being regular as they had been, and I NEVER would have blamed the yogurt. My husband would joke and say "its that yogurt" and I never agreed with him. My pain has been so severe this last week that my doctor put me on meds for ulcers, and I'm awaiting further investigation. My husband again reiterated this morning that he thinks its the yogurt. So I Searched 'Activia and Stomach pain' I can't believe the number of threads and websites I've found supporting this idea. This makes sense now, I am a healthy 34 year old woman who excercises regularly and eats a balanced diet. My diet will now be free of Activia!!!!
I tried Activia for a few days, maybe 5 days later now, and i have the worst diarreah known to man (very inconvenient with a 3month old baby and 3yrs old). I hope this gets better, Im sure not going to eat anymore yogurt :(
I have been eating activia for a few months and have gotten three bladder infections. I also spent two days in an emergency room with the same symptoms you had (intense pain on the right side) to be sent home because they couldn't find anything wrong with me. I have been doing everything the kidney foundation says and still got bladder infections, only today did I think about the yogurt. Thank you for posting this.
you know if you take a "probiotic" or an active live culture yogurt and mix it with the antibiotic, nothing good happens. in fact, you make it much worse!
some doctors say to take the yogurt 2 hours before or after the antibiotic so it doesn't interfere with the medication. i say balderdash!
i had to have dental surgery and i on a regular basis take probiotics instead of activia. i've never even tried it because its commercial crap i think.
anyway, while on the antibiotic, (clindamycin), i was so-so in the intestine department. it was after i finished the antibiotic that wow, i had severe cramps, diarrhea and just felt miserable.
after 2 weeks, i started back on my stonyfield yogurt, kefir and probiotics and started to feel better. then back to the dentist because i had some major surgery done, due to another dentists mistakes.
anyway, i have to take an antibiotic pre-med.because i have a MVP and while the FDA removed that rule of having to pre-med for MVP, i've known of a few people that almost died from not taking the antibiotic....so...i take it.
okay, i take the single dose of pre-med clindamycin and
i thought i was going to wind up in the Emergency room. i downed mylanta, phenergan and demerol.
it helped. i got through the night and felt better. but to tell you the truth, most doctors and these companies like Dannon promising to make you healthy don't know your body!
it seems like we all have to be our own doctors today.
i hope you get better, but it sounds pretty harsh what you went through.
i feel for you, i really do. there is no magic bullet. i mean if they tell you to eat activia, you can't eat junk food or fast foods, they just interact and cause more problems. you have to change the whole diet, to steamed vegatables, rice, water. no sodas, no sugar. no fried foods. no junk at all in fact if you really want anything like a like active culture to work.
and then the other side of the coin is this, the bacteria in the Activia was BAD! If it was bad, then yeah, you bet you got sick and yes you could die. who knows who works at the Dannon factory. some smidlapp jerk who doesn't know squat about friendly flora!
good luck to all.
from charleston sc usa
Diverticulitis isn't something that just 'happens' after one or two (or five) yogurts. It might have happened at the time it did because of the increased bowel activity, but it was already going to happen anyways. You were constipated, which is generally how diverticula (the pouches on the outside of the colon) develop, and then you packed your system full of fiber and probiotics (which are still bacteria, and anyone with impaired immunity shouldn't be playing with any sort of bacteria without talking to your doctor) which put pressure on the diverticula, resulting in diverticulitis.
Although I agree, it should say something about the probiotics possibly interfering with impaired immune systems. It is possible that your body couldn't handle the extra bacteria, and that was what irritated the diverticula.
So sorry to hear about that. An innocent attempt to relieve constipation, resulting in multiple surgeries... Hope there weren't any complications with the other surgeries.
I tried Activia about three years ago. I had no other medical problems and was on no medication other than allergy meds. I began experiencing severe stomach cramps that would double me over and I felt as though I would get sick, though I never did. I stopped eating Activia and the pain went away. To test it, I tried it again a few times and EVERY time the pain would start up again and then clear up a few days later if I stopped eating it. I am convinced it was the Activia. At the time, I figured I was well enough without the yogurt and the added bacteria was just too much for my system. Here it is three years later and from time to time I still experience the same pains I felt back then. It lasts a few days then clears on its own. Every time it happens I think back to when it all started... and that is how I found your blog. I was curious if YOGURT could have really started all of this and did a search to see if there were others out there who experienced this or if it was all in my head... Now that I have read some other posts, I don't feel so silly for thinking it really could have been the Activia.
I am 26, and I live a very active lifestyle and eat a healthy, well balanced diet. I usually eat a cup of Yoplait yogurt each weekday. I bought Activia about 4 days ago, and I've eaten one each day since. So far, I have not had stomach cramps, bloating, or diarrhea, but I have been extremely dizzy. I know that Activia is only yogurt with a specific strand of probiotics, so I was skeptical that it could be causing such an issue. However, nothing else has changed in my diet or lifestyle to cause such an occurance. I am not typically dizzy, but even as I type this, I feel a little faint. I will refrain from buying this type of yogurt again. Yoplait doesn't make me dizzy!
Well I started eating Activia yesterday. I ate one for breakfast and by lunch I felt awful. I didnt even want to even eat dinner. So today I ate another for breakfast thinking maybe thats whats suppose to happen. But now I'm feeling terrible. I'm bloated and I'm having bad stomach cramps on the right side of my belly. What should I do? I'm in so pain....PLEASE HELP!
To the last person who posted or anyone else that feels the way he/she described:
GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! THIS DESCRIBED A BACTEREMIA THAT WAS CAUSED BY DIVERTICULITIS, WHIC IS WHAT I HAD!
I took Activia for the first time on afternoon this past March (2010). Later that night I was doubled over in pain. I refused to see a doctor because I felt like it was a reaction to Activia and it just needed to work its way out of my system. After a night of no sleep and still feeling like death, I went to the doctor. Appendicitis. I had an emergency appendectomy. Coincidence? No idea, but I'm not taking Activia ever again.
My mother in law ate activa for a few days straight, following directions. She had explosive diarrhea, and when i mean explosive.. it was a trail from the bed all the way into the bathroom and it literally covered the toilet and bathroom walls. The smell was horrendous. I've never smelt anything like it, nor have i since. We KNOW this was the activa, she hasn't had any issues since. We don't need a doctor to tell us that. There is something in there that's no good.. they should have some type of warning!
Arthritis, HLA B-27 , Immune system disruption ( even with the pred) fevers and diverticulitis so bad as to require a colostomy--and where you live
I have to ask--have you ever been evaluated for ALL the tick infections?? Lyme, Bartonella, Babesia, Ehrlichia to name a few??
Ive been a Lyme pt advocate and pt educator over 20 yrs and a complex set of varying symptoms from people living in endemic areas should always have complete evaluations.
Ive seen many go undiagnosed, misdiagnosed etc for over a decade, especially if they live in areas where the medical professionals are insistent that it is "rare" or "easy to diagnose". You may have all of your conditions as triggered by, caused by or even simply alongside the tick infections even if you dont recall a bite- Theyre so small that over 50% never find the tick--it feeds and drops off and days to weeks later--symptoms.
I dont think everyone has or will get tick infections..but its a grave mistake to err the other way and assume any one person cant have it without fully evaluating ( and please dont assume the hospital ran "tests"--the current testing is woefully inaccurate)
good luck and speedy healing
for more info go to www.ilads.org
ILAD Person:
I live in a hotbead for Lyme desease. I grew up 20 milse from Lyme CT. Easton CT, where I live now is considered unofficially by local doctors as being "epidemic" with Lyme. We are surrounded by reservoirs with herds of deer, large numbers of field mice and millions of deer ticks.
I would bet 59% of the population of the town has been treated for Lyme.
My wife and both kids have been treated for tick bites with rashes.
BUT.....
My arthritis pre-dates Lyme by 20 years. I have been tested for Lyme with negative results 3 times where the tests were run "just to be sure". Also, the eye problem that goes with my arthritis does NOT happen as a symptom of Lyme.
And...
Antibiotics that should reduce the arthritis in patients with lyme has no effect on me.
Well I started eating this awful product Activia a week ago. I didn't have a constipation problem I just thought this was yogurt was better for you.
Well I have had a horrible stomach ache on and off. At one point I told my husband it felt like little creatures were eating my insides. I am so bloated it hurts. I bought two packs. Im going to throw out other pack. I didn't consider the yogurt was the issue, but after reading everything and putting two and two together this has got to be why I am going through my pains and bloating.
I am totally scared of this yogurt and dub it as evil.
Yup. This stuff is terrible. I just got married and the first week after the honeymoon I started taking Activia. I have cramps after every meal and in between them. I constantly feel like I need to use the restroom. It is painful and stinky. Needless to say my husband and I got close quick...
I liked activia until now! I noticed loud bubbling in my stomach after eating it. My major tiff about them is that they have all these sugar alcohols in it. Using the fake sugar kind of kills the purpose of getting the good "probiotics" your body needs. I wish the FDA would stop approving the use of these sugar alcohols as a cheap solution for the real thing. Other than that its delicious - Rasberry is my fav. LOL, I bet it is due to all the sugar alcohols.
I have had digestive problems for 20+ years and decided to try Activia. Several people told me how great it worked for them. Well after one container last evening, I was awake most of the night with cramps, gas and a "tugging" feeling in my gut. I am still having pain this morning and I haven't eaten any more of the Activia. I did go to the bathroom and it didn't look normal. I am afraid to eat the rest of the Activia purchased after reading the complaints on here.
My whole family (my husband, two kids and I) has eaten Activia and have had no problems with it. But I dont eat it daily..just occasionally, and it pretty much cleans me out by the following evening. The problem seems to lie with the Diverticulitis that you had/have. The product does contain fruit...which can contain seeds. I think the real concern with the yogurt should lie with the Aspartame. I, myself, just realized it was in it. I am reconsidering eating anymore now, due to that. We as consumers must be vigil, it is our body, and we put things in it..not the companies. If it is not contaminated, the ingredients legal...there is nothing we can do but mind them ourselves. I don't agree with half of the things allowed in our food, but as I said it is up to us to mind our diet. Please do a search on Aspartame and read the horrific possible side effects.
I should preface this by saying that I'm a nurse, and a born research-a-holic. So before I try ANYTHING related to my health, or even beauty products, I do my research.
I'm a 26yF, and have only 2 real health problems: migraines, and endometriosis. I'm not a smoker, I don't eat a lot of fried foods considering my hectic schedule. I recently started Weight Watchers, and exercising regularly. My goal is to lose the weight I gained from stress in nursing school :)
However, I didn't consider Activia b/c of this. With my endometriosis, I experience painful cramps like what has been described here. Anything that puts pressure on my abdomen causes pain. Gas, bloating, full bladder, BM (or lack thereof), even intercourse is painful at times. I've NEVER been regular, and this causes problems with my cramping due to the pressure. So I want more regularity for this reason. Fiber supplements cause insane and painful constipation for me (most likely because increasing my water intake is difficult - I don't drink much of anything). One Fiber One bar caused the most painful and embarrassing gas. I love yogurt, so I thought "Why not?"
I've only had one, about an hour ago, and I'm already getting some rumblings. I don't believe I'll know how this will work (or not) for me unless I give it at least a few days. Maybe even the 2 wks depending on how I tolerate it. I will post the outcome.
I'm just praying I'm not signing myself up for more of the usual cramping I already have dealt with for the last year and a half due to the endometriosis. But, I don't see how it could get any worse than it has been just from my every day pain. We shall see.
My story is a little different than the person who had to get a colostomy because of Activia. I have had a colostomy (due to cancer of the colon) since 1993. I have had no problems to speak of. I bought Activia because I thought it would be an extra benefit to my digestive system and considered it a yogurt with extra benefits. It tastes delicious. I tried it only ONCE for breakfast and that night I had severe cramping and diarrhea all night. I didn't connect it to the Activia until I had it again a few days later. The same thing happened. I believe there should be some kind of warning on the label.
I dunno, I eat it and it regulates me. Sorry it didn't work out for you but nothing ever works for everyone.
The ingredient INULIN in Activia is what I think folks need to be focusing on. Get the word out. Yet another poison that gets to be approved for us to consume-sad but true.
P.S. Happy to report I have never consumed an Activia-purley because I avoid commercial/foul tasting foods. I am on this site doing research as I have a friend who consumes 2 Activia/day suffering with headaches/constipation/gas/bloating/cramping etc issues and I want to send them my discoveries-I think I have discovered one of the main culprits-ACTIVIA!!
Here's my offering to ya'll-quoted from the website
http://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/flora.html
(the site has the full health hazard low down on ACTIVIA)
Inulin is a known allergen reported in The New England Journal of Medicine in connection to anaphylaxis, a deadly shock. Also, inulin is a fructan—fructose polymer. Fructose and other fructans cause malabsorption of nutrients in 30% to 40% of individuals, and they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That's not surprising—after all inulin is a potent laxative, known to cause diarrhea. And what usually follows diarrhea? Constipation, of course. In addition to bloating, flatulence and abdominal cramps caused by fermentation of inulin, alternating patterns of diarrhea and constipation is a dead-on accurate description of IBS's primary symptoms.
Again, I hope this helps
I started eat Activia after I was convinced that using the bathroom once a week was not normal (not constipated, slow digestive system).
I don't eat Activia every single day religiously, but I buy the big package every so often and will eat about 2 a day for a snack for a week and a half at a time, or whenever the package runs out.
Activia definitely helps speed things along. I think it coats your lining and makes everything slip through easy. Bowel movements are much easier and I use the bathroom every day now. I also had a problem with reoccuring yeast infections that seemed to happen for no apparent reason. Haven't had one since I've sprinkled Activia into my diet.
I used to occasionally get really bad lower abdomen pain, but I don't blame the yogurt, I blame poor diet. Since I've started watching what I eat I haven't had any further issues. (For example, I know when I was little I would eat apples w/ their cores and would get the very same pain that makes you curl up in a ball unable to move.)
You can't expect the yogurt to cure you if you still eat crappy. I suspect a lot of people with complaints are not watching what they eat and use the yogurt as their "I'm being healthy, and even when it seems like i'm not, activia will fix me" excuse.
Yogurt does not cause people to get IBS... A lot of people develop an intolerance to lactose (can't digest dairy) at certain periods in their life. Lactose intolerance can come and go.
Yogurt certainly doesn't put holes in your intestines. Sounds like you were pushing too hard.
If you started taking Activia because you noticed a peculiar problem with your bowels, you probably had IBS before you started Activia.
People are way too sue-happy.
If you are truly concerned about your digestive ailments you should see a doctor before blaming yogurt.
Yes, if you eat a lot of fiber, of course you're going to hurt. there's probably hard chunks of poo superglued to your intestines.
Think about all the nasty crap that has built up in your digestive system over the years.
Now think about the "scrubbing" the good bacteria is going to do on it.
That's probably why it hurts. Eat better, drink more water, and walk around the block a few times for exercise.
That'll get rid of your belly, bloating, and make you regular too.
I have been eating Activia greek yogurt for 3 weeks. I have had a ton of gas and bloating. Well the past few days have been horrible. Painful stomach cramps, diarhea, nausea, sweats, dizziness.
I am 27 year old female with no medical conditions. I was just eating it bc it tastes good. Now I feel like I am dying and I am scared. I jyst realized today that it is from the yogurt. Seriously. I am freaked out.
I bought a 8 pack of activia. I drank one per day for three day. By day 3 (yesterday) I was experiencing bloating in my lower left abdominal area. Couldn't figure out what had caused this until I started looking up Activia on the Internet and matched my symptoms with blog posts on this and other sites.
No more Activia for me.
I checked for aspartame and it was not in the activity's that I bought. Mine just says sugar.
I ate activia for 5 days. I stopped once symptoms occurred, extreme bloating with abdominal and lower back pain, along with headaches. No improvement at all it's been almost a week. Scheduling
a doctors appointment first thing in the morning.
I stopped consuming Activia after 5 days. I'm still suffering from extreme bloating, abdominal and lower back pain along with headaches. It's been almost a week no improvement. Making doctors appointment first thing in the morning!
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