You pop a probiotic, hoping—begging—it’ll be the thing that finally fixes your gut issues related to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease).
A week goes by. Then two.
And instead of relief, your IBS symptoms like bloating and diarrhea are worse. Your stomach feels like a balloon ready to pop, and the bathroom is still your unwanted best friend.
Sound familiar?
Whether it’s Primal Gut Restore, or the next fad probiotic/prebiotic combo that promises amazing gut health, I want to unpack why these products are not likely to be a silver bullet.
If you’ve ever taken a probiotic that left you feeling worse instead of better, you’re not crazy. And it’s not your fault.
Let’s talk about why this happens—and what you should do instead.
Do Probiotics help IBS?
Everywhere you look, probiotics are marketed as the miracle solution for IBS and gut health. IBS symptoms? Probiotic. IBD flare-ups? Probiotic. Chronic bloating and diarrhea? Probiotic.
The logic seems sound: your gut needs good bacteria, so why not give it some?
Here’s the problem: not all digestive systems are ready for probiotics. I break this down in detail in Episode 35 of my Resolve IBS and IBD Naturally podcast.
Imagine this—you’ve got a garden that’s completely overrun with weeds. Would you plant flowers and expect them to thrive?
Of course not. The weeds would choke them out.
Your gut works the same way. If you’ve got an overgrowth of bad bacteria (like in SIBO) or hidden gut infections (like parasites or yeast overgrowth), adding probiotics can actually make IBS symptoms worse. For a deep dive on SIBO and how that correlates with IBS and IBD, listen to Episode 34 of my podcast.
That’s because probiotics—especially prebiotics, which feed bacteria—don’t discriminate. They can fuel the good bacteria, but they can also feed the bad bacteria that are causing your IBS or IBD symptoms in the first place.
This is why some people feel worse when they take a probiotic, not better.
When Probiotics Can Help (and When They Hurt)
There are cases where probiotics, prebiotics, and butyric acid can help restore gut balance. If you’re lacking beneficial bacteria, a high-quality probiotic can help repopulate the gut and support digestion, which is particularly helpful for people dealing with post-infectious IBS or antibiotic-related gut imbalances. They can also be helpful in supporting good bacterial balance in the digestive system after a gut bug eradication protocol.
But if you have SIBO, bacterial overgrowth, or certain infections, probiotics can fuel the problem rather than fix it, and it’s important to deal with digestive system stressors in the right order of operations.
Here’s how to know the difference:
✅ If you’re missing good bacteria: A probiotic might help.
🚨 If you have ongoing bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and discomfort that gets worse with probiotics: You could have an overgrowth, and probiotics may be making it worse.
So how do you actually know what’s going on?
The Step Most People Skip (That Makes All the Difference)
Most people try probiotics blindly—without testing what’s actually happening in their gut. And that’s the real reason they fail.
Instead of playing probiotic roulette, you need to run a functional stool test. This is especially important if you’re dealing with IBS, IBD, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis, where gut bacteria imbalances play a major role.
This test looks at:
Levels of beneficial bacteria (Do you need a probiotic?)
Overgrowth of bad bacteria (Is a probiotic making things worse?)
Yeast, parasites, or infections (Are hidden gut issues sabotaging your progress?)
Inflammation markers (Is your gut even ready for probiotics?)
Without this information, you’re just guessing.
I can’t tell you how many clients come to me after years of struggling with IBS-D (diarrhea-predominant IBS), IBS-C (constipation-predominant IBS), or mixed IBS, wasting money on probiotics that never worked—only to find out their gut was overrun with bacteria that probiotics were feeding.
No wonder they felt worse.
Probiotics Alone Aren’t Enough—Here’s Why
Even if you do need a probiotic, there’s another big mistake people make: they don’t change their diet.
Think about it: the bacteria in your gut eat what you eat.
If you’re still eating foods that inflame your gut and feed bad bacteria, you won’t get results—no matter how good your probiotic is.
This is why my clients with IBS, IBD, and chronic bloating see real results—because we don’t just throw probiotics at the problem.
We:
✔️Identify food triggers that are inflaming the gut.
✔️Remove bacterial overgrowth and infections before adding in probiotics.
✔️Support digestion, energy, and stress levels so the gut can truly heal.
The Right Way to Heal Your Gut (Instead of Guessing)
If you’ve tried probiotics and felt worse—or nothing at all—it’s time to stop guessing and start getting real answers.
That’s exactly what I help my clients do in The Tame Your Gut Program. Instead of wasting months (or years) trying different supplements with no results, we get to the root of the problem first by:
🔬 Running a functional stool test to see what’s actually happening in your gut.🥗 Creating a personalized plan to remove food triggers and heal your gut lining.💊 Using the right supplements (in the right order) for your unique gut needs.⚡ Supporting energy, digestion, and stress resilience so your gut can heal long-term.
If you’re sick of trial-and-error and want a real solution that works for IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, and colitis, click here to book a free Gut Check Call.
We’ll talk through what’s happening in your gut, what you’ve already tried, and the best next steps to finally get relief.
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