There are more than 100 published papers in various journals, documenting studies of the use of LGG in treating rotavirus in kids, other diarrheas in Pakistan, Thailand, etc. One paper I especially like is in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Feb 1997 99(2):179-85). The title is Probiotics: a novel approach in the management of food allergy. It discusses LGG in treating milk hypersensitivity reactions. Another good article on milk-induced inflammatory response is in Clinical & Experimental Allergy (1998 28(12):1474-9).

Usually, LGG is also used to treat diarrhea from antibiotics, like Biaxin, as it withstands attack even by that strong drug. Standard LGG treatment consists of two pills a day for 15 days, and then the "bugs" live happily ever after in your intestines. Interestingly, when I use it to treat diarrhea in patients using Protease Inhibitors (PI), though, I have to use it continuously, not just in a short course. This leads me to believe that something about PI's damages gut flora, inhibits their growth, or both. AZT and D4T, and all the other nukes and non-nukes, do not seem to hurt gut flora.

Now, as for buying other "probiotics" at the natural food store.... There was a British Medical Journal article about six years ago that reported on shopping for about twelve samples (not sure if the stores were limited to Great Britain or not), and nine of the twelve were bogus, i.e., they didn't contain appreciable amounts of acidophilus, and several were even contaminated. Sooo.... buyer beware.

Then again, LGG is pricey, $16 for a two-week course, which is just out of control as far as I am concerned. Dr. Gorbach maintains that all other probiotic products on the market are not thoroughly tested, so you don't know their efficacy. I have thought of making LGG into yogurt, and then having people pass along a starter culture to each other, as if it were a sour dough bread kit. Yet, I don't think that would produce a big enough number of "bugs" in a cup of yogurt to actually count as a dose.

As a more affordable alternative, I recommend that people use Jarro-Dophilus capsules, a product that is sold at most Buyers Clubs. It seems to work and costs only $7 per 50-day supply. Jarrow <http://www.Jarrow.com> does his homework. He goes to major international meetings, and he tries to formulate clinically expert products. I don't know exactly which strains of L. acidophilus, or L. plantarum, etc. he is using, but my patients do find it helpful. I have heard good reports about the Shaklee probiotic as well.