Reddit mentions of Probiotic Pearls Acidophilus Once Daily Probiotic Supplement, 1 Billion Live Cultures, Survives Stomach Acid, No Refrigeration, 90 Softgels (Packaging May Vary)

Probiotic pills. They stopped teh ungodly protein farts like no other

Congrats on these next steps! Has a love for listening to music become re-awakened for you too during this? That's how it was for me. Really beautiful. GI issues for me over the various times I quit in past were sometimes good and other times really bad. Working on my gut with probiotics helped a great deal when bad and also taking magnesium to soften things up, although that part hasn't really been a problem as once clean, everything softened up a great deal. heh. Different types of probiotics are released in different parts of the gut. The "pearls" get deep as they are enteric coated. You can buy those anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Probiotic-Acidophilus-Supplement-Cultures-Refrigeration/dp/B000BQ8ATQ/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1526392073&sr=8-3&keywords=pearls%2Bacidophilus&th=1

Could this help?
http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Acidophilus-Pearls-Capsules/dp/B000BQ8ATQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333556571&sr=8-1

Also, I think they say to always take Doxyclycline with some food. (This next part is a guess) I would take it with a high fat food, (not, like broccoli, or, say, chicken, but maybe some cheese.) You may need to experiment a bit.

(EDIT- grammar/syntax/format)

I would look into probiotic supplements (I use these, they are a bit pricey, but work well. You can get straight acidophilus really cheap at walmart or a pharmacy as well.

If you are near a Fry's, they have carbmaster which fits into Keto pretty well. I have not found another yogurt that will work with Keto.

I know this is a bit late to the party but my friend just got diagnosed as well and we went on a day long researching binge. I tried to consolidate everything we found to reference later, so for you and any one else interested here is a wall of text. I hope it helps.

The http://www.spondylitis.org website has some good background information with a useful guide on where to start. But I was surprised how there was no emphasis on the importance of diet. I found another website called kickas.org which focuses on diet and the findings of an English doctor named Alan Ebringer. Here's a quick summary of his findings which I haven't found refuted anywhere:

"Ankylosing spondylitis is considered to be a form of "reactive arthritis" following an infection of the terminal ileum and ascending colon by the bowel microbe Klebsiella. Specific anti- Klebsiella antibodies in AS patients have now been reported from 17 different countries: England, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Japan, China, Australia, Canada, USA, Mexico, Argentina, and Turkey.
Over 95% of AS patients possess the HLA-B27 antigen whilst it is present only in 8% of the general population. The Klebsiella microbe has molecules which resemble HLA-B27 and this is the reason why AS patients generally belong to the HLA-B27 group.
In addition, the pullulanase molecule of the Klebsiella microbe crossreacts with type I collagen found in tendons and bone and also with type IV collagen found in basement membranes of retina and uvea, thereby explaining the pathological sites of AS."

We all have trillions of bacteria from thousands of different strains in our gut and I bet most everyone has that Klebsiella bacteria. It's only a problem in people who also have the HLA-B27 antigen who then experience an overgrowth of that particular bacteria. Since that bacteria feeds on starches, you can alter your diet to essentially "starve" it out. This is the London AS diet

As you can see, you may have to cut out additional things like dairy, eggs and even some veggies like onions if you don't get relief by sticking to the middle column. As you starve out the Klebsiella bacteria you'll want to actively replace it with beneficial bacteria (probiotics) like the ones found in yogurt(get the plain, unsweetened greek yogurt), Kefir, kombucha or probiotic pills like these.

Additionally, as you cut sugar and other carbs you'll also be starving out the candida yeast that lives in all our bodies. In some people, too high of a candida population can cause a host of issues ranging from hives to arthritis. You may not have any issues with candida, but if you did, they'll start dying out as well (bonus!). Having so many yeast and bacteria dying off can cause problems on their own unfortunately, they release toxins when they die and their little dead cells have to be cleared out by the body. The body can react to this sudden die off and it's called a Herxheimer reaction (or just "herxing"). Herxing can feel like a whole body inflammation/hives/the flu. You're body can normally process the dying organisms along with the toxins fast enough, but drink plenty of water to help yourself out, your kidneys and liver will be working hard and they'll need the water(some tea can't hurt either).

Another interesting thing I came across is leaky gut syndrome. The basic idea is that the lining of the intestines can become too thin, thin enough to allow large, not-yet-fully-digested proteins and other molecules to permeate the gut and enter your bloodstream. Then, your immune system attacks these unknown molecules and the result is a host of inflammatory responses like arthritis and IBS. Incidentally, frequent use of antibiotics can cause work to thin the lining of the intestines, as well NSAIDs.

This stuff is so increadibly complex and interrelated! but also fascinating. The health of your gut and the kinds of bacteria living there can even influence your mood and determine your obesity risk as well.

Fasting also fits into this puzzle. Humans have fasted for religious and health reasons for all of recorded history. Juice fasts and such even had a pop culture resurgence. One of the benefits of fasting is that you starve out the yeast and bacteria since only your own cells have access to any energy (your own fat stores). This allows you to essentially reset your body and repopulate your gut with healthier bacteria. This article references a few scientific studies that seen to back up that idea. A less appealing way to repopulate your gut bacteria would be... However, IBS and colitis are often comorbid with AS so it might be worth considering. It was for some on the kickas.org forums.

Inflammation seems to be at the intersection of all this. In many ways, inflammation is at the root of all illness. In a sense, you aren’t just your human self, but an ever changing proportion of human cells, bacteria, yeasts, and viruses as well. For long term health you have to keep your non-pathogenic guests in balance lest they bloom and become pathogenic AND maintain an immune system strong enough to evict the active pathogens but not attack your own cells. At the risk of redundancy, I think it’s useful to include this book that covers the importance of that balance and the risk of antibiotics.
A final resource I found was on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which isn't must different than the London AS diet but the website was very helpful and had a lot of information that was free even though they're trying to sell a book.
AS can seem daunting, maybe I should have led with a positive testimonial from someone who managed to control his AS
Dotyisle’s AS story

Oh, one final thing, exercise as much as you can! I have a book called "The Exercise Cure" and for Arthritis (closest thing in the book to AS) he says those with severe pain should at least do stretching, yoga/swimming/strength exercises like air squats and lunges.

TL;DR: A low/no starch diet will lower the number of harmful bacteria, reduce your inflammation response, and increase the effectiveness of traditional medicines at smaller (easier on the body/less side effects) doses.

You should take probiotics to help with that, they're basically good bacteria that boosts your immune system, helps your digestive track, etc.
Me and A LOT of other people have had a lot less bloating since taking them, it seems. Eating gluten could also contribute to bloating. I take these: probiotics

I buy mine from amazon, the exact ones I use are: http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Acidophilus-Pearls-Capsules/dp/B000BQ8ATQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342029411&sr=8-1&keywords=probiotics

And also notice that the 2.6 liters is probably a day with no exercise. So if you work out you'll need even more.

That's the thing about living in America (dunno if you live there or not.) ALL fermented foods should have probiotics. But everyone has an irrational fear of getting sick so they kill all the good bacteria.

If you're willing to buy probiotic pills, a 3 month supply of this is what I recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Acidophilus-Pearls-Capsules/dp/B000BQ8ATQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372712235&sr=1-1&keywords=probiotic+pearls

I can tell you they work for sure. It went through the ultimate test of relieving me of my.. ahem... toiletry issues. Always buy probiotics from Amazon. They're way, way overpriced in stores. The one I linked is 90 days for 16 bucks. At the store 30 is 20 bucks.

Food-wise, Activia greek yogurt is good. I'm never sure about saurkraut, so I just pass on it. I can never seem to find organic, unpasteurized.

One of the best is Braggs apple cider vinegar. Has to be organic. Braggs is the most well-known and available brand. Shake it up so the brown sediment at the bottom (those are basically the probiotics) "dissolves" evenly into the liquid, then put two tablespoons into a glass of water and gulp it down. It's also said to aid in fat loss and a lot of celebrities use it for that purpose, but Im not entirely certain if that's true or not.

If you can find organic, unpasteurized pickles, go for it. But chances are due to the laws of the land, you wont have much luck in that department. It's supposed to be really easy to make your own though. And you can even use the leftover juice of storebought pickles if you're lazy.

They also make probiotic teas. This brand in particular has a probiotic that can withstand high temperatures, meaning it wont die off in the hot water. I've used it personally and can tell it works. I'll give ya the Amazon link in case you're interested. Ignore the price tag. It's for a pack of 6. You'll find single boxes of them for like 3-4 bucks at walmart.
http://www.amazon.com/Bigelow-Tea-Lemon-Ginger-18-Count/dp/B002XWSNCA/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372712693&sr=1-1&keywords=lemon+probiotic+tea

Take any of those pills (maybe both) once a day in the morning, they should help you:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQ8ATQ
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DKO9ME

You have my sympathies...all the sympathies.

A couple of things to help keep things in perspective if you can stand a little Polyanna: Thank goodness both the Lyme disease and H. Pylori are actually treatable. It totally sucks that you are going through this, and it sounds like the next few weeks are going to be quite miserable.

But I'm really, really glad that are treatments available.

So, my brother was advised to take probiotics after some nasty cat bites (long story). There are a bunch of different types: acidophilus is the stuff I use after a course of antibiotics and told him to get that. It comes in a lot of varieties. He opted for the cheaper, compressed pill type. After a couple of weeks of uncomfortable intestinal issues, he decided to get the stuff in pearl form.

I'm giving you the link so you know what to look for. I've found them at CVS and Walgreen's, for about US$5 to $10 and they don't need to be refrigerated. The store brands work just as well as the fancy brands. But the pearls are definitely superior to the compressed tablets that you can get in the vitamin aisle. (Which are about $5 for 300 or something crazy like that. Not worth it; they don't work when you're trying to rebuild intestinal flora from hefty antibiotics.)

Good luck. I hope these couple of weeks go by really quickly.

The only other ideas I have for you is to add things to the BRAT stuff to make them more flavorful. Like, cinnamon to the applesauce? (Applesauce, by the way, has always been a cure for constipation for me. So I've wondered about this component of that diet.)

How about adding a lot of salt to the rice? I'd suggest soy sauce, but that contains gluten. You could try to get some Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which is a not-too-terrible substitution for soy sauce. You can find it a Whole Foods. Or maybe herbs?

You can also turn the rice into a sweet dish. I know that dairy is very difficult to digest, but you could add some sugar or brown sugar and a little maple syrup to it. Eat it like oatmeal. Say, what about a little oatmeal, or polenta? Small amounts, of course. I know that some people who have a gluten intolerance cannot eat oatmeal either, so be careful. But if you can keep the polenta down (another name for cornmeal mush--super cheap and really easy to make!) it should be ok for you. You can dress that up like oatmeal.

Are there different varieties of crackers that you can stomach? Can you try an egg?

Seriously, good luck.

I don't have a personal experience with these, but these get really good reviews on amazon, might be worthwhile checking out if fiber is not the issue:

http://www.amazon.com/Enzymatic-Therapy-Acidophilus-Pearls-90/dp/B000BQ8ATQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1292051241&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Accuflora--Probiotic-Acidophilus-Supplement-240/dp/B000LJCOWW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1292051241&sr=8-3

It sounds a lot like when my son had viral meningitis from the description of your headache, which can be caused by entero virus (which is a stomach virus). So you never actually vomited or had diarrhea? Most doctors will tell you not to eat anything if you can't stop vomiting. That gives your stomach a chance to settle down so that you don't get dehydrated throwing up all your fluids. Even though yogurt is great because it has probiotics in it which you need, dairy is hard on your stomach when you have a stomach virus. I think you should follow the BRAT diet at this point. You can buy little probiotic pearls at the store if you want to help replenish your good bacteria.


If you start to feel super sick to your stomach again. I have this "drink" that I make for my family that is pretty pungent, but I swear it stops the nausea and settles the stomach every single time! I mix one tablespoon of honey into two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. I like to use Braggs brand but I've used generic brands before and it seems to work just as well. Then I either mix in 4 tablespoons of water or apple juice. It's pretty strong but I always tell everyone to hold their breath and drink slowly. It sounds gross but it truly helps. I hope you this helps and that you feel better soon!

I buy these, they have helped me so much. Amazon has the best price, I've looked.