Accidently left out the probiotics

[Ephedra]

I switched it up and got probiotics that require refrigeration.  I knew I would end up leaving them out at some point.  Anyhow, I left them out for a decent amount of time (over 12 hours).  Should I even bother taking them?  I have over half a bottle left.  Think they are still good?  Is there any way of telling by looking (the capsule is clear, so I can view the inside contents)?  They appear the same as before.  They were left out in the kitchen, which is not necessarily warm this time of year.  

Any thoughts would be awesome!!  

Thanks!

[Michaelnsf]

The answer is .... YES...they are still good. See question #3 from the top.

https://jarrowprobiotics.com/pages/faqs

[luminamar]

I sent some high potency (50 billion?) refrigerated senior advanced probiotocs,  many bifidum species, and then others (some lacto's, etc)

I forgot to tell my sister to refrigerate them, that's why I sent them overnight,
between 8- 10 days after being refrigerated (she keeps her apt quite warm
in FL) she took a capsule and said it gave her almost immediate heartburn
and made her feel 'awful'  so she stopped taking it from there.

Is it possible stuff grew in the capsules during that extended time, and
caused heartburn, etc?   Any thoughts, similar experiences,answers?

[nutrinut_bob]

Problem I had with looking through a microscope when I took microbiology, was telling the difference between my floaters and what was on the slide.  

[cave76]

Here's an article about using a microscope.
http://www.microbehunter.com/2010/01/31/observing-bacteria-under-the-light-microscope/

[cave76]

This is at 800X magnification.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB4r_TOiAoU

But the poster of that did not answer a viewers very good questions.
Oh, and corn syrup, warm water and a dye was added.

[Ephedra]

Thanks Rico!  And nagagme, maybe I'll try Kefer.  

So I took my little 100x handheld microscope and I didn't see much of anything out of the ordinary.  Perhaps the magnification was not high enough.  But it would probably help if I knew what I was suppose be looking at.  Am I suppose to see movement??  Because I didn't see any.  What am I suppose to see??  Anyone know?      

[cave76]

My own little science project is almost three days long now.

I've left two capsules of my normally refrigerated probiotics on a clean dish at room temperature. My room temp. is a bit warmer than most people like.

Results so far:
No visible changes.
Capsules look just the same and aren't bulging or 'expanding'.

Only a lab test could show if they lost some viability but I guess that there could be some minor loss.

After a few more days I'll open one up and use my jewelers loupe to see what I can see. Then borrow a friends microscope. Maybe I'll see them all laying on their back, feet waving wildly and gasping. (grin) Or maybe most of them will look healthy (compared to ones just out of the fridge.)

What larks!

[ngageme]

It's a little bit out of context, but have you ever looked at Kefir? Lifeway Kefir has about 10 active probiotic cultures that is way more than what anybody can buy in a dry form. Cost is also way lower - $3.99 per bottle. It is sold at most chain Supermarkets and Walmart.

[Ricobord]

Without a lab to test a capsule, I guess I'd have no idea if most or all of the probiotics in the capsule had died or not.  I had to travel all day recently with a bottle of probiotics and I didn't have an ice pack to wrap them.  Ever since, they just don't seem as effective.  I suspect I lost at least half of the little critters.  I wish I did have a microscope. It would be cool to see them up close.  It's still weird to me to take a capsule full of bacteria to help my gut.

Ephedra - You never know when antibiotic induced diarrhea will kick in. I didn't think I had to worry about it either, until I was switched to Clindamycin. Now I have to be really careful.  It's more than diarrhea and yeast, though.  Upsetting the gut balance also messes with the immune system.  Researchers are learning that many important components of the body are manufactured in the gut.  A unhealthy gut leads to an unhealthy body.

My doc only gives Diflucan for 10 days because it's so hard on the liver.  After that, I pulsed it once every 3 days.  I have found that consistently taking Yeast Cleanse by Solaray is just as effective as pulsing Diflucan, but with no fear of liver damage. I highly recommend it.

[Ephedra]

Thanks everyone!!  So many excellent responses!  

You crack me up Bob.  Not sure if it's intentional or not.  But it's all good :)  

I'm still taking them.  Of course, I didn't want to throw them out - I pay a decent amount money for my stuff.  I ordered them online as I typically do, and I didn't realize that they required refrigeration.  It didn't specify.  Therefore I am not really sure what type of environment it was in prior to being shipped.  I don't know, they just seemed a little weak from the beginning though.  This is a new brand that I have never tried before (Metabolic Maintenance, Extra Strength).  I was ordering another one from the doctors office, and they seemed really good.

I don't have to worry about antibiotic induced diarrhea.  Not likely to happen.  I just want to keep any fungal infections down.  And I am taking Diflucan now, so that should help with that.  Just not real sure how long I should take it for.  The doctor never says.  

  

[nutrinut_bob]

I was a case of "had to drink something".  I was in the middle of an area where there was nothing but it to drink, for a long, long way, on foot.  No harm done otherwise, and there's some interesting acidophillus lives in it.  Externally it's good for getting rid of chiggers and such.  Actually there's a spring, or that's what they call it, not far away that is mine drainage, not as acidic as what I drank, pH of 5.5 vs the 3.0 of the water that produced the reaction.  Ohio EPA says it's ok, and it is what I use for cooking, coffee and other things that require water.  Lots of people haul water from it.  All my ancestors grew up in an area that most all the water is like that. Drinking alkaline water would likely not be good for me, despite the anti-cancer claims.

[cave76]

I sincerely hope you didn't drink that mine drainage water on purpose.

[cave76]

We were talking about leaving probiotics (capsules or tablets) out of the refrigerator for X amount of time and if they would degrade.

Those probiotics in capsules would not be exposed to milk.
Rico?

[nutrinut_bob]

You got a microscope?  Kids toy would do.  Most are lactobaccilli, so a little milk on your clean dish or a jar would probably be better so other bacteria don't get in. The lactic acid of the milk will take care of the pH and nutrient requirements.

I did a Bill Nye thing once.  Drank some mine drainage water that turned my feces black.  It has sulphuric acid in it.  Later I saw a Bill Nye show where he added sulphuric acid to sugar.  The reaction looked like those kid's fireworks, snakes, with a long strand of black exudate coming up out of the beaker.  So the reason my feces turned black was the sulphuric acid reacting with sugars that coated my colon.

I think I'd let Bill Nye be my LLMD.

[cave76]

How would a person test if staying out of the fridge for a day (or more) results in degradation?

Left in capsule?
Sprinkled on a very clean dish?

Wouldn't they need water to grow?
pH?

So many questions, so few answers. (grin)

"Mrs. Bill Nye"

[Ricobord]

I think it depends on the brand.  I have taken a brand where the sales person told me I had to get it into a fridge within an hour or two. He said they were raw and not as processed as other brands.  But another brand, I was told they'd be okay for about 12 hours or so, as long as they didn't get too warm.

Even though the body is quite warm, they have food and a place to live in the body. In a capsule, they need to stay cool so they stay dormant.

I left mine out once, too, so now, I only open the bottle when I'm standing in front of an open fridge.  I don't even set them down, except to put the bottle back on the shelf and shut the door.  With that approach, I haven't left them out again.

I encourage you to switch them out every couple months. I have found that over time, a single one becomes less effective.  Sometimes I keep 2 or 3 in my fridge and alternate them.  If one doesn't seem to be helping, definitely try a different one.  Different strain combinations work for different people.

[nutrinut_bob]

I would think the idea behind refrigeration is to slow the growth of any living organisms that are in the capsules.  If the caps look ok, haven't expanded due to growth of the organisms they're likely fine.  But you have an opportunity for an experiment, leave a couple out and see if they do multiply!  What acidophilus bacteria would be negatively effected by room temperature, but not by body temperature?   Meaning, they are not cold natured critters that would die at room temperature.  Can't agree with Dr. Wong's answer above.  Now leaving them in your car on a sunny day, that's a different story.

[cave76]

I think it would only result in a small loss of live bacteria. That's my opinion.
Also there's the question of how long a shipment of probiotics stand on the loading dock of a store or in the back room before they're put on display in a refrigerated case.

Here are some other articles:

"Do I need to keep probiotics cold when traveling or
away from home?

If refrigeration is not available during traveling or in the workplace, it is
usually fine to keep them outside the refrigerator for a week or two at
a time. A supply of probiotics can be removed from the refrigerated
stock bottle and put into a smaller container and carried in a purse or
briefcase. Generally, if an individual is personally comfortable at room
temperature then the probiotics should maintain their full potency at
these same temperatures during this time out of the refrigerator."

https://www.mossnutrition.com/uploads/universe/products/uploads/docs/wysiwyg/products/Probiotic_Handling.pdf

"For your trip, although there may be some loss of live bacteria, storing acidophilus at room temperature for one day or less should not cause a significant enough drop in the number of live bacteria that the product becomes ineffective."

http://altmedicine.about.com/od/drcathywongsanswers/f/acidophilustemp.htm

[Elleon_arual]

My naturopath told me if it is left out for more than 2 hours, they aren't good.

Just like mojo above though, sometimes I'll take one with me if we are going out somewhere and take it hours later.  Seems to still work the same as if it was fresh out of the fridge.

[mojogal]

People may disagree with me but because I forget my probiotics when they are in the fridge and have left them out, I would take them anyway instead of throwing them out.