I spent a lot of money on refrigerated probiotics over the years, and ended up now with no longer taking them regularly. One strain of probiotics is not like another and probiotics are not acting in a vacuum because they are affected by what you eat. If the research is to be believed, the actions of probiotics are strain specific (some cause weight loss, others weight gain, and others no effect on weight) and even that isn't proven, since there is contradictory info from different studies. Some think the greatest benefit comes from taking the products with the most different number of strains, but who knows?
I have done better with avoiding gas without taking probiotics and stopping them hasn't seemed to affect my weight. I eat yogurt several times a week ( Fage brand doesn't cause me gas) and it is a breakfast alternative for me to the never ending parade of eggs, for the same amount of protein.
The worst, most terrible gas came with one of the Jarrow supplement brands, because it also had prebiotics. If probiotics are combined with prebiotics in the pill or with what you are eating (anything with fiber, oats, or onions), watch out for gas explosions. Tried lots of different brands and never saw enough of an effect on reducing gas, other than mucho $$ lost.
If I take antibiotics, though, I follow with a week of Florastor. No effect on weight that I'm aware of, but a quicker return to normal digestion after antibiotics.
