Oh Sparkle, that is so much for you to deal with. How horrible for you. I agree that being bunged up lower down seems to aggravate heartburn/ gastritis, so anything we can do to improve this should help symptoms throughout the digestive tract (& the rest of the body for that matter). I really hope the probiotics will help you, but wonder if you find that different types have different effects, as they seem to with me - some actually seem more bunging
which we really don't need!
I find the subject of probiotics fascinating (saddoe that I am), especially with regard to mental health & think the field may have huge potential, with different probiotics & combinations of them possibly bringing all manner of targeted health improvements in the future. Because of their supposed links to mental health & purported ability to alter immune reactions, I'm also cautious & vigilant with them, as it seems possible that there is also potential for harm, though I've not read many a bad word about them, except in relation to users who've had recent surgery, are severely immunocompromised or have pancreatitis. As with all supplements, I think it's sensible to approach them with respect & cautious vigilance.
I also take GOS powder (galacto-oligo-saccharides) - which is supposed to promote growth of probiotics, but find that FOS (fructo . . .) is bad for gastritis, gut cramping & wind! I had been taking the GOS for years before it was recently credited on a Michael Mosely programme as being helpful for sleep. I really struggle with sleep so knew it wasn't helping mine, but swapped from taking it with breakfast to bedtime, as detailed on the programme & after a week or so thought there was a real improvement in my sleep. Then last week, sleep went more or less back to how it was before, so I'm not sure now what to think! Predictably, couldn't get the stuff for love nor money for a few weeks, as sleep-deprived, menopausal women everywhere were probably beating down shop doors to get at it
Breathed a sigh of relief when Boots had it back in today, so I won't run out now & can carry on with the bedtime experiment!