What This Probiotic for Women Is For
Actilife Women’s Flora is the probiotic for women people take for intimate comfort and vaginal flora balance, usually after a bout of thrush, after a course of antibiotics, or when the same irritation keeps coming back. Fifteen capsules, with thirty billion live organisms stated on the pack.
Please read the next two sections before you buy this one, because intimate symptoms are the area where buying the wrong thing costs the most time. Three different conditions produce very similar discharge and irritation, they need three different treatments, and only one of them responds to anything sold without a prescription. Getting that sorted first is worth far more than any capsule.
Three Conditions That Feel the Same and Need Different Treatment
Thrush is a yeast overgrowth, and it responds to antifungal treatment. Bacterial vaginosis is an imbalance of bacteria, and it responds to a particular antibiotic. Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted infection, it responds to a different antibiotic again, and a partner needs treating at the same time or it simply returns.
All three can produce discharge, soreness and itching, and plenty of women treat themselves for thrush for months when the answer was one of the other two. Our doctor can examine you, test where testing is needed, and prescribe the right treatment the same day. That is a short conversation and it settles the question properly.
What a Probiotic for Women Can Honestly Be Said to Do
No health claim for any probiotic is authorised anywhere, and claims about defending against vaginal organisms have been looked at specifically. The pair of strains studied most closely for this purpose was assessed and the claim was turned down, because the human trials needed to support it were absent.
So nobody may promise you that a probiotic restores your vaginal flora or keeps infections away, and we hold back from saying it. What women do report is that steady daily use alongside proper treatment suits them, particularly after antibiotics, and that is the honest reason to take it.
What Is Actually in the Capsule, and the Part Nobody Mentions
Thirteen named strains giving thirty billion live organisms: a lactobacilli blend at twenty-two billion, built on Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus gasseri, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus helveticus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii, and a bifidobacteria blend at eight billion with Bifidobacterium breve, bifidum, longum and lactis. Those first few are the species most closely studied in women’s intimate health, which is a better reason to choose this pack than any number on the front of it.
And there are two ingredients in here that deserve far more prominence than they get: 150 mg of cranberry extract and 300 mg of D-mannose, alongside a prebiotic fibre. Those two are what people usually buy separately for urinary comfort, so if that is part of why you are looking, this one capsule covers both. Take one capsule daily with breakfast, and keep three to four hours between it and any antibiotic.
How to Take It, and What to Expect
One capsule daily with breakfast. Fifteen capsules is therefore a fortnight, which makes a single pack a trial rather than a course, so if you intend to keep going ask us how many packs a sensible run would be.
Give it four to six weeks of steady use before judging it, and keep taking any treatment our doctor prescribes for the full course alongside it. Wind or fullness in the first few days is common with any probiotic and usually settles within a week. Keep the pack closed, cool and out of direct sunlight.
Taking It Around Antibiotics
These are bacteria, so an antibiotic swallowed at the same time destroys a good share of the capsule on the way down. Leave two hours between the antibiotic and the capsule, and carry on for a few days after the course finishes, which is exactly when most women want it.
If you would rather take something an antibiotic leaves alone entirely, a probiotic yeast sidesteps the timing, and NOW Saccharomyces boulardii is that option. For a straightforward daily pack with every strain named and no fridge needed, there are the Nature’s Aid five-strain capsules, and for another women’s pack on the same shelf, Avalife Daily Flora Balance. Our pharmacist will put them side by side with you.
A Word on Prescriptions, Plainly
The treatments for thrush, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis are prescription medicines, and we dispense a prescription item only against a prescription, or against one our own doctor has issued after seeing you. That rule holds for everyone, every time.
It works in your favour here. Our doctor is at the pharmacy, so you can be seen, tested where needed, and have the right treatment dispensed in one visit, with this pack alongside it if it suits you. That is a better morning than three months of guessing.
Is This Probiotic for Women Right for You?
Please talk to our pharmacist or our doctor before you start if any of these apply to you.
- Discharge with pelvic pain, fever, or bleeding between periods. Please see our doctor the same day. Those point to something that needs examining and treating rather than a supplement.
- Pregnancy. Intimate symptoms in pregnancy are treated differently and some ordinary treatments are set aside. Come and see our doctor first.
- Four or more bouts a year. Recurrent thrush deserves investigating properly, including a blood sugar test, because repeated bouts are sometimes the first sign of diabetes.
- A weakened immune system, or a central line or other indwelling catheter. Live organisms in any quantity deserve a conversation with our doctor first.
- Any chance of a sexually transmitted infection. Testing is quick and confidential, and a partner usually needs treating at the same time. Ask us.
Where to Buy Actilife Women’s Flora in Kenya
Order online and we deliver countrywide, or collect from our pharmacy at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. We send orders to Nairobi and every neighbourhood around it — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Rosslyn, Kitisuru, Lower Kabete, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Buruburu, Donholm, Embakasi, Ngong Road, Kasarani, Roysambu, Zimmerman, Githurai, Ruaka, Banana Hill, Two Rivers, Village Market and Pride Lands — and across Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong.
Beyond the capital we deliver to Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Vihiga, Webuye, Kitale, Nandi Hills, Iten, Kapenguria, Embu, Meru, Chuka, Kerugoya, Murang’a, Othaya, Nyahururu, Nanyuki, Maralal, Isiolo, Marsabit, Moyale, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Emali, Kibwezi, Voi, Taveta, Wundanyi, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Hola. At the amount our pharmacist settles with you a pack runs for a known length of time, so tell us the pack size you want and we will work out how many months that covers before you order.
Across Africa, ask us before you order. We have sent orders to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and as far as Malawi, and we will quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of the continent. Tell us the destination and we will confirm any import paperwork before the parcel leaves us.
Living abroad? Order from wherever you are and we deliver to your family here in Kenya. Kenyans in the UK, the United States, Canada, South Africa and the Gulf order from us regularly for parents and relatives at home. A women’s probiotic like this one taken steadily month after month does far more than a single pack, so tell us who it is for and how many months you want covered and we will set up the repeat.
Why Buy Your Actilife Women’s Flora from HealthAlone Kenya?
HealthAlone is a pharmacist-led health ecosystem licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, and our stock is original, sealed and correctly stored. Kahawa Sukari is a real counter with real pharmacists behind it.
Our pharmacists will read the strain names off the carton with you and set the daily amount, and will say plainly when the answer is a consultation with our doctor rather than a capsule. Our doctor is here too if you would rather have the whole question looked at properly.
It is one more step in our vision: building Africa’s most trusted health ecosystem, accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Actilife Women’s Flora: Your Questions Answered
What is in this probiotic for women?
Thirteen named strains giving thirty billion live organisms: twenty-two billion lactobacilli, built on Lactobacillus crispatus, gasseri, johnsonii and reuteri among others, and eight billion bifidobacteria. It also carries 150 mg of cranberry extract, 300 mg of D-mannose and a prebiotic fibre. No health claim for any probiotic is authorised, so we hold back from promising you a result.
Will it clear my thrush?
We are not permitted to tell you that, and we would rather be useful. Thrush responds to antifungal treatment, which our doctor can prescribe after seeing you, and this pack sits alongside that rather than in place of it.
How do I know it is thrush at all?
Often you cannot, and that is the point. Thrush, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis all produce discharge and irritation, and each needs a different treatment. Our doctor can examine you and test where testing is needed, the same day.
Why does the strain matter more than the thirty billion?
Because a probiotic does whatever its particular strains do, and only a small handful have been studied for this part of the body. Four of the thirteen here are among those most closely studied, which is a better reason to choose it than the number on the front.
Has the vaginal flora claim ever been approved?
No. The pair of strains studied most closely for it was assessed and the claim was turned down, because the human trials needed to support it were absent. No probiotic claim of any kind is authorised.
How many capsules a day?
One capsule daily with breakfast, so fifteen capsules is a fortnight. Keep three to four hours between the capsule and any antibiotic.
How long before I can judge it?
Four to six weeks of steady use, and keep taking any treatment our doctor prescribes for the full course alongside it.
Can I take it while I am on antibiotics?
Yes, and that is when most women want it. Leave three to four hours between the antibiotic and the capsule, because an antibiotic taken alongside bacteria destroys a good share of them, and carry on for a few days after the course ends.
I get thrush four or five times a year. What should I do?
Please come and see our doctor rather than repeating a pack. Recurrent bouts deserve investigating, including a blood sugar test, because they are sometimes the first sign of diabetes.
Can I take it in pregnancy?
Ask our doctor first. Intimate symptoms are treated differently in pregnancy and some ordinary treatments are set aside, so this is worth a proper conversation.
Do I need a prescription for the treatment?
Yes. The treatments for all three conditions are prescription medicines, and we dispense those only against a prescription or one our own doctor has issued after seeing you. Our doctor is here, so it can be done in a single visit.
Could my partner need treating too?
For trichomoniasis, yes, and the infection returns if he is not treated. Ask us: testing is quick and confidential.
Does it need to be kept in a fridge?
Keep it closed, cool and out of direct sunlight. Ask us when you buy if you are unsure, because some live products hold their potency in a fridge and others are built for a shelf.
Where can I buy Actilife Women’s Flora 15’s in Kenya, and what does it cost?
From HealthAlone, online for delivery countrywide or over the counter at Kahawa Sukari Shopping Center, Nairobi. The current price is shown above. We deliver across Nairobi — the CBD, Westlands, Parklands, Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Karen, Langata, South B, South C, Eastleigh, Kasarani, Roysambu, Githurai, Ruaka and Banana Hill — and to Kiambu, Thika, Juja, Ruiru, Kikuyu, Limuru, Ngong, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kitengela, Naivasha, Narok, Kericho, Kisii, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega, Kitale, Embu, Meru, Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Isiolo, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Lodwar, Kitui, Makueni, Voi, Taveta, Mariakani, Diani, Ukunda, Kilifi, Watamu, Malindi and Lamu. Outside Kenya we have delivered to Uganda, Tanzania, Somaliland and Malawi, and we quote for Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and the rest of Africa on request. If your symptoms are current, see our doctor at the same visit and the whole thing can be settled in one morning.
