For My Tummy

Self-Help for IBS

IBS Probiotic Align - This Is Not Good

Last week, on Wednesday August 22, 2007, I opened the 7-day pack of Align ™ for my last two weeks of reviewing the patented probiotic product. On that day I also ordered the next month of Align ™ from their web site. The day of the week was Wednesday. While I have a note of the order and the date and the confirmation code, I do not remember what time it was, though I think it was on the East Coast during the day.

In any case, there were two days left in the work week to ship out the Align ™ probiotic that I take for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). That did not happen, as I learned today with some dismay. Here is the actual email I received, with some editing to remove identifying details.

Reply
P&G to Contacts list Show original Message text
from P&G eStore Support hide details 3:00 pm (15 minutes ago) [that’s 3:00 p.m. EST]
to personlinks@gmail.com
date Aug 27, 2007 3:00 PM
subject Your Align Order Confirmation
mailed-by softcoin.com

Dear Customer,

We wanted to let you know that we just shipped your Align order number# 865697

The shipment went out via USPS and should arrive within one to two weeks.

If we can be of further service, please let us know. Customer Service can be reached by email at support@softcoin.com or by toll-free phone at 1-800-451-8904.

Thank you for purchasing Align.

Order 865697 Summary

To be shipped to:
The credit card name
The street address
The apt. number
The city and state
The phone number

Item: Align 28-Day Supply
Qty: 1

For additional order details, please log into your Align E-store account and click on ‘Account History’ then ‘Order Details’.

Thanks again for ordering from Align.

Reading this:

For additional order details, please log into your Align E-store account and click on ‘Account History’ then ‘Order Details’.

I logged in and viewed my order on their web site. All that was there was the amount of the purchase, my address, which I happen to remember, and the date and confirmation number for the order.

No tracking code, nothing that tells me when the Align ™ order will arrive, other than the alarming “one to two weeks” and the news that it was shipped USPS. Apparently shipping was not USPS Priority Mail, which comes in two days across country from Heather’s Products.

I am alarmed. Because of the delay in processing my order, five days out of 14 have been lost. If the order takes two weeks to reach me, I will have been out of Align ™ probiotic for between four and five days. Since, as I’ve noted before on this blog, missing a dose makes a noticeable difference, that is a dilemma. Much of the benefit of taking Align ™ for my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) may be gone; much of the original discomfort in starting Align may return. Do I wait out the time until Align ™ arrives, or do I shift back to my supply of the NSI 15-35 probiotic, or do I try another probiotic marketed for IBS, though perhaps not as well researched as Align ™?

A call to customer service reveals the following information:

  • There is no other faster way to ship Align ™, even if the order is placed by telephone.
  • In other words, all orders go out by USPS First Class Mail.
  • US Mail, unlike FedEx or UPS, works on Saturdays and delivers on Saturdays
  • The shipping point (warehouse, I guess) is in southern Ohio, clear of the flooding.

That information reduces my sense of panic; this is an illustration of what I said a few days ago about Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and repression-sensitization. (Yes, I know “represser” is misspelled; it should be “repressor.”) I wasn’t worried about the order being fulfilled when I sent it last Wednesday, because there was still plenty of time left. I “repressed” any worry. Then I got the notice five days later that the fulfillment people for Align ™ were only now getting around to sending out the order. I immediately “sensitized;” taking care of this / blogging about it shifted to the highest priority.

So as not simply to rant, I would like to offer several recommendations in the distribution of Align ™:

  • Provide several possibilities for online and telephone ordering, such as
    1. shipping alternatives
      • standard
      • express, with tracking number
    2. purchase alternatives
      • online and telephone from website
      • in stores
  • Provide for standing orders on a repeat basis, although a monthly, rather than 28-day, supply would be essential for this to be workable in many budgets.
  • Create an adequate supply chain before marketing to create demand!

The last, of course, is a “change the past” request, which is unfair–or a “bring on the future really quickly” request, which might be doable.

======================
PS Just called my local CVS Pharmacy. The pharmacist there says that the name and description of Align ™ Probiotic rings a bell, that another pharmacist was just asking about it, but he doesn’t have it; he’ll call me back when he knows more. He did call back; four other pharmacists in the chain don’t know any more than he does; they have no product information, and no sources. He’s going to read this blog to find out about Align ™.

Thanks to this particular CVS pharmacist, and the others I have known, who are really as great as their ads.
======================

Did you know that my compensation for writing so much about Align ™ is a two-months free supply, and the ability to offer readers a promotional code for a $5 discount on the $29.99 price of an online order (shipping is free). To get the code, please write a comment to any article on this blog, and request the code. I’ll send you an email with the code, and will ordinarily publish your comment and my response, without the promo code.

So, do you have any thoughts on this post, or others? An experience with Align ™?

August 27th, 2007 Posted by tummyblogger | Probiotics, general, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Align | 22 comments

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22 Comments »

  1. Hello there.

    I’ve been following your blog on Align and was wondering if you’re familiar with the probiotic product, Digestive Advantage IBS? I work for Ganeden Biotech, the makers of Digestive Advantage and we receive countless testimonials from people who have experienced great success using Digestive Advantage IBS.

    If you would like to try the product, we’d be happy to send you a free two month’s supply. Simply e-mail me your mailing address and I’ll get the product out to you asap.

    For more info please visit www.DigestiveAdvantage.com.

    To read reviews and info on other sites you can visit:
    irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/digestive-advantage.htm
    ibsgroup.org/forums
    healingwell.com/community

    Please e-mail me with ANY questions at drotshtein@ganedenbiotech.com.

    Hope to hear from you!

    Take care,
    -David

    Comment by David | August 28, 2007

  2. I started using Align about a week ago, and yes, I am disappointed that I have to wait up to two weeks to get the next batch… However, I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to take Align and feel better… I do hope that Align will change their shipping methods so that they can continue helping their consumers. For now, we’ll just have to order in advance.

    Comment by D W | August 30, 2007

  3. Dear David
    Thank you for your offer to do a two-month review and test of Digestive Advantage-IBS. I have been busy this week behind the scenes of the blog, making some necessary repairs and changes, so did not get back to you sooner.
    I am impressed by the support that Digestive Advantage IBS has gotten from the people who use it. Unfortunately, as I checked the ingredients online, I noticed that DA - IBS has sucralose in its formulation. Since I have IBS-C, I would be glad to try your DA - Constipation formula, which lacks the sucralose (Splenda).
    I know that Digestive Advantage sends out free samples from the web site, although the number of doses is not given. Also, Digestive Advantage is widely discounted, and supplies 32 doses in a package, two more favorables. Still, I would like to be able to give those readers who request it a further discount. Is that possible?
    Thank you for your interest in ForMyTummy.com.

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger
    [address]

    Comment by tummyblogger | August 31, 2007

  4. I saw this on the Align website:

    Would you rather buy Align at your local pharmacy? No problem. Just follow the steps below:
    Print the Align Pharmacy Order Companion.
    Call your local pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to order Align for in-store pickup.
    Pick up Align at the pharmacy within a day or two.

    Also, in the FAQ on the Align website, they said they only send by UPS and had tracking numbers. Are they lying to us?

    Comment by Brenda | September 2, 2007

  5. Hi, Brenda
    Thanks for reading the Align web site and bringing some of their comments to my/our attention.

    I didn’t print the “Align Pharmacy Order Companion” because it didn’t make sense to print it out, and then *call* the pharmacy across the street. Basically the pharmacy had to be on a list. When I gave them my zip code to locate the suitable pharmacy, the web site did indeed give me the name of my CVS pharmacy across the street–who had never heard of Align. As the pharmacist agreed, the pharmacy staff didn’t just need to get in Align and give it to people who wanted the product, they needed some knowledge of what the product is–for example, is it compatible with the customer’s medications.

    I suppose this method, of printing out an “Align Pharmacy Order Companion” and calling the pharmacy, is a marketing plan designed to create demand through word of mouth. The web site is asking people who know about Align to do the marketing to pharmacies, and act as the pharmacies’ sources of information.

    The product wasn’t in the warehouse last week when I asked about it, in a phone call to CVS. Admittedly I didn’t use the “Align Pharmacy Order Companion,” although my pharmacy across the street *was* on the list of pharmacies who could supply Align (in two days?) if I asked for it. So the web site is basically “vapor ware”–a term that applies (usually to software) where there’s a lot of description of how it is supposed to work, and then it doesn’t have all the features desribed, when it ships or is supposed to ship.

    Yes, I saw the mention that Align is shipped by UPS at this point in the web materials. My shipment of Align arrived Saturday courtesy of USPS, and not USPS Priority Mail, either. It took six days to cover a four- or five-hour drive, it’s true. Still, it didn’t take the two to four weeks that the page mentions.

    I checked my order confirmation number, and there were only the details of name and address along with date ordered. No date shipped, no tracking number.

    Yes, you know, there’s no Align Santa Claus in terms of even the promised ease of obtaining it. So they lied to us in several ways. Absolutely.

    Still, I’m willing to stick with it for the time being. My ability to digest things like (some) fruits and vegetables, cautiously taken, has improved on Align.

    Thanks for your comment, and all the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | September 3, 2007

  6. There are now three ways to get the promo code for Align.

    1. Write a comment to any post on ForMyTummy.com,

    2. Or, go to www.aligngi.com, News and Resources Tab, Align Materials Header part-way down the page, Tear Sheets, and on the second page there’s a code to use for the first month of Align.

    3. Or, in a week I’ll finish the process of reviewing Align and give out the code in that review.

    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | September 3, 2007

  7. […] This recent post about IBS probiotic Align has a comment from David at Ganeden Biotech, makers of Digestive Advantage ™IBS. They would like me to repeat the review process that I did with Align, using their product for IBS. Their product is widely available in stores, and has one good clinical test of its efficacy. […]

    Pingback by Digestive Advantage - IBS Suggestion | For My Tummy | September 4, 2007

  8. Hello, I am alarmed too that I will receive mine late this month. I might try writing to drugstore.com to see if they will offer some free. Please send me the promo code. Thanks again. It is a great product.

    Comment by Teresa Frith | April 29, 2008

  9. Hi, Teresa
    Thanks for writing in. The code for buying Align on line at a discount is AlignWOM. It does still work. You may also be able to have your pharmacist order Align from her/his warehouse, and have it in a day or two, but not (or not necessarily) at a discount. The discount is about $5 on $30 for a month’s supply of 30 pills.

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | April 30, 2008

  10. Hi! I just happened to find Align in Wal-Greens about 3 months ago. I didn’t know anything about it, but looked like something that could help me so I bought it without doing any research first. I’ve been taking it everyday and have found my IBS symptoms to have diminished considerably and only have good things to say about it. But about 3 weeks ago we were traveling when I realized I didn’t bring any Align with me. While on the road we stopped at a Wal-Greens but had trouble finding it on the shelf. There was a store clerk re-stocking the shelves and she assured me she knew where it was, but she couldn’t find it and even the manager couldn’t find it. But come to find out they had it on the clearance section for $6.99. I was in a hurry so I didn’t think to ask why they had it on clearance. I’ve been worried there was something wrong with the product, but I’m guessing you would have put something on here if there was?? Align is still ok to take?
    Also, I have tried some of the Ganeden Biotech products in the past, but I can’t take anything with surcalose (or any artifical sweetner) in it as well as any food colorings as I break out in hives. I did find relief with thier products, but the aches/pains and itchiness and red bumps weren’t worth it. To other IBS suffers, I hope you can find relief also.

    Comment by Jennifer | May 5, 2008

  11. Hi I am interested in the promo code . Wanted to order Align . Thanks for all your help

    Comment by Dheeraj Agrawal | May 6, 2008

  12. Its the first time I will be trying this product

    Comment by Dheeraj Agrawal | May 6, 2008

  13. Dear Dheeraj Agrawal,
    Thank you for your comment. The promo code for Align is AlignWOM and can only be used on their web site. It may take a little while for the product to reach you after you order it. I would suggest getting Align from your pharmacist, and paying the extra $5 (the amount of the discount you get by using the promo code online at the Align web site, www.aligngi.com) for the first month. That way, you can start using Align more quickly.

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | May 8, 2008

  14. Hi Jennifer
    As far as I know, there is no problem with Align. It may be that Wal-Greens discounted it for their own reasons–oversupply, or getting near the end of the “sell by” date, or something like that.
    Ganeden’s Digestive Advantage-IBS has two versions. One, the chewable version, is the one usually stocked in the stores. That one has sucralose, a very tiny amount, but enough to bother me, so obviously it would, and has, bothered you. HOWEVER, they have essentially the same product ( DA-IBS) without sucralose, in caplet form. You can order it from Amazon.com and get it very quickly. The packaging provides 92 caplets (not chewable), and they don’t bother my tummy at all.
    I don’t know what to tell you about finding the caplet version of DA-IBS when you are traveling, and need to replace it. I did hear from Ganeden Biotech that they will be marketing a store version of DA-IBS without sucralose, but I haven’t seen it at the CVS store I use for “research.”
    Thanks for writing in about your concerns.

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | May 8, 2008

  15. i was wondering if you would send me the promo code!!!

    Comment by stephanie | May 12, 2008

  16. Hi, Stephanie
    I’m sad that I overlooked your email in the end of semester rush.
    The code is AlignWOM , to be used when ordering from their website, to get their $5.00 discount.

    Thank you for writing in,
    Best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by Tummyblogger | May 26, 2008

  17. Hi, I read your blog and found a great deal of information on it. I wanted to know if you had increased bloating when you started it. I too was given a sample packet from the doctor and can not find it in the three local pharmacies that are within 1/4 of a mile from each other. However I also am checking into a product call Cultrelle. I was reading about it at the doctors before he even suggested Align to me. He knows nothing about it and told me he has had success with the Align with patients. He would not give me any numbers of succcess and did not mention if it would affect any other medications I take regularly. In researching things I also found that they have Crystal Light with Activia in it now as well. I know that there is one with Splenda in it that is safe for diabetics to use. Just how much Activia is in it I am unsure of. These are suggestions someone may want to try if they so choose.

    Comment by Joyce | July 21, 2008

  18. Hi, Joyce
    You wanted to know whether I had increased bloating when I started Align. This is what I wrote on ForMyTummy at the time:

    Yesterday I felt worse than I had in eight months or so, with IBS symptoms of bloating and constipation and gas, and that kind of pain where you just want to eat something that will make your IBS tummy feel better! Today, this morning and afternoon, also, I felt pretty bad all over, like nausea except I didn’t need to vomit, and didn’t have the sense that vomiting would help. Still constipated. (Tummyblogger, http://www.formytummy.com/2007/07/13/starting-align/, 7/22/08)

    I did have a rather flip tone when I started taking Align. I had been disappointed in the probiotic formulations from NSI, and Align had contacted me to review the *new* product. Their web site seemed to be overblown and promise too much. Well, you’ve seen what I think of promising too much, in my review of Activia! But I agreed to take Align, and to write an honest review.
    In retrospect, Align and Digestive Advantage-IBS (without the Sucralose), are both very effective probiotics. Both have the support of at least one clinical study showing their effectiveness with some or all of the problems of IBS. I would suggest sticking with Align, and waiting out the bloating and discomfort. Read the material that comes with Align, and at least make notes, if not keeping the record they suggest. When free samples from your doctor run out, you can use the ForMyTummy discount coupon, AlignWOM, which gets you $5 off when ordering from the www.aligngi.com website. Or you can pay between $29 and $31 and order Align from Amazon.com–that is, there’s not the usual discount, that way–but you would get it faster.
    To get Align at a local pharmacy is certainly possible. If there is one pharmacy that you trust more, like bett er, or favor for its cheaper prices, try talking to one of the pharmacists who actually fills prescriptions. (S)he may not have heard of Align. Just ask the pharmacist to check with the warehouse on whether they stock Align or not, and get it for you. Then be sure to ask about how long it will take.
    I’m saying this because Align is something your doctor has recommended, and you have a supply of it, and you have started taking it. Align is one of the two good probiotic products, in my estimataion. If you’ve started and it’s what your doctor wants you to take, the simplest thing is to continue. Tell your doctor about the side effects, and if they last past five days, call your doctor and complain!
    On Culturelle, I checked out their web site. They do not have clinical studies, or reports of clinical studies, available. They say they will give such reports to a physician who gives them a State License number. Well, I can’t do that. I *can* read research reports! I requested (through their customer service tab) a list of their “250 clinical studies that prove the effectiveness of LGG,” just as I did from NSI over a year ago. A year ago I repeated the request to NSI for that impressive list of clinical studies, and still have not heard from them. So I think that Culturelle is okay for people without clinically significant stomach problems who would like to try taking a probiotic; anyone who is looking for a probiotic that will actually *do* something should try either Align or Digestive Advantage-IBS (without Sucralose). You can get Digestive Advantage-IBS without Sucralose by ordering the capsules in the economy size from Amazon.com, or on their web site. From correspondence with them, I think that if you write to them and request a trial size (about ten *capsules*), mention that Tummyblogger from the ForMyTummy blog, who had reviewed Digestive Advantage - IBS, suggested that you contact them, I think they would help you out. If you mention that your doctor gave you a sample of Align, that might encourage them, also.
    I did not have the same initial queasiness when I started Digestive Advantage - IBS. Scientifically speaking, that just might be because it came after Align had staked out the territory in my tummy. I *could* do a case-control experiment: see what happens when I switch back to Align after taking Digestive Advantage. If the same bloating and yukkiness occurs again when I switch back to Align, it’s the product or the switching; if it doesn’t occur, it’s because both are effective formulations of probiotics for IBS.

    On Crystal Light with Activia in it, I couldn’t find it on the web. On Splenda, yes, it’s approved for diabetics, both types. Splenda is also called Sucralose, in lists of ingredients. It’s very important to watch your diet and read labels. What is good for diabetics is not automatically good for IBS. For example, artificial sweeteners can be a problem for people with IBS.

    On your list of products, I did know you were “just saying;” I didn’t suspect you of just using the blog to push a product as being “so great for my IBS.”

    Thanks for writing in, and let me know how it goes,

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | July 23, 2008

  19. I, too, went through the irritation of waiting forever after ordering from the Align web site. I’ve been taking it for about four months (with no side effects or drug interactions) and notice a HUGE, uncomfortable difference if I miss a few days. After finding out that this stuff really works, I knew I’d need a more efficient way of ordering it.

    Just have your local pharmacy special order it for you (thus the information that is provided on the Align web site for you to give to your pharmacist. The Align Pharmacy Order Companion literally has the catalogue numbers that the pharmacist would need to use to special order it–so they don’t need to know what it is.).

    http://www.aligngi.com/buy-at-pharmacy.shtml

    As you’re not asking that they CARRY it, but just special order a small amount for you, this should not be a problem. If it is, I would highly suggest switching pharmacies.

    My CVS doesn’t carry it on the shelf, so I have them special order however many boxes I need. They receive it in about three days, and I don’t have to pay shipping. (Hooray!) They call me as soon as it arrives; I pay when I pick up my boxes.

    No drama; happy tummy.

    Comment by Just me | August 14, 2008

  20. Hello, and thanks for sending in your comment on this active discussion! It is very helpful information, and I appreciate your sharing your successful experience. This same information exists elsewhere on ForMyTummy; your comment makes it available for people when they are most concerned about ordering and waiting!

    It’s also great that Align works so well for you. Glad you have a “happy tummy.”

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | August 17, 2008

  21. HI,
    I was headed to the Align website when I found this blog. I intend to add this to my bookmarks a visit here again. I have had issues with IBS for sometime. I just started the Align and yes it did take longer that I’d hoped- I wanted to get the “possible side effects” out of the way before I went back to school. I just started the Align 5 days ago and so far no side effects at all except that I feel better in that area. I’m sure you know what I mean.

    I started eating Active 10 months ago and I did find that it made a difference in things. So, I have just kept it up. My dr. approved of the Align but said it is basically doing the same thing as the Activa. Carefully, I explained to him that this Probiotic in Align is not exactally the same as the ones in Activa. (didn’t want to sound like I knew more!)

    One more thing. I read an interesting book recently called The Probiotic Revolution. Pretty easy to understand and a chart with the different strains is included. I found it at Borders Bookstore.

    Did you know you can order Align though Costco? It is not in the warehouse, it is online only. The catch is that you have to order 2 at a time. It is, however, a little less expensive. Around $23-24 each. I am not sure of the shipping costs or if it is UPS or USPS. My order from the manufacturer was USP ground and took about 7-8 business days. I’m glad I found this site. Think I will go exploring.
    Darlene

    Comment by Darlene | August 26, 2008

  22. Hi, Darlene
    Thanks for your report. I’ve added your information about the Costco web site as a post on www.formytummy.com.

    The book you recommend, The Probiotics Revolution has gotten good reviews, and others may be interested. I’ll look into it. I know you’re starting back to school. Still, I wonder whether you would consider reviewing the book for www.formytummy.com. All we can offer is a writing credit, something you could put on your resume — perhaps somewhat disguised, depending on the end user of the resume!

    All the best,
    Tummyblogger

    Comment by tummyblogger | August 28, 2008

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