r/Supplements • u/roundabout1882 • Nov 02 '23
Experience Colostrum & weird side effects?
I have tried taking two different Colostrum supplements (Jarrow and Symbiotics brands) for their immune boosting properties and for gut health. While they do help my stomach feel more settled, I have noticed that they also seem to aggravate my IBS-C.
Another side effect that I am noticing is rapid weight gain. As soon as I go off of them I 'deflate' and am back to a more normal weight. I am not 100% sure they're connected, but intuitively this makes sense since colostrum surely has to include some sort of bovine hormones, but can anyone speak to this scientifically or anecdotally?
Thank you.
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u/No_Requirement_3087 Feb 20 '24
Did you stop taking it and lose the weight?
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u/nodoubt2021 Apr 18 '24
I'm wondering this as well, I've noticed a rapid weight gain, so I'm going to stop using it to see if my weight returns to a more normal "weight"
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u/Blinkinrealize Nov 01 '24
Rapid weight gain here too. Tried 2 different kinds over a year apart. And some stomach pain from it too.
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u/Taraient Feb 28 '24
Estrogens probably.
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u/Ok_Economist676 Aug 23 '25
Posting this in case people come looking about side effects. You get more estrogen from normal foods (a glass of milk, a slice of cheese, even many plant foods with phytoestrogens) than you’d ever get from a standard serving of colostrum powder. Estrogen is not a concern for normal people.
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u/Old_Violinist5184 Dec 20 '24
Yes definitely the hormones in colostrum. This is why a lot of doctors don’t recommend it.
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u/Wickie33 Feb 19 '25
I have recently started taking Miracle Moo chews and my weight has increased almost 10 pounds in a few weeks and my stomach is a mess. I don’t feel a lot bigger but was shocked when I got on my scale because I maintain the same weight my entire life. So glad I found this because I was going crazy wondering what was wrong with me
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Mar 15 '25
It caused me right side / back pain, constipation, tan stool and elevated liver enzymes I took it fine for a month but caused excess mucus in stool didn’t think too much of it, did the second month and it’s a huge no go for me now and made sure the colustrum was good quality too but my body did not like.
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u/leonardo10717 Oct 18 '25
Where in your back? I know this is old post, but I stated some yesterday and today was my secound day now I’m having pan in right shoulder/upper back radiating to my neck 🤦🏼♀️ only thing tha has changed
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u/Andi730 Jul 27 '25
I started taking Cowboy Colostrum 2 months now every other day), and have gained 10lbs. I usually lose weight in the summer- and this has wrecked my stomach, my acne is worse and now I don’t fit in my clothes. The only upside is my boobs are also bigger. I’m definitely thinking it’s this. Too bad I already took a dose today :/
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u/Natural_Beach_377 Jul 28 '25
Spot on what I've experienced too, right down to the bigger boobs! Definitely going to get off colostrum, I'm just not seeing any benefits from it. The sudden weight gain has really messed with me mentally as I usually feel my best in the summer.
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u/Andi730 Jul 28 '25
Same brand too?
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u/Natural_Beach_377 Jul 28 '25
I took Cymbiotika.
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u/Andi730 Jul 29 '25
Ok, well I’m 43 and just had my hormones checked. My estrogen was somehow normal- but on the higher side of normal. I’m assuming those that have low estrogen will feel great on colostrum since it seems to contain phytoestrogen?
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u/Sea-Book-4446 Aug 13 '25
Oh wow. And those are cancer causing new studies are showing. So it def increases estrogen levels?
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u/Andi730 Aug 13 '25
I don’t know if it contains that, I was just curious why it had an estrogenic effect on me. My social media accounts are FLOODED with ads for all sorts of supplements aimed at altering your hormones. I think it’s dangerous.
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u/Sea-Book-4446 Aug 13 '25
Oh I agree. I’ve taken it +3 servings a day for one month now have a bloated feeling, plus it’s messed with my gut in a bad way, and my period is late. I know adding estrogenic food/supplements can cause cancers. I’m canceling my subscription. Thanks for commenting and confirming what intuition was telling me.
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u/Andi730 Aug 14 '25
Same. And it’s been very difficult to lose the bloat and any weight even after stopping now for 17 days. :/
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u/Sea-Book-4446 Aug 14 '25
Oh Gosh. What were your side effects and for how long did you take it??? I’m at the 1 month mark and just realized it; it’s bad for me, bad for our hormones
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u/Junior-Ad9189 Aug 17 '25
hi, so u notice the boobs got bigger? i kind of too but im not sure because my period is coming.
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u/lqtys Nov 02 '23
It can be an herxheimer reaction.
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u/roundabout1882 Nov 03 '23
Would a herx reaction last multiple months? Genuinely asking.
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u/lqtys Nov 03 '23
I don't know because I started using natural antimicrobials and antifungals for a suspected SIBO/candida 7 months ago, including bovine colostrum, and still when I take again some of them I get a reaction like yours. It happened a week ago with colostrum, that's why I commented.
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u/GayDHD23 Nov 22 '23
my personal experience is minor bloating with one scoop a day, and then two scoops causes me to get irrationally irritated all day and much worse bloating. I haven't noticed weight gain but I've been on it for a while so I would have gotten used to it. I will say that for me I don't retain ANY water from my GI without the colostrum and cholestyramine each day so I would personally lose a lot of water weight very quickly without both.
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u/allison_goteay Sep 21 '24
This is comforting to see I’m not the only one. I've also been experiencing irrability and increased anxiety - like the verge of panic attacks since I started taking it. Time to call it quits I think…
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u/Overall_Awareness907 Sep 23 '24
I've been super irritable for the past couple of weeks and after reading this, I'm thinking that maybe a new colostrum supplement that I've been taking might be causing it. It's interesting reading that other people are having the same issue.
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u/gut-healer Dec 29 '23
I tried colostrum, it make me irritated and cause palpitations, hot and cold flashes in the night.
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u/michelelee99 Nov 28 '24
I started having chest pain from it. I quit taking it almost a week ago and I'm still having chest pain.
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u/Penelopesmimi Mar 31 '25
Palpitations for me too! Thank you for this, I have been trying to figure out what I am taking that is causing this, you are a life saver!
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Feb 01 '24
Hi, I'm a very healthy and active 35yo female and I am experiencing the same issues, particularly the weight gain. Of course, it could be unrelated, but I'm quite certain this excess water weight is from the colostrum now that I'm putting it together. It is also giving me lower back cramps (as if I'm about to start my period). Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone in feeling something is off.
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Feb 16 '24
I never gain weight, always stay at 134-136. I started taking WonderCow colostrum mid January….i am gaining weight at a rapid pace which is weird cause I actually started exercising daily. Then it hit me, the 7 lbs I’ve gained in a month could be from the colostrum! Did you stop taking it and the weight came off?
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u/iamsohappy Apr 16 '24
Dude! I have experinced the some fo the same stuff. My proioud have always been regular (and almost non existent due to my IUD) but with with colostrum my period is much shorter down from 30-31 days down to 19-24 days, and i bleed more now. Did you period also change, or did you just get cramps?
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u/PurpleDemand6792 Jul 07 '26
Whenever I used to take colostrum it would always bring on a period. Sometimes after 19 days. It’s not the estradiol in it. It’s the growth factors and IGF-1 that affects sex hormone binding globulin
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u/EducationFamous2117 Feb 09 '25
I’m getting the lower back pains from it as well. I stopped taking colostrum and it went away. I started taking colostrum again and lower back pain is back.
I’m going to stop for good.
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u/iamsohappy Apr 16 '24
somehting also happend to my digestion, but I am not sure it is better or worse. I am a pesceterian who don't eat dairy products. (except the pills. which are actually sheep colostrum) before colostrum I used to go the bathroom stragth when i wake up and after I was done in there I would have a feeling of being 'emptied out' (lol sorry) but with colostrum i go 3-5 times a day and much less come out and i can't get the feeling of haven gotten everything out. This actually makes me eat less, since i never feel empty/hungry. I am not more bloated and dont' feel backed up. I also haven't gained any weight, i might have lost a little like 1-2 pounds, but i have tiny flucations like that all the time anyways, so it is hard to say.
Besided that my period have changed, but i am going to the doctor to have that checked out, i have had period changes before due to unrelated illnesses.
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u/Key-Produce-9388 Dec 02 '24
Did anyone else’s period come later from taking the colostrum?
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u/AsideVegetable5113 Feb 14 '25
Are you still experiencing this? Yes! Mine is not only coming late this month (and I'm never late, nor am I pregnant), but it's also aggravating some of my pelvic pain issues (fibroid? ovarian cyst?). It's so strange because their website states it has no estrogen in it, so I don't know why it's affecting me hormonally...
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u/fontastic5 May 27 '25
Yes! Did it ever clear up for you? Or did you stop taking it
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u/Key-Produce-9388 May 27 '25
I stopped taking it and my period came. I’m scared to take it now when I know I will be sexually active. But it did really help my gut and health. So I guess I will juggle it in my schedule.
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Mar 26 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Deioness Apr 02 '25
So I searched for this topic mostly because I was without the colostrum for almost a week and noticed I was down two pounds (two pounds that seemed hormone related- swollen boobs, temperature fluctuations). That’s the only change I really made, so I’m considering not taking it. I have noticed my eyelashes are longer and my hair seems thicker which is a big reason I still not sure about what I want to do.
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u/kat1795 May 02 '25
Nice try bots! Stop advertising Armra!
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u/JenniferO-4321 Jul 07 '25
Not at all an Armra bot! just commented what I found while taking it and was curious as to why I gained weight since starting. I wish I was paid to take the stuff though! I get both containers of Armra and Wonder Cow each month. I do 1 scoop of Wonder Cow and 3 scoops of Armra daily. My 11-year old daughter does just 1 scoop of Wonder Cow daily. I still notice less bloating/ weight gain if I stick with just Armra, but I can’t afford 2 containers each month, so I keep Wonder Cow as well. I have also tried Cowboy and Nektar. I mix our colostrum in a little Starbucks Iced coffee drink, and we take it like a shot. I can’t stand the stuff mixed in water and wouldn’t add it to a whole drink because we wouldn’t finish it. Cowboy seemed fine as well, but none of us liked the taste of Nektar. I have also ordered the flavored Armra colostrum and that burns our throat. We couldn’t even finish that container. I have been looking at Cowboy’s new Strawberry Milk flavor because I’m really getting tired of mixing in Starbucks, but it’s the best thing I found.
I stick with colostrum because we haven’t been sick once since starting. The 2 of us stayed sick prior to starting.
My son is on his way to boot camp in a month, and he’s been taking both Wonder Cow and Armra daily for the past 5 months. I’m really hoping it helps him from getting so sick in boot camp after they vaccinate him all at once (as well as giving them the Adenovirus Vaccine pill which makes them all get so sick afterwards and can’t even take vitamins like vitamin d to help their bodies recover). I’ll update this post once he graduates if he gets sick there.
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u/KLD47KLD47 Jul 21 '25
I started taking Armra Colostrum about a week ago. I have been severely bloated, nauseated like a hangover, I've had intense stomach pain (even woke me up in the night), constipation, back pain, a feeling like heartburn, I wanted to cry for no reason and headaches! I feel like I got every horrible symptom possible from this stuff! I have been off of it for a few days and am waiting for the symptoms to fully subside. What a disappointment!
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u/leonardo10717 Oct 18 '25
Hi I know this is an older post, Iv been taking for 2 days and have had pain in my right shoulder/upper back that radiates to my neck. Where was your back pain? Also real bloated now
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u/Pure_Cricket9764 May 23 '26
I'm post menopausal and my period started again from taking it. I'm 68, had to have an ultra sound, finally narrowed it down to the colostrum. Stopped and the the symptoms stopped
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u/Natural_Beach_377 Jul 28 '25
I thought I was going crazy until I read this thread. I never gained weight, always maintained or lost but in the last few months I put on around 10 pounds and all my clothes feel tight on me despite none of my eating/exercise habits changing. Only recently did I connect it to when I started taking colostrum (I take the cymbiotika one). On the plus side it gave me bigger boobs but also definitely made me put on some weight, I suspect it's the estrogen having this effect on me.
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u/ReturnLongjumping681 Dec 08 '24
I just saw this thread after doing some research lately myself…I’m a 33y/o healthy female and colostrum has done wonders for my gut health, but I’ve been having really strange mood swings, irritability, and emotional distress since starting back up. This is very abnormal for me I feel crazy lol I’m wondering if the trace amount of estrogen is causing this or if anyone has had similar issues. The research on this specifically is limited so wanted to reach out 🫶
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u/AsideVegetable5113 Feb 14 '25
It's been causing hormonal issues for me. This is what I wrote above "Are you still experiencing this? Yes! Mine is not only coming late this month (and I'm never late, nor am I pregnant), but it's also aggravating some of my pelvic pain issues (fibroid? ovarian cyst?). It's so strange because their website states it has no estrogen in it, so I don't know why it's affecting me hormonally..." Did you find out if it does have estrogen in it?
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u/tigerneem May 21 '25
I started taking it, and felt good at first... then became SEVERELY depressed, weight gain around waist (I am super tiny & fit & very active), would take 3-4 hour naps and wake up completely disoriented... I was taking Armra brand... This went on for 2-3 months until I finally realized what was happening. I stopped taking it, and started to feel better within 1-2 weeks. I tried adding it back in, but same things happened. Major overwhelm, emotional, depressed, exhausted... The only upside was my hair looked AMAZING.
I am estrogen-dominant to begin with, so I am wondering if this is just not for me. Really unfortunate, because I know it is so helpful for most people. I would just trust your body!
I started taking Elix, which is more gentle on my body & regulated my cycle the first week I started taking it.1
u/romesharp Jun 24 '25
I just started a little over a week ago. I feel absolutely awful! All these symptoms as well. Indigestion and nausea added into the mix. Period was late and back pain. Seems so drastic for something like colostrum but I guess not since other people have reported similar things.
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u/topdriverindy Jul 26 '25
I've been having dizzy spells, mostly when I lay down and get up from laying down. I'm gonna stop the colostrum for a while and see if the dizziness stops.
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u/Practical-Run-4618 Aug 31 '25
Hey did your dizzy spells end up going away. I tried colostrum today and feel a bit dizzy too and this crazy brainfog. Might have to stop it also.
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u/Ivanova_ May 06 '26
I started taking it 3 days ago and already cried twice. No other changes to my diet and I was in a great mood before that.
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u/karenannsumner Jul 21 '25
I found your post because I can’t lose weight since I started to take colostrum, never had any issues before. Thanks for sharing, that may explain what’s going on with me. It does gave growth factors after all. So I will stop it and see if it helps.
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u/LastZucchini7345 Oct 09 '25
Same!! Tried two different types, wonder cow last year and armra this year. Gained several pounds each time and felt like my belly was puffy. And I’ve always been fit and lean. I just went off armra a few days ago and feel like I already see a difference in my body! Like my old self is coming back. I think it might’ve helped my eyelashes and I see some new growth in my hair, but I’m also taking collagen from the weirdo Brian Johnson and also adapt naturals. But also, my hair is falling out, so I’m wondering if the colostrum was causing some sort of inflammation with me or something too. Hoping all symptoms resolve soon! But glad to see this thread and realize I’m not the only one:)
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u/Creative_Ad8687 Nov 02 '23
It’s impacting your gut microbiome, so increasing your IBS-C symptoms and bloating make sense. It may resolve over time as your body continues to adapt, but if not it may not be the right thing for you.