Why do I keep getting sick after starting probiotics?

Don't just power through assuming it'll get better - that's not how probiotics typically work, and if you're getting sicker it's worth investigating. What you're describing could be a few things: some people do get temporary digestive upset when starting probiotics (called a "die-off effect"), but actual increase in colds suggests something else might be going on, like the specific strain not agreeing with you, contamination in the supplement, or honestly just coincidence timing-wise. Stop taking them for now and see if things improve over a week or two, then consider talking to a doctor before trying again - they can help you figure out if probiotics are even right for you or if a different approach makes more sense.

The timing here is suspicious enough that you should probably pause and figure out what's actually happening. One possibility is that you're taking a strain that doesn't match your gut chemistry, or the dosage is too high and causing a histamine reaction - some people get headaches, bloating, and immune weirdness from this. Another angle: check if you started them around the same time as anything else (new food, stress spike, seasonal change), because people often blame probiotics when the real culprit is something else entirely.

Here's the practical move nobody mentions - before ditching them or pushing through, try switching to a different brand with a completely different strain mix, but cut the dose in half for a week. If that doesn't help either, your gut probably doesn't need probiotics right now, and that's fine. Some people do genuinely feel worse with them, especially if their baseline digestion is already inflamed. You could also get a basic stool test if you want data instead of guessing, though that's more involved than most folks want to do.