So I based my yogurt recommendation on that. The bottom line, I would say, is that it can't hurt and it might help. I couldn't find any acidophilus pill studies even though I looked specifically for those. The study showed positive results. So as Donna said, I think the question hasn't been answered as to survival of these organisms through the GI tract.
Help is help.
My primary recommenation, though, is to take the probiotics in the pill forms I mentioned above. Several pieces of fruit a day, and 4. I do see it well tolerated in folks with lactose intolerance and the literature supports it, but am interested in what others have seen. Yes, I too find yogurt is well tolerated in lactose sensitivity, except in extreme cases. I also have the impression that some live cultures do live long enough in the gut to warm up, populate, and finish off whatever remaining lactose there is in the yogurt.