r/HumanMicrobiome

I don't know what to do anymore.

I had the stomach flu over a year ago, and have had residual symptoms (e.g., nausea, abdominal tenderness, etc.) ever since. I've also noticed strange odor and skin issues inside my upper thighs.

Symptoms come and go, but have not completely gone away.

I saw a GI specialist last summer, who prescribed Omeprazole to give my GI trac a chance to heal. When I weaned off, as prescribed, the symptoms came back full-force.

Since then, I took probiotics for a month, and I've been trying to drink kombucha and eat fermented foods, when available. I did aloe vera juice for a month or two, which did cut down on the inflammation but has since stopped helping.

I saw another gi specialist this past week, who had good reviews. She suggested I do a low-FODMAP diet for two weeks, and suggested IBGard (peppermint oil capsules) to help manage symptoms in the meantime while I waited to get the colonoscopy and endoscopy she was ordering. After starting her suggestion actions, I felt worse instead of better and started rethinking the action plan. The more I thought about it (especially in light of the worsening symptoms), the more it seemed to miss the mark.

I’m in the middle of moving, so this is even more complicated – also I eat meals in a congregate dining setting, which limits the control I have on my food intake. There are some options (not tons) for functional health practitioners in the area, but don’t even really no where to start with them, if I did.

I just wish I knew for sure what supplements to take (when) and what to do here.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently TTC (trying to conceive) and trying to choose the right probiotic. I’d really appreciate some guidance 🙏

I’m looking for something that is:

Safe while TTC and during pregnancy

Helpful for preventing or managing BV and yeast infections

Gentle and doesn’t cause irritation

Right now, I’m taking Fem-Dophilus (1 billion CFU) daily.

Is this safe to continue during pregnancy as well?

I’ve been reading about strains like:

L. crispatus

L. rhamnosus (GR-1)

L. reuteri (RC-14)

But I’m confused about:

Oral vs vaginal probiotics

Which strains actually work best

Whether certain probiotics are better/safer in pregnancy

If you’ve used probiotics for BV/yeast while TTC or during pregnancy:

What worked for you?

Any brands or strains you recommend (or avoid)?

Did it help reduce recurrence?

Thanks so much in advance 💛

Hi everyone,

I’m posting here because I’ve been dealing with severe health issues for about 1.5 years now, and I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I’m hoping someone here recognizes this or can point me in the right direction.

Background

My problems started around 1.5 years ago while I was using:

• Finasteride

• Minoxidil

Things got significantly worse when I later took Accutane.

Then at the end of August, I had a confirmed STEC bacterial infection (food poisoning), and since then everything has escalated badly.

Main symptoms

Whenever I eat foods high in histamine, I get strong reactions:

• Skin rashes

• Heart palpitations

• Anxiety / panic-like feelings

Other symptoms I’ve developed over time:

• Severe bloating and gas (especially with foods like banana, bread, mushrooms, apples, grapes, beetroot)

• Constipation

• Constant gut rumbling (especially small intestine area)

• Very low libido (went from daily to almost none)

• Insomnia

• Dry skin

• Sweating

•. Low libido

•. Weight loss 52kg I came from 58kg

I also lost a lot of weight and my face looks very pale/grey.

Medical tests

2x negative sibo test

Microbiome test = realy high bifido bacteria and low butyrate ( see pictures)

I’ve had a lot of testing done.

Endoscopy + biopsies:

• Mostly normal findings

• Mild, non-specific inflammation in the ileum

• Lymphoid aggregates in colon (no active disease)

• No Giardia

• No signs of celiac or major structural disease

Blood tests:

• Low IgG

• Low IgG2

• Low IgA

• Elevated creatinine

Abdominal ultrasound:

• Normal

Gut / microbiome findings

• Diagnosed with “leaky gut”

• Microbiome test showed high Bifidobacteria

• Strong reactions (gas/bloating) to certain carbs/fruits

⸻

Strange reaction to treatment

In January I tried:

• Allicin

• Oregano oil

• Strict diet

What I suspect

I’m really unsure, but I’ve considered:

• MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome)

• SIBO / dysbiosis

• Post-infectious gut damage (after STEC)

• Immune dysfunction (low immunoglobulins?)

It feels like something is wrong in the end of my small intestine (ileum).

😞 How it affects me

This has completely taken over my life:

• I barely sleep

• My libido is gone

• Eating feels stressful instead of normal

• I feel like my body is constantly reacting to everything

I’m honestly exhausted and just want to understand what’s happening and how to heal

Hi there! First time posting but have been following for a minute! I come to share some thoughts I had after i was diagnosed with SIBO. My journey of gut health problems started almost 2 years ago. There I started developing symptoms of what I now know is SIBO, and right now I’m working on it with a very experienced doctor. The classics: low FODMAP’s diet, enzymes, oregano oil pills, probiotics, etc.

The doctor says it is caused because my sympathetic nervous system is pretty much fired up at all times and that generated cortisol to spike, therefore not being able to digest properly (or at all).

I was trying to figure out what spiked this, because I don’t think my stress or anxiety levels raised that much around that time, through my process of self growth I just realized that this high stress situation is something that has been happening for may many years, at least 15 or so.

Realizing this made me think that maybe smoking helped me regulate my nervous system and that prevented my stomach from developing these issues. It’s interesting because actually, after eating was when my body asked me for some nicotine, allowing me to feel more “digested” if it makes any sense.

I would like to know if someone has heard of similar cases or any scientific evidence on how tobacco/nicotine can help regulate the nervous system, and any recommendations along the way for cases like mine!

Thanks

I got my SIBO/IBS on Feb 2022 after taking a course of Doxycycline.

Since then its been a constant struggle everyday. I have become depressed during this entire time.

Symptoms: Gas, Bloating, constant farts which dont come out easily, burps which dont come out easily, brainfog, incomplete evacuation.

I have tried a few things though.

1)Dicyclomine+Nexito(SSRI)+Isphaghula husk:

Prescribed by a doctor. He said its gut-brain axis problem. Its stress. It worked, but only till I kept taking it. Once I stopped it, I was back to square one.

2. I tried L. Reuteri (by Biogaia): It gave me fantastic bowel movements. A lot of bowel movements actually. My gas was 99% gone, farts reduced by 99%, burps reduced by 99%. To my surprise my bad breath also vanished. But it was extremely short lived. After a few days it plateaued and and the benfits started to fade away.

3. I recently tried Asafoetida (Hing in India), mixed with warm water after meals. It also gave my good bowel movements and reduction in gas. But after a few days, it plateued again and benefits started to fade away.

What exactly is happening? Everything I try first gives good results, gets plateaued, results start to fade away, within few weeks. What should I do?? I am extremely depressed, I have wasted so much money with no benefit.

TLDR: Hubs had 2 hemorrhagic strokes, was in the hospital 2 months and his skin and gut biomes are trashed.

My husband was in the hospital for two months, 5 weeks of it in the ICU and they cleaned him everyday with CHG wipes, even after being moved to a regular room. It destroyed his normal skin biome. He’s been home since October and his skin still isn’t right. He’s got inflamed dry red patches on each side of his nose.

I know there are probiotic skincare products, I for one love Sunday Reilly Pink Drink spray before adding any other serums because it really helps the skin absorb the goodness from the other products. But I feel like his case is more advanced than a standard skincare routine can fix.

Is there anything that really packs a punch on restoring his facial biome?

His gut is also still reeling from the changes, he had a feeding tube with Kate Farms nutrition replacement for 7 weeks. Which is a whole food blend that’s allergen free, no gluten or dairy. (He’s gluten sensitive and has a dairy sensitivity that gives him psoriasis) I had even ordered some for myself on their site because I was so impressed with the ingredients for meal replacements since I wasn’t eating much at that time. (I’m celiac and have an allergy to casein). So his gut could have been waaaaaaaay worse, but medications & antibiotics early on did a number on him. He just mentioned today that his gut still isn’t right either. His daily BMs are soft bordering on loose. He mentioned he hasn’t had any floaters since, which he always had before. He’d often have to flush twice because they’d just swirl around the surface… We eat fairly clean.

He does drink quite a bit of kombucha, and is used to taking supplements including probiotics in the past… But considering how extreme his overall biome was affected, I thought I’d ask if there was some strains/products that work better in situations like this? That said, also anything that promotes brain health & healing?

I was prescribed augmentin (amoxi-clav) for strep throat and I am on day 4/7 of the antibiotics.

My gut is wrecked… but only in the morning

I wake up have a huge normal movement and then 20-30 minutes later another very loose movement.

Luckily it’s only really occurring in the morning after waking up…

is this normal? i’ve never had stomach issues from antibiotics anymore… just ordered florastor to try and help and have been eating yogurt for some supplemental probiotic

im also breaking out with some deeper cystic like pimples (is this just purging from clearing bacteria?)

help lol…

What are some ways I can improve my tongue coating and digestion issues? I am never hungry and eating seems like a chore these days. Are there certain probiotics I should try?

For the last 15 years I have been eating a higher fiber diet than most people, I am extremely regular, every morning when I get up.

It’s also very easy for me to have a movement. I could go #2 in less time than most people do #1.

For the record it’s amazing the difference fiber has had from before.

 

I was 5’9” 215 lbs I needed to loose about 50 lbs for multiple health issues.  

I started taking Tryzepitide, “a GLP1 drug” and for almost half a year it worked great, I lost 25 lbs with no issues.

Blood sugar went from 115-120 down to 95! My acid reflex gone! I have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy also.

 

Diarrhea as well as constipation are very, very common side effects of GLP1 drugs.

Here is where it gets crazy, I have read thousands of articles, and posts on reddit,

and each and every time with the exception of one post all say the same thing.

It’s always a side effect when they first start, or it comes on after they increased dosage,

Also in every case the advice is it’s only temporary, and will go away, and always does.

 

I tried posting in the GLP1 forums with almost no success. The problem is people are not reading my post,

They only see GLP1 + diarrhea, and they think they have the answer.

Everyone says to reduce the dose a little, and it will go away in time.  

 

I was fine for almost ½ a year when it hit 10 days of diarrhea, I went to the hospital, ran a bunch of tests.

Every one came back negative. For the record I could have gotten food poisoning,

but I didn’t go in for 10 days and my body could have killed off the poison.  

 

I stopped taking the GLP1, and I’m great, each time I try to go back I get diarrhea,

I figure I just need to reduce the dose right, go back to my starting dose ¼ of were I was at.

Same problem, maybe just a little less severe.

 

My point.

My point to all of this is this drug was well tolerated for ½ a year with no issues and then I was steam rolled.

Something changed in me, it’s almost like I’m allergic to it now.  

 

I am wondering if my Microbiome is playing a factor in all of this. I did all the prebiotics / probiotics stuff it didn’t help.

I’m also thinking of micro dosing, only take 1/10^(th) or even 1/20^(th) dose and build up.

Maybe I just need to lay off for a few months?  

Like many, I have been struggling with disbiosis, extreme ‘brain fog’ and loss or recall —difficulty completing sentences at work because I cant remember the name of a client I work with every week. Extreme bloating to the point I cant breathe deeply.

I ask my doctor and he says eat yogurt. I see a specialist and he wants a CAT scan, none of the doctors seem to know what some redditors in this sub know.

Im worried and growing depressed by this, as its crashing my career and life…. and all I want to know is how do I actually make progress and deal with/ end this sickness.

I have tried pharmaceutical grade probiotics, fermented foods, ginger, fasting I think all of these have helped, but I still get crashes that are terrible, and it’s crippling my life.

Where do you start and what can you do to get results that stick??

The following questionnaire will be used for an academic study where the data you provide is completely anonymous and will be used for the final operatorname project of the Higher Vocational Trainingin Health Administration and Documentation on the dynamics of the microbiota through food and chrononutrition. (I need help please 😭)