I am looking at this one, but I wanted to compare options. I have a doctors appointment with a GI doc and a colonoscopy on August 26th, so I was hoping to have this test to show him by then.

Studies show a correlation between gut health and eczema... but has anyone actually cured their eczema by fixing their gut? Ie eating 30 different fruit and veggies every week, fermented food, apple cider vinegar and fish/meat in the diet?

I'm pretty new to this subject but my body's aversion to eggs and lactose is such a mystery to me and others as while I am not officially "allergic" (I was tested), and I don't notice perculiar stomach issues after consuming these products, in whichever dosage I consume them, even if it's say after a really long time not consuming them and by accident in the form of powder (in some processed food for example, that I'll have because I forgot to read the lable), I will get invariably, within 2 days, an very painful cystic acne breakout, all over my body, even on my scalp and in random places in my body, that will take at least a week to clear up.

I know for a fact that this is not linked to hormones, and strictly due to the consumption of these ingredients, because I've been watching and keeping track of this specific pattern for years now, especially because people didn't believe me, and always encouraged me to try taking "small doses" to build up tolerance again. That doesn't work as even a micro gram of milk powder will have such an impact on my body.

So, I was wondering whether some of you would know what could possibly be causing this in the context of the microbiome. I have started taking probiotics and eat fermented foods, and this aside I have no perculiar dietary health issue and I eat everything, but it still notheless feels like my approach is a bit nebulous and not very scientifically grounded. I guess this is a bit of a state of the art avenue of research so it requires experimentation but I'm sure some of you are way ahead of me in that aspect.

Do note that for many years I suffered from anxiety (with sharp pangs of pain in my gut area whenever it sprung up), but no idea I'd both could be related. I find all of this fascinating and would love to look into further research and inputs from the community. Thanks!

I can't eat or keep even water down. My stomach feels like a washing machine full of razor blades on the spin cycle. What can I do to help myself?

I took 10 ml yesterday for the first time and so far, no rushing to the bathroom haha!

I want to know how much I should build up to so it’s an effective prebiotic but not so much that I’m rushing to the terlet.

Someone on the Longcovid subreddit suggested building up to 20ml. Does that sound right, or could I go as high as 30?

Planning to add another 5ml in a week-10 days.

I have ordered one of these test kits and I wondered if there were any books, vlogs, wikis etc on what they mean and how to interpret the results?

Meeting with a functional medicine practitioner and they had me buy PH strips to test my urine, salvia and stools. Figured what the hell, never tested my PH before. Urine and saliva was normal. Bowels are clocking in alkaline at a 10+ PH. This is not normal.

6.6 neutral to slightly acidic is normal. I am nearly 3.5-4 out of range which is considerable. Could this be why my gut is so messed up?

I’m still waiting for my consult, but curious if anyone else has any insight into this? What causes this? How can I fix it?

I’ve found everything from low stomach acid to bile malabsorption to microbiome issues.

I have dysbiosis, leaky gut, and MCAS.

Not just temporary bandaids that lessen symptoms, but actually fixing it so you can enjoy foods that would otherwise caused you inflammation/symptoms?

EDIT: it seems no one has mentioned anything about bone broth or foods to heal the lining of the gut? I was under the impression THAT’S EXACTLY what specifically heals the gap junctions of the intestines, hence the “leaky gut”

For all the people saying they healed it with things other than what I mentioned above, were you POSITIVE it was leaky gut?

Getting ready to start amoxicillin and as someone who already has existing anxiety and has had to go through antibiotics in the past, I can confidently say that I'm not looking forward to this. I'm wondering if supplementation with probiotics during treatment could offset the anxiety? And if so what type probiotics should I get?

does anyone have experience with the arrae bloat supplement? does it help relieve trapped gas? does it help with bloating? i’m less concerned with the aesthetics of bloating and more so with the discomfort of trapped gas and the pain i get. i want to give it a try but it’s expensive so i’d love to hear if it’s worked well for anyone else.

Looking to do a deep dive on how stress disrupts the microbiome. I know the basics — fight or flight, cortisol, blood sugar spikes, poor digestion, etc. — but would like to learn more about the specifics. Any good books on the topic? Science articles are welcome, too. And if any kind soul wants to take a crack at an in-depth explanation, have at it.

I started on 500ml kefir daily like a week ago, after seeing on my test that klebsiella and pseudomonas were quite high and lactobacilli and bifidobacteria low, but I have become so extremely tired and sleepy I can't get anything done.

What is this? Die off? Maybe badly regulated receptors in my brain due to my anxiety disorder (which improved from kefir) affected by their neuroactice metabolites?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but taking steps to protect yourself from repeat COVID infections is an underrated strategy for protecting the gut microbiome.

Here's an overview of COVID's effects on the GI tract: https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj.q842

Note that:

COVID causes "Significant alterations in the gut microbiome include decreased numbers of Bifidobacterium adolescentis, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Eubacterium rectale—gut bacteria known to influence immune responses....the changes in gut bacteria persisted after people had recovered from covid, which may help to explain the gut symptoms of long covid"

There are multiple strategies for preventing COVID infection. No one strategy is 100% effective, so our best bet is to use multiple strategies.

For example:

• use HEPA air filters indoors
• consider upgrading HVAC system to include UV filtration to kill airborne pathogens
• avoiding indoor dining
• wear a respirator/N95 in high risk areas (eg medical facilities, airports or mass transit, crowded music festivals, etc)
• get an updated booster if you haven't already
• Novavax may have fewer side effects if that's a concern for you, or if you've had a bad experience with the mRNA vaccines (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-novavax-covid-vaccine-better-than-mrna-vaccines-what-we-know-so-far/)
• if you do get sick, try to avoid spreading it by wearing a mask and avoiding high risk individuals

Additionally, having a diverse microbiome and eating a plant rich diet may help reduce the severity of COVID symptoms if you do get it. (See: first link from the BMJ)

I know a lot of folks are getting pushback from their employers about wearing a mask, and that's especially hard to navigate if you work in retail or the service industry. I wish I had a better answer other than "every little bit of prevention you can take helps"

Where can I get coconut kefir ?

Hi,

I am going travelling through Thailand and Vietnam in a few weeks and a friend (who is a nurse) recommended I take probiotics to strengthen my gut bacteria ahead of traveling. Ftr I normally have a fine digestive system.

The packaging says take 4 tablets a day, I am only taking 1 a day for the last three days and it’s giving me cramps, nausea and diarrhoea any time I eat. I feel like It’s making my stomach weaker if anything!

Is this normal? And do you reckon should I continue or call it quits?

I have bad gut dysbiosis with VERY little good bacteria, and seemingly some SIBO/LIBO going on.

I've tried the killing route and it's left me sicker. I think I need to restore and repopulate more than anything else.

I've had some success with low histamine probiotics the last few weeks, and have read up on a few strains in particular that can be very healing.

I'm wondering what high dosing probiotics looks like? How much can I take (assuming I tolerate them)?

Hi guys, someone mentioned to me HMO whilst helpful for increasing bifido, can also increase bacteroides. Is this true? I have low bifido but fairly high bacteroides so I'm a bit worried to take it.

I work with a hormone and gut health specialist who asked me to try go gluten free to see if it would improve my symptoms. I have now been gluten free for 2 months and see NO improvement.

My symptoms are:

• Acne (cystic acne and whiteheads on chin and jawline)
• Digestive issues
• Slow bowel movements (only sometimes, but almost most days)
• Low sex drive
• Sleep problems (only sometimes)
• Sore boobs end of cycle
• Bloating and gassy (only sometimes)
• Short bleeding time (2-3 days)

I am currently taking a pre and probiotic, omega 3, digestive enzymes, l-glutamine and zinc. Why am I not seeing any improvement... I have worked on my gut health for 1,5 years but have only tried a gluten free diet for 2 months to see if that's what's causing my symptoms.

What else can I do? I'm really losing hope

Took 3 instead of 2 Natures bounty probiotic gummies. Noticed body was so unusually fatigued, like I’d worked out all day or something. Was really odd and concerning, anyone have this happen or know why?

This is the first time I have taken an antidepressant, and I am aware that there are natural and more beneficial ways for my body to deal with depression and anxiety, but this is the most accessible option for me at this time.

I'm a little anxious about starting this medication, thinking about the long-term impact it might have on my gut health, which I've read is the area that can be the most damaging. At the same time, I am going through severe depression, and at the moment, helping me with that, is the priority. But I would like to know if there are ways to feed myself, or take better care of myself to minimize the damage it can cause to my body in the long term.

Again, I understand that there will be inevitable consequences, but for the moment I would just like to become better informed about them and take charge of my decision, in favor of improving my mental health with the tools I have now. Maybe in the future, I will be able to take care of myself from a more holistic approach, which is how I would like to do it.

hi everybody !

my history: from 2021-2022 i had anorexia which began as a result of starting adderall for my ADHD. stopped adderall due to anxiety late 2021, took it intermittently throughout 2022. starting jan 2023 i began taking ozempic, went from 0.25mg to now 1mg. i've had some breaks for a few weeks/months in between because it was making me so nauseous/lightheaded and not letting me eat properly. i took a course of antibiotics a month ago after i had a septoplasty, and another short course a few weeks ago for a uti.

my primary concerns: i am incredibly sensitive to food, and it's hard for me to feel hungry. i get incredibly nauseous, which i used to attribute solely to ozempic. however; now i'm starting to throw up/get nauseous later in the day and multiple days after i take my dose, which wasn't in alignment with my nausea patterns before. i'm also constantly exhausted. i also found a white hair two days ago, and my family doesn't grey early.

i'm getting bloodwork done on monday, but in the past i've had vitamin d deficiency, an iron deficiency, and high cholesterol. as of my last tests, i was no longer anemic. i also believe im borderline for hypothyroidism.

my meds: i take lexapro, wellbutrin, birth control, the olly women's daily multivitamin, and a prenatal vitamin (i am not pregnant!) just to help with hair and nails.

please give me advice!! i hate constantly feeling sick.

Haven’t had issues prior to covid..does the high antibodies mean I have probable celiac?

Anybody have experience using ketamine in a therapeutic setting and have it helped with IBS/GI pain? I know there’s a study on how it has anti inflammatory properties but I’m looking for personal stories if any..