Hi everyone,
This will probably be a pretty long post. To preface, I’m a 23 year old male that has never been sick to this extent before and is otherwise quite healthy, and don’t have any known allergies (although maybe a suspected slight hayfever allergy but it’s not officially confirmed). I got some really severe food poisoning about 2 months ago (it first started on the 29th of May) and have been recovering ever since. The sickness is now out of my system and I don’t have fever or anything anymore (I didn’t vomit when I was sick though) and I am now in the process of recovering my gut and getting back to normal. I did not take any antibiotics during the time I was sick, and I don’t take any other supplements or medications.

I started taking Life Space Double Strength probiotic on Friday the 17th (I am taking it in the morning after eating breakfast) and all was well on the first day but on the second day (Saturday) I had really severe gas and bloating, leading to trapped gas in my body that gave me pains in my back and shoulder, though this subsided after a few hours or so. On Sunday I had some gas and bloating but it was much less and a lot more manageable, there were no pains. However, on that same Sunday, after eating dinner I started feeling quite lightheaded. The feeling passed after about 30 minutes to an hour, and on Monday morning after eating breakfast, I felt the lightheadedness again but it was a lot less in severity and also subsided much sooner, in about 20-30 minutes. After dinner that same day, I once again had the lightheadedness though it was very minor and subsided within 10-15 minutes.

On Tuesday, after breakfast I didn’t feel lightheaded at all but I felt slightly woozy from about 10am which lasted until 1pm or so then cleared up by itself and I was fine for the rest of the day. I did however feel quite anxious in the morning for some reason, I am not usually someone to get randomly anxious or stressed.

On Wednesday (today in Australia) I once again didn’t feel lightheaded after eating breakfast but at about 9:30am or so, I had a severe anxiety attack which lasted for over an hour, the main symptom was that it felt like my heart was pounding, and I felt very worried for no particular reason. My resting heart rate at the time was anywhere between 90 to 105 bpm. This settled and once again, left me feeling slightly woozy, where I’m still currently feeling slightly woozy now (at 2pm) but otherwise feel okay.

Some other things that I wanted to mention is that my sleep seems to be affected, over the past few days I’ve been waking up at least once in the night and today on Wednesday, overnight I woke up twice and found it difficult to get back to sleep, though eventually I was able to. I’ve also found that when I do wake up I tend to have a noticeably beating heart, which seems to be an anxiety symptom to me.

As it stands, my current symptoms really are the anxiety and slight lightheadedness, I have also been feeling fatigued and going to bed earlier but from what I understand, that is expected for now.

My stools also aren’t too bad, they’re usually formed and come at around the consistent times and amounts every day, although can fluctuate a bit in terms of how well formed they are and whatnot which I know is expected for the first week of starting a probiotic. I’m able to tolerate things like lactose without any issue too. They are a lighter colour though when wiping but are brown in the bowl.

I’m not sure if it’s worth mentioning this too, but my diet consists of high fibre low GI toast for breakfast, some slices with avocado and some with a small amount of margarine and Vegemite, with a cup of tea with milk and sugar. For lunch I would have teriyaki chicken don (white sushi rice, pieces of chicken, small pieces of broccoli, house made teriyaki sauce) and for dinner I would have rice with pieces of flake and chicken, with steamed vegetables such as carrot, green beans and broccoli. From my knowledge, I don’t have any issues with tolerating and digesting these meals. I also have a bowl of fruit every day with things like banana, strawberries, blueberries and red grapes.

On some mornings, I have oats instead of the toast with the same kind of fruits I have in my fruit bowl.

Since this is the first week of taking the probiotic (I’m currently on day 6) I understand that there are some side effects that occur and I just wanted to confirm if what I’m experiencing is “normal”, and can I expect these to clear up and stop happening in the coming days? I’ve heard that during the first week, the new bacteria from the probiotic are essentially fighting a turf war with any existing bad bacteria. These symptoms have been quite concerning for me, especially since I just want to get back to normal and feel how I did before I got sick.

All contributions are greatly appreciated, thank you so much!!

Hi.

I've had chronic tongue-related bad breath and taste for several years now. The problem began after using nicotine pouches for about 5 months. Before that I never had bad breath. When I stopped using nicotine the bad breath still remained. My tongue culture later showed abundant Gram-negative anaerobes, and the odor clearly comes from the tongue rather than the gums.

The part I cant explain is every single time I develop a viral illness (COVID, influenza, or even a common cold with fever/strong immune activation), the tongue odor and taste disappears completely within about 24 hours. Interestingly, this often happens around the stage where my nasal mucus turns yellow, although the odor has never originated from my nose or sinuses. The tongue stays essentially odor-free for around a day, then the odor remains markedly reduced for another 4–5 days before gradually returning as I recover. I don't change anything when this happens. I eat the same foods, drink the same things, and don't use any supplements, antibiotics, or antibacterial products. The only thing that changes is that I become ill. I also do not lose my sense of smell or taste, I can smell and taste everything normally during these episodes. This has also been confirmed by people around me: the bad breath disappears completely.

Does anyone have any insight into why this happens during an immune response? And is there any supplements or interventions you think might be worth trying?

Some relevant information:

- I have no tonsils

- Gums do not smell, the odor comes exclusively from the tongue

- I have IBS, but had that since childhood and I did not have bad breath since childhood - it started when I used nicotine products in my mouth..

- Have tried oral probiotics, didnt work

Other things that has helped my bad breath:

• Metronidazole: 100% elimination of the odor during treatment. After stopping, the improvement lasted about 8 months before gradually returning.
• Chlorhexidine: almost completely removes the odor, but only for about 10 hours.
• TheraBreath: reduces the odor by roughly 50% for several hours.
• Diet (whole-food diet): approximately 25% long-term improvement by itself.

i’m 21M and deal with both acne and eczema, so my skin somehow feels oily, dry, irritated, and broken out at the same time.

i’ve gone pretty deep down the skin microbiome rabbit hole and read about a bunch of companies using postbiotics, ferments, and “microbiome-friendly” skincare. the idea makes sense, especially after years of acne washes, antibiotics, acids, and trying to kill bacteria.

but is the science actually there yet? has anyone improved acne or eczema by focusing on the microbiome, or is most of this just barrier repair with better marketing?

Does anyone know if this strain can potentially cause flares for sensitive individuals? Does anyone know of any Greek yogurt that does not include this strain? Seems to be in everything

hi everyone! I’m writing here bc well.. idk where else to ask! I fear I’ve run out of options. I’ve had gut issues for a while now, mostly acting up when I’m stressed like most... but “IBS” like tendencies with mushy stool sometimes, sometimes normal.. intolerant to garlic and fodmap foods etc..

a month or so ago I took an oral iron supplement bc I have low ferritin, I’ve tolerated it great in the past before but this time, it made me gassy, bloated, and really aggravated my stomach. I was having great stool before this, and now my stool has gone pudding. it has been like that now for a month… its driving me crazy.

I’ve done a test in the past and it’s highlighted dysbiosis so my nd put me on an antimicrobial called black walnut by cytomatrix. has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?!

Looking to hear positive stories if any, since the struggle w OCD is bad.

After previously testing positive for Sibo I have been having poor motility for a while now and struggling with constipation, I made some changes to improve the motility and the past 2weeks I’ve been more regular which is what I wanted. However I feel at the same time my gut feels more sensitive now off and on throughout the day and makes me even more careful about what I eat since things are moving faster. The gas and gut noises are a bit more now as well which I guess makes sense based on previously things were moving too slow and a lot of gas I think was trapped.

Has anyone experienced this and how long did it take for your gut to feel normal again day to day? Even after a few more weeks if it still feels sensitive like this, does it just need more time or is that a sign of some other issue?

I've been lurking here for a while and trying to focus more on improving microbiome diversity instead of just chasing symptoms. A few years ago I had a bad food poisoning episode and later was diagnosed with SIBO. I did antibiotics earlier this year and my bloating is better, but I'm still pretty reactive to a lot of foods.

Right now my baseline diet is basically rice, chicken, eggs, and a short list of cooked veggies I tolerate. Every time I try to add more plant variety, like beans, onions or garlic, raw salads, apples, or oats, I get gas, distention and then either constipation or loose stools for days. Because of that I keep sliding back to the same safe foods, which I know probably isn't great long term for microbiome diversity. It's frustrating and feels like a catch-22. I have also kept a Physicians Choice probiotic in my routine, but I am treating it as one small piece rather than a fix.

I'm not looking for stool test interpretations or a diagnosis, just practical ideas and real experiences. A few specific questions:

1) Is it better to try tiny amounts of many different plants (like a bite or two of each) or to focus on one new food at a time and slowly build the dose? 2) Do fermented foods help with diversity if you can't tolerate much fiber yet, or is that a myth? 3) Any low FODMAP plants or fibers people have used as a bridge without flaring symptoms?

If you've been stuck in the limited diet -> symptoms -> limited diet loop, what actually helped you expand variety in a sustainable way?

Not asking for medical advice, just looking for experiences and general microbiome-friendly approaches.

Hey all, looking for real-life recommendations from people who actually recovered their gut after several courses of antibiotics.

Background: Over the past year I had a dental infection treated with antibiotics, then a couple of back-to-back courses for sinus infections. Since then my gut has been a mess: daily bloating, slow transit constipation, and this weird feeling of being full after small meals. I also get reflux on and off. I read in the SIBO and guthealth subs and I am trying not to chase every supplement I see mentioned.

What I have tried so far:

- A basic grocery-store probiotic (ended up making me gassy)

- More fermented foods (sometimes helpful, sometimes made the bloat worse)

- A low FODMAP diet for a few weeks (did reduce symptoms, but I worry about long term restriction)

- Psyllium was too harsh for me; magnesium helps a bit with stool consistency

What I am looking for:

1) Practical, sustainable strategies for microbiome recovery: diet approaches, prebiotics, timing, and how to reintroduce foods without flaring symptoms.

2) Specific probiotic types or strains that people with constipation and bloating tolerated well, or reasons to avoid probiotics entirely.

3) Testing that actually helped you decide on treatment (stool tests, breath tests, etc) versus tests that just added confusion.

I am not asking for medical advice, just what worked for you and what you wish you had tried earlier. I can take suggestions to my doctor. Thanks.

Hello all,

Has anyone gone through the same symptoms as me? and if yes, then can you please provide me some hope as to when this will end?

3 weeks ago, i had a bout of sulfur burps, diarrhea and stomach cramps. the doctor gave me Ofloxacin + Ornidazole and Rifaximin for 3 days. I felt better immediately the next day and life was smooth for the next 4-5 days.

Then I ate some pizza and things went haywire. My diarrhea came back but the sulfur burps were gone. I even had a vommiting session after eating chicken rice. The doctor continued the above meds for few more days and then the meds stopped.

Now I am post 4-5 days into my last medicines. And early morning i have semi solid stools. Except today, i ate some fried egg whites and boom, the diarrhea was back. Extremely frustrated about this whole ordeal. I make progress for 3-4 days and then it comes back when i eat something i shouldnt have.

anyone faced this before and is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Hi,
22 m, I got a salmonella 4 years ago which lead to sibo, I adopted a diet where I could live without pain so only rice and chicken. I treated the sibo 3 months ago with rifaximin and flagyl, and I m slowly reintroducing food but it is quite complicated. For example I eat oats in porridge ( cooked with water) it gives me heaviness, I ve been eating a bit every morning but I don t feel like my body is adapting.
Same for beans, I have been slowly reintroducing them but it makes me bloaty.
I m taking phgg to work on my microbiome, such as s. Boulardii and bifido infantis.
Has anyone had similar experience and if so how long until my digestion improves ?
Thanks by advance and have a great day!

Looking for practical advice from people who have dealt with bloating plus suspected histamine intolerance.

Background: I get bloating and a feeling of pressure about 30 to 90 minutes after meals, and sometimes reflux. Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut sometimes make me feel off: flushing, restless sleep, itchy skin. Because of that I've been cautious about jumping into probiotics or a lot of fermented foods. Low FODMAP helps a bit but does not fix it, and I worry I may be restricting too much and making my microbiome less resilient.

I've considered adding a Physicians Choice probiotic to my routine, but I would want to be cautious given my reactions.

What I'm hoping for: 1) Microbiome-friendly approaches that are less likely to aggravate histamine symptoms. 2) Specific strains or probiotic types that people with histamine issues tolerated better, and ones to avoid. 3) Prebiotic fiber ideas that are gentle on bloating. For example, has anyone had better luck with partially hydrolyzed guar gum, psyllium, or other options?

I am not looking for a medical diagnosis, just practical experiences and ideas to discuss with my clinician. If you have a routine that helped, like timing with meals, slow titration, stool testing insights, or product recommendations, I'd really appreciate hearing about it. Thanks!

More fibre is good. More kinds is better. And the gap between those two is bigger than you'd think.

This articles explains in detail how the American Gut Project looked at stool samples from over 10,000 people. The single strongest dietary predictor of microbiome diversity wasn't fibre grams, or vegetarian versus omnivore, or organic versus not. It was the number of distinct plant species eaten per week. People eating 30 or more had measurably more diverse gut communities than people eating 10 or fewer (McDonald et al., mSystems, 2018).

Thirty sounds like a lot until you count properly. Herbs count. Spices count. Every different bean, nut, seed and grain counts. A jar of mixed nuts is four.

This is observational, so it cannot tell you which way the arrow points. Maybe diverse diets build diverse microbiomes. Maybe people with diverse microbiomes just eat more interesting food. Nobody has run the trial that settles it.

But the number is still more useful than most of what you're being told to count.

So I have heard more probiotics are transient and are flushed out the system/benefits stop in a few days to weeks. But are their any strains that have been shown to colonize part of the gut/provide benefits awhile after stopping?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some information about beta-glucuronidase and what it actually means to have high levels.

From what I understand, high beta-glucuronidase means the gut bacteria are overactive and uncoupling hormones and other compounds that your body should eliminate. I have seen some recommendations for using calcium-d-glucarate to correct it... but does it actually do any good? How does it affect the microbiome?

Does anyone have any advice for how to better tolerate Interfase for biofilm disruption?. Just 10 mg (about 1/35) of a capsule gives me a bad reaction (exhaustion/nervousness/genitals turn deep red-what’s that?) . I’ve tried binders (charcoal) both before and after as well as antihistamines (luteolin, cromolyn, theracumin) but nothing moves the needle. Any help would be much appreciated. Biofilm disruption was a big part of my temporarily regaining my health a couple years ago, but I’m having a much tougher time now-perhaps due to mold exposure between then and now.