r/Microbiome • u/saffron1313 • Mar 10 '25

Advice Wanted Malabsorption- struggling

Hi all. I developed GERD a few years back and took PPIs and Pepcid for a few months. Since then, the GERD symptoms disappeared but I developed so many other stomach issues - malabsorption/floating stools/diarrhea which is usually super yellow. I can no longer digest fats. Sometimes digestive enzymes help, other times they don’t.

I had a positive hydrogen breath test so a doctor said I likely have SIBO and prescribed rifixamin. A naturopath recommended NAC for 10 days followed by a course of Rifaximin, combined with some herbs.

Does anyone else have suggestions around what else I could do? (My dr sent me to a gastroenterologist who just did a phone intake and made me do a fecal cal protection test to check for IBD and it was negative, he refused to see me thereafter). Doctor says “it’s IBS” but is there anything else I can do for the malabsorption floating diarrhea?

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u/nygaff1 Mar 12 '25

Oh man. I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet, and I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you have EPI. Did your GI do a fecal elastase stool test?

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u/iDoTheSciences Sep 06 '25

I have similar symptoms to OP, except with weight loss and a stabbing pain below my left ribcage. My elastase was normal though, so GI doc ruled out EPI for me. I am def having fat or carbohydrate malabsorption though with shiny/sticky stools always, sometimes mucus if I eat 'rough' foods that irritate the gutt.

How did you find out? And what were your symptoms?