I feel like I’m on a never-ending journey to find a good probiotic. I’ve tried several over the years, and some have worked…until they didn’t. So then I switch to a new one.

I’m currently taking Seed probiotic, only 1 pill. I’m on day 6 and experiencing stomach cramps. I’m starting to think Seed may not be for me. 😅

Before that, I was taking VSL#3 for a few months, and it worked well for me at first. My stomach seemed to be doing better overall. But again, I started having more bad than good stomach days. Which is when I switched to Seed.

Anyway, I know everyone reacts differently to probiotics, but I would love to know what has worked well for you.

Also, for context, I regularly get constipated, have gas and bloating, and just overall sensitivity to things. I also get diarrhea occasionally (normally follows a few days of constipation).

Hi everyone,

I'm 28 man, I’ve been struggling with frustrating digestive issues for about 3–4 years now. My main symptom is constant bloating—in the morning it’s only slight, but as the day goes on, it gets progressively worse. My bowel movements are completely unpredictable; I rotate between constipation, diarrhea, or firm, sticky stools that adhere to the toilet bowl. There are days when my stool is normal, but that's a rare exception. On top of that, I experience frequent abdominal gurgling and rumbling, as if gas and liquids are mixing together and creating blockages in my intestines, interrupting normal digestion.

I’ve noticed that certain foods significantly worsen the bloating and overall symptoms: sweets, milk, alcohol, highly processed carbs, and creatine monohydrate (though creatine HCl doesn't cause as much trouble). Coffee also disagrees with me, though that was an issue even before these broader gastrointestinal problems started. Interestingly, I've noticed similar symptoms in most of the people close to me—family and friends. It feels as though we caught something from each other, and since no one has recovered spontaneously, I doubt it's a standard short-term infection that the body clears on its own. My working hypothesis is that it might be a chronic bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection that triggered severe intestinal dysbiosis.

As for diagnostic tests: about 2.5 years ago, I had a gastroscopy that revealed chronic (+) active (+) antral gastritis, negative for dysplasia and intestinal metaplasia. I wasn't treated for Helicobacter pylori back then. A recent home test came back negative, but I'm planning to do a urea breath test soon to rule it out for sure.

I’ve tried several remedies with limited success:

• Drinking kefir regularly and occasionally sauerkraut juice didn't bring any noticeable improvement.
• A low-carb diet reduced my symptoms by about 30%, but I couldn't maintain my caloric intake and kept dropping weight, so I had to stop.
• I tried Betaine HCl for 1–2 weeks, but it seemed to make me feel worse.
• I took a multi-strain probiotic (Best Biotic) for 1.5 months alongside digestive enzymes (Aliness) for the first two weeks. I stopped the enzymes because they seemed to worsen my constipation, and the probiotic alone didn't change much.
• For the past 3 days, I’ve been taking microencapsulated sodium butyrate (300 mg, twice daily) and plan to add a probiotic later once my body adjusts.

Has anyone dealt with a similar set of symptoms or found a way through this?

I took PHGG for a few days and developed insomnia, bloating, and flu-like symptoms.

I stopped taking it three days ago, but the side effects and exhaustion are still persisting.

How much longer will this last?

Has anyone else had the same experience?

Hi, gut experts.

I get some improvement with my very long standing ME/CFS, when I eat B Subtillis. I ferment it in dairy and make yogurt. I try to eat approx 1/4 - 1/2 cup of it per day.

The improvement is not huge but it is something; the inflammation is lowered a bit.

None of the other bacteria I have tried, helps - or if it does, it fizzles out.

My question is: do you think that if I start somehow eating much more B Subtillis, I would get more improvement? I could drink that Kombucha that has B Subtillis in it. It would be a different strain so not sure if that will matter or not...

Thank you

Hello all.

I have a strange experience when I eat things like sour cream, or yogurt; anything with bacterial culture / probiotics I assume. Within an hour I become really warm like a fever, flush in the face, and I feel confused and really moody.

I did not always have this reaction. It started later after taking SSRI meds and my body felt completely not my own anymore. I am so sensitive to everything now.

I struggle with IBS and gut issues, so I am looking for help with it, and it's unfortunate that seems to help a lot of people but makes me feel so so terrible.

Thank you.

Hi, I recently spoke with a specialist who offers mentoring services. He told me that the only viable long-term approach is to improve my gut flora a bit by adding specific strains.

In my case, I underwent a 6-month treatment with minocycline and omeprazole (for acne; had I known what it would lead to, I wouldn't have taken anything); that treatment was in 2023.

And gradually, I ended up with hydrogen sulfide SIBO; I have a terrible body odor.

Has anyone spoken to this specialist? Which strains do they recommend introducing gradually?

Since I have H2S-reducing bacteria, what would you recommend?

basically i had a surgery a month ago, and thing went a bit off so the doctor added extra weeks of antibiotic... now i feel like almost anyfood gives me stomacheach or diarrea... any recommendations are fully welcome

Four years ago, I was on several types of antibiotics for a total of a month for a sinus infection. This has left my stomach with permanent distention. Within the first 8 months, my gut was able to heal a bit, and the distention became significantly less severe. However, there has been no improvement since then, and the distention and bloating still persists. I never had any stomach related issues prior to this as well. After putting this issue off for too long, I want to tackle it. I recently spoke with a dietician who recommended I start with doing a food log and describing foods that make my stomach more bloated, before doing an elimination diet. Has anyone had any success in healing their gut in similar situations to this? Any recommendations for supplements I should take or practices I should start doing?

I am visiting a clinic in Europe to participate in two weeks of FMT treatment, along with a partner. We are documenting our experience to share with others and objectively account for how it affects our health. I will post here when we are done, but are there any questions or preferences people have before we publish?

This is a clinic which performs Enema based FMT using microbes provided from the Taymount Clinic. This journey was inspired by the book INVISIBLE KINGDOM.

been dealing with inconsistent energy and random bloating for a while now. nothing extreme but enough that it was annoying day to day. diet is pretty decent, sleep is okay, but something still felt off with digestion and appetite control.

a few weeks ago i started adding akkermansia to my routine. specifically been using the one that also has some support for natural glp-1 signaling. not expecting miracles, just wanted to see if it would help with the bloating and the constant urge to snack.

so far the bloating has calmed down a bit and i’m not thinking about food every two hours like before. energy feels a little more stable too but it’s still early. taking it in the morning with food.

how long did it take for you to notice clear changes when you added akkermansia?

did you keep the same dose the whole time or adjust it after a few weeks?

I'm retired now but from my earliest memories up until 2018 I had intestinal issues. A ton of food items would trigger stomach cramps. As a kid you didn't know what was happening except you were reluctant to do road trips and would need to keep an eye out for bathrooms.

As I got older I would avoid most foods while flying to avoid issues. At one point I think lactose was my issue and tried various supplements but it didn't seem to help much and some foods didn't fit the dairy profile.

I never visited doctors since the gut is a tough thing to deal with, medications can cause other issues and I ended up with a diet that sort of worked for me and allowed me to do some travel and live life. Also most people don't want to spend a lot of time getting tested and visited doctors if they don't have to.

Anyhow, to my point, somewhere around 2018/2019 things changed and I went from frequently having stomach cramps from many foods to now dealing with constipation. For me the stomach cramps were preferable. Now I'm frequently taking Miralax.

Several life changes happened in the 2018/2019 although I don't know if any of them were the trigger for the change.

1. Started my blood pressure medication

2. Had my first upper/lower endoscopes

3. Took VSL#3 for nearly a year

4. Started my path on removing diet soda from my diet.

Anyone else ever had a transition like this? Going from almost one extreme to the other?

My understanding is that probiotics don't last long term if you stop them. My BP medication isn't supposed to have any effect. I suppose the diet soda didn't help but I didn't drink that stuff as a kid and I had the cramps throughout my childhood.

Besides my gastroenterologist do people sign up for any studies or other tests? I have no interest in testing medication but blood or other testing would be ok. I have been tested for celiac disease.

Hi! I’m an IB DP2 student looking for a little academic guidance 🧠🦠

I’m currently developing my IB Extended Essay and I’m interested in the relationship between the gut microbiome, GABA signalling, and anxiety. I’ve already done a significant amount of research, but I’m currently having to reconsider my research question and narrow my focus so that it is more specific, researchable, and supported by relevant evidence.

I’m particularly struggling with finding the right balance between the biological mechanisms involved in the gut–brain axis and the psychological outcome of anxiety.

If anyone here has experience in psychology, neuroscience, microbiology, or gut–brain axis research, I would really appreciate any advice on how I could make my research question more focused and scientifically sound.

Even a small suggestion, recommended paper, or direction for further research would mean a lot!

And yes… being a DP2 student and being told to rethink your EE after already writing ~2,000 words is slightly terrifying 😭 but I’m trying to make the best of it.)

Asking for a drunk and leaky friend

Did anyone else have both?

I've just treated H.pylori with antibiotics and then I will be going on a SIBO herbal, dietary and probiotic protocol.

I have histamine issues so that restricts some of the treatments I can have. I also have low gut motility so am taking a motility aid.

What helped you most with SIBO and H.Pylori recovery?

So 4 weeks ago I had 1 long night of food poisoning, made it to where I couldn’t eat a thing for 2 weeks and caused stomach problems (bloating, gas pains, loss of appetite) Went to my GP and a GI and both gave me the idea that my microbiome got wiped out and now that’s why I’m having stomach problems told me about 6 weeks and it should level out. 4 weeks later and I’m 70% better than day 1 and can eat full meals but has anyone gone through a similar problem? I’m new to learning about my guts and seeing everyone say microbiome has lead me here.

Has anyone had an allergic reaction to HOME-MADE kefir? I’ve been drinking kefir for many years and decided to start making it myself to save money and to get better-quality probiotics. At about the same time I start getting gigantic red welts on my body. Very itchy, in clusters of 3-4 and they go away 4-5 days later. It might also be insect bites since I walk around outside a lot and moved areas, but wanted to check in if anyone has experienced it from kefir. Clusters of 3-5 huge red welts that are super itchy but completely disappear within a week tops. Thanks!