u/Immediate_Concept_53

Has anyone else had their gut completely change after repeated antibiotics?
I keep looking back at my timeline and honestly feel heartbroken.💔

I was completely fine before 2019. Then I got food poisoning and went through an extremely stressful period and started having urinary symptoms.

I was treated multiple times for what was thought to be a UTI, but later I realized stress and pelvic floor dysfunction were probably playing a huge role. Looking back, I question whether I even needed many of those antibiotics.

Here’s what I ended up taking over the years:
Jan 2019 – O2 (Ofloxacin + Ornidazole) for 3 days
Jan 2019 – O2 for another 3 days
Feb 2019 – O2 for 5 days
Aug 2020 – Levofloxacin for 7 days
Oct 2020 – Ciprofloxacin for 7 days
Dec 2020 – Antifungal treatment
Jan 2021 – Metronidazole for 7 days
Feb 2021 – Metronidazole for 7 days
Jan 2024 – O2 for 5 days
Jan 2025 – Two rounds of rifaximin (14 days each) for SIBO
March 2024- Antimicrobial Oregano and Berberine
Before 2019, I hadn’t taken antibiotics for around 5 years.

Since then, I’ve been dealing with ongoing gut issues bloating, gas, abdominal pain, food sensitivities, and eventually SIBO. I know nobody can prove that antibiotics alone caused it, and I’m sure stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, and other factors also played a role. But it’s hard not to wonder whether repeated courses especially fluoroquinolones and combination antibiotics disrupted my gut enough to contribute.

The hardest part is realizing that the original “UTI” may not even have been an infection. If it was stress-related or pelvic floor-related, I may have taken all of those antibiotics unnecessarily.
I’m not trying to blame doctors or say antibiotics are bad they absolutely save lives when they’re truly needed. I’m just grieving how different my health feels now compared with before all of this.
Has anyone else here had a similar experience where repeated antibiotics after a suspected or misdiagnosed UTI seemed to be the beginning of your gut problems? Were you ever able to recover your microbiome or get back to feeling like yourself?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because this has been a long and frustrating journey.

Has anyone else had their gut completely change after repeated antibiotics?
I keep looking back at my timeline and honestly feel heartbroken.💔

I was completely fine before 2019. Then I got food poisoning and went through an extremely stressful period and started having urinary symptoms.

I was treated multiple times for what was thought to be a UTI, but later I realized stress and pelvic floor dysfunction were probably playing a huge role. Looking back, I question whether I even needed many of those antibiotics.

Here’s what I ended up taking over the years:
Jan 2019 – O2 (Ofloxacin + Ornidazole) for 3 days
Jan 2019 – O2 for another 3 days
Feb 2019 – O2 for 5 days
Aug 2020 – Levofloxacin for 7 days
Oct 2020 – Ciprofloxacin for 7 days
Dec 2020 – Antifungal treatment
Jan 2021 – Metronidazole for 7 days
Feb 2021 – Metronidazole for 7 days
Jan 2024 – O2 for 5 days
Jan 2025 – Two rounds of rifaximin (14 days each) for SIBO
March 2024- Antimicrobial Oregano and Berberine
Before 2019, I hadn’t taken antibiotics for around 5 years.

Since then, I’ve been dealing with ongoing gut issues bloating, gas, abdominal pain, food sensitivities, and eventually SIBO. I know nobody can prove that antibiotics alone caused it, and I’m sure stress, pelvic floor dysfunction, and other factors also played a role. But it’s hard not to wonder whether repeated courses especially fluoroquinolones and combination antibiotics disrupted my gut enough to contribute.

The hardest part is realizing that the original “UTI” may not even have been an infection. If it was stress-related or pelvic floor-related, I may have taken all of those antibiotics unnecessarily.
I’m not trying to blame doctors or say antibiotics are bad they absolutely save lives when they’re truly needed. I’m just grieving how different my health feels now compared with before all of this.
Has anyone else here had a similar experience where repeated antibiotics after a suspected or misdiagnosed UTI seemed to be the beginning of your gut problems? Were you ever able to recover your microbiome or get back to feeling like yourself?
I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences because this has been a long and frustrating journey.

Has anyone experienced this weird gut pattern?

My bowel movements have recently changed to every other day. On the day I don’t have a bowel movement, I usually have no pain at all and can eat fiber or even some higher-FODMAP foods without much issue.

Then the next day I have a large, satisfying bowel movement and feel completely emptied out. Strangely, those are often the days when I get abdominal pain, gas, or discomfort after eating.

This is not a one-time occurrence. I’ve noticed this pattern multiple times now. One theory I have is that after a large bowel movement, gas may be able to move more freely through the intestines and expand into the newly available space, which somehow triggers pain or discomfort after eating. I could even hear the gas voices on days with good BM. I’m not sure if that makes any physiological sense, but I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar or has an explanation.

Has anyone with IBS, SIBO, chronic bloating, or pelvic floor issues experienced something similar where symptoms are worse on bowel movement days rather than non-BM days?

Would love to hear if anyone found an explanation.

Has anyone experienced this weird gut pattern?

My bowel movements have recently changed to every other day. On the day I don’t have a bowel movement, I usually have no pain at all and can eat fiber or even some higher-FODMAP foods without much issue.

Then the next day I have a large, satisfying bowel movement and feel completely emptied out. Strangely, those are often the days when I get abdominal pain, gas, or discomfort after eating.

This is not a one-time occurrence. I’ve noticed this pattern multiple times now. One theory I have is that after a large bowel movement, gas may be able to move more freely through the intestines and expand into the newly available space, which somehow triggers pain or discomfort after eating. I’m not sure if that makes any physiological sense, but I’m curious if anyone else has experienced something similar or has an explanation.

Has anyone with IBS, SIBO, Gastritis, chronic bloating, or pelvic floor issues experienced something similar where symptoms are worse on bowel movement days rather than non-BM days?

Would love to hear if anyone found an explanation.

Thanks

Looking for recommendations for a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) who focuses on both gut health and hormonal health and can see patients remotely in California.

I live in the Bay Area, and most naturopaths I’ve found charge around $650 for the initial visit and $350+ for follow-ups, which is unfortunately out of my budget right now. I lost my job last year and am paying out of pocket, so I’m hoping to find someone with more affordable rates.

If you’ve worked with an ND who is knowledgeable, evidence-informed, and reasonably priced, I’d really appreciate any recommendations (or even clinics that offer sliding-scale pricing).

Thank you!

Looking for recommendations for a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) who focuses on both gut health and hormonal health and can see patients remotely in California.

I live in the Bay Area, and most naturopaths I’ve found charge around $650 for the initial visit and $350+ for follow-ups, which is unfortunately out of my budget right now. I lost my job last year and am paying out of pocket, so I’m hoping to find someone with more affordable rates.

If you’ve worked with an ND who is knowledgeable, evidence-informed, and reasonably priced, I’d really appreciate any recommendations (or even clinics that offer sliding-scale pricing).

Thank you!

Looking for recommendations for a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) who focuses on both gut health and hormonal health and can see patients remotely in California.

I live in the Bay Area, and most naturopaths I’ve found charge around $650 for the initial visit and $350+ for follow-ups, which is unfortunately out of my budget right now. I lost my job last year and am paying out of pocket, so I’m hoping to find someone with more affordable rates.

If you’ve worked with an ND who is knowledgeable, evidence-informed, and reasonably priced, I’d really appreciate any recommendations (or even clinics that offer sliding-scale pricing).

Thank you!

Hey everyone, I am 35 F looking for some insight into a frustrating paradox. I have a very tight pelvic

On days when I’m slightly constipated or don't have a bowel movement (BM), my stomach is completely fine. I can eat literally anything without getting gas pain or sensitivity.

BUT, on days when I have a "perfect," fully complete evacuation, after a day of constipation, everything goes downhill. Almost immediately after a good BM, my middle abdomen (especially right around the navel) goes into extreme spasm. It feels like intense tightness and trapped gas pain that lingers the entire day.

Why does a good BM trigger a whole day of middle abdominal spasms, while constipation days let me eat freely? Is this a vagus nerve reflex, pelvic floor fatigue, or visceral hypersensitivity?
What has actually helped you calm these post-BM spasms down? Thanks!

Hey everyone, I am 35 F looking for some insight into a frustrating paradox.

On days when I’m slightly constipated or don't have a bowel movement (BM), my stomach is completely fine. I can eat literally anything without getting gas pain or sensitivity.

BUT, on days when I have a "perfect," fully complete evacuation, after a day of constipation, everything goes downhill. Almost immediately after a good BM, my middle abdomen (especially right around the navel) goes into extreme spasm. It feels like intense tightness and trapped gas pain that lingers the entire day.

Why does a good BM trigger a whole day of middle abdominal spasms, while constipation days let me eat freely? Is this a vagus nerve reflex, pelvic floor fatigue, or visceral hypersensitivity?
What has actually helped you calm these post-BM spasms down? Thanks!