u/StraightMagician9913

I started on the herbal microbials (for five weeks) and even included a pHase 2 biofilm disrupter product while waiting to get Rifaximin from India to pair with the Neomycin. I switched to this for another two weeks.

I am still very bloated and constipated 10 days after finishing all this, unless I take a strong cup of Senna tea every 2-3 days.

I am on a low fodmap diet since finishing treatment. I am taking ginger extract and artichoke extract at night for motility. I don't hear any gut noises anymore.

I take Miralax every day and am now taking 800 mg of Magnesium oxide at night to help with the constipation - and still nothing.

I called my GI's office and asked for Linzess and another breath test, explaining what is going on. Three days later, the medical assistant leaves me a message wanting more info and saying that the PA thinks my treatment didn't help much.

Now I can't sleep. I don't want to throw more pills at this.

I hope she at least orders me a breath test and doesn't just assume the treatment didn't help much at all - because I am also being assured by Google that bloating can be a lingering problem, even if the bugs were wiped out (or mostly wiped out) due to good bacteria also being wiped out. But this is not normal bloating. This is like 6 months pregnant type bloating still.

I just think I need a motility support first off and I feel like this stupid GI practice should have had some kind of post-antibiotic treatment protocol in place. Instead, I've had to do all the research and try and figure what I need and then explain myself twice.

Did you have extreme bloating still but still found out you actually killed a lot or all of the bugs with IMO? Once you got your guts moving again, did the bloating resolve?

Hi - I have about 4-5 days left of Rifaxmin and Neomycin. Before this, I was 5 weeks on herbal antimicrobials to treat IMO. ( I am not having terrible side effects from any of this.)

My pain is a bit better after eating, but I am still bloated by end of day. I read that the bloating may persist for a while. Was that your case?

How did you know you got rid of it?

Should I ask for another breath test? And I think I need to eat a low FODMAP diet right after and slowly introduce certain foods and see how my gut reacts.

Did you take a probiotic right after? I am worried about doing the wrong thing. I need to follow up with my GI, but wanted to know what your experience was before I ask any further questions.

I am on LDN (low dose naltrexone) for chronic pain - and got an artichoke and ginger supplement to take after all this to keep my motility on track.

Thank you!

I was diagnosed (via the breath test) with what they said was a "very positive" methane condition - IMO.

I had a hard time getting Rifaximin to go with the Neomycin, because my insurance wouldn't approve it, so I started an herbal antimicrobial.

For just over a month, I've taken 2 Candibactin- BR (2x daily), 1 Candibactin (3x daily) and two Allicin capsules (1x daily). In the last couple of weeks, I added a biofilm buster called Biofilm Phase 2 Advanced.

While the rest of my iron panel was fine, my Ferritin level last April was at 33 (optimal is supposed to be 50 and up.) I have been taking liposomal iron with vitamin C (because this form of iron is supposed to leave less unused amounts sitting in the intestines for the bugs to feed off of.)

I went to my doctor yesterday because I am still really bone tired. My Ferritin only went up from 33 to 36 after nearly three months of every other day M-W-F iron supplementation.

I asked if I could get an iron infusion and she dodged that one and said keep taking iron or double up and we can check in 3-4 months. I am definitely worried about doubling up as I am already constipated. I am reading that will probably only do some damage and not result in more iron being absorbed.

I also recently got the Rifaximin finally from a Canadian pharmacy via India and started that last night with the Neomycin.

I am really hoping to knock this IMO out faster so I can get my Ferritin/Iron stores up. I am the most tired I've ever been and I already have chronic fatigue and depression.

I hope I made at least a bit of a dent with the herbals, but I couldn't go on with that another month possibly or more.I need all this to get better faster.

I also have read contradicting things about eating low FODMAP while killing the bugs, but since I am now on powerful antibiotics, I am going to eat less FODMAP because the bugs can also can go dormant and hide if they have nothing to come out and feed on.

I think I am exhausted from this condition plus the low ferritin levels.

Since I have been treating my diagnosed "very positive" IMO condition with herbal antimicrobials (Candi-bactin AR and BR, Allicin, and Phase 2 biofilm buster), I have been noticing that a problem I have had for over 20 years since a car accident is worsening. Tingling and burning in my left foot that mostly starts in my little toes and gots up my leg. Sometimes it's numbness as well.

I used to only get this if I had been walking or standing on my feet for too long, but now it's just taking a nap or sitting on the couch.

I am beginning to wonder if breaking these bugs down is contributing to the increase or if it's totally separate. I wanted to ask if anyone has anything similar.

I am going to ask for a vitamin b12 test, though I have been taking sublingual tablets. Also, I was tested for every possible cause of this and nothing for a cause came up. It's scaring me. Only flared up like this when I started this protocol.

I am about three weeks into an antimicrobial protocol treating my tested and diagnosed IMO.

I am taking Candi-bactin AR and BR and Allicin, plus something called Phase 2 which helps break down the biofilm. Also taking Zeolite for a binder, but can't remember to take it. All this has to be timed.

I am also taking Iron because I have low ferritin levels.

I thought I had gotten rid of this two years ago after a major stomach infection a few summers ago, and then it came back. I got tested because I ended up with chronic hives.

I am three weeks into this protocol and I am more bloated than ever, even on a relatively low FODMAP diet, but I am hearing digestive noises, so that is a good sign that things are trying to move.

Just wondering if it gets worse before it gets better in terms of the bloating. I am pretty miserable and depressed.

I live with my elderly mother as her sole caregiver, which has not been easy due to she is a real trigger for my CPTSD. This morning, she made the decision to put her dog down and I took charge of the whole thing. It was time.

I feel very sad. Loss is not easy as I am confronting my own physical illness challenges and my mother's aging, while still working part time and trying to finish up my service dog's training curriculum.

I recently decided to cut off contact with an abusive step-mother and barely speak to my father anymore, after they yelled at and hung up on my mother when she wanted to talk to them about my well-being after they are gone, so the loss of the dog triggered this feeling of an ever dwindling family.

On top of it, someone on this board called me a "nasty and broken person" for having a strong opinion about someone on Youtube, who I don't think much of - and consuming her content was worse for me over time.

I think the stress of everything with my family, my mother's aging, and having to put the dog down has put me in a bad dissociative state today. My hands almost feel numb. I realize my mother is heading into dementia a bit as well, but I am trying to realize that I am still here and nothing terrible has happened other than life, death, and loss. I just struggle with sudden changes and stressful happenings more than ever lately.

Hi - I am almost 60 and have had this since a major car accident and a TMJ surgery over 20 years ago. I have Fibro as well and am taking LDN (low dose naltrexone.) I also have bipolar 2 disorder, CPTSD, and autism, so things get very confusing for me as to what is causing a fatigue crash.

I tend to hit major depression in Spring/Summer, so that is going on right now, too.

I recently went through a serious load of stress trying to live in affordable housing where I was exposed to second hand cigarette smoke by the tenant below me (two air purifiers with smoke block filters could not keep up.) I spent my time fighting management (while suffering progressively worse asthma) before they moved me into an excessive mold situation that I didn't notice when I first looked at the apartment. I moved my stuff out in a hurry.

I had to move back in with my elderly mother which is also stressful for me.

After moving three times in six months, I am officially flat-lined with my energy most days.

Towards the end of my stay in HUD housing, I was having severe dizzy spells and near fainting with very low blood pressure readings after being exposed to the toxic smoke. I went to the doctor. She uncovered low Ferritin (the protein that controls your iron stores and puts it where it needs to go.) My level is 33 and it should be up to 70, she said.

I am taking an iron supplement as directed and I am wondering how long my Ferritin might have been low? But I never had dizziness after climbing a flight of stairs. It may take 3-6 months to get it where needs to be.

I work part time selling books online so I am just focusing little by little on that and getting my life back together. I am making it okay to be moving at a snails pace most days.

Anyone have experience with low ferritin and your fatigue getting at least somewhat better once it was fixed?

I read on here that some people suggested getting checked for something like H. Pylori to see if it is driving the CSU. Thank you so much!

I finally went to my GI doctor who ordered an H. Pylori test (have not done it yet) and also a SIBO breath test.

The results came back that I have a "very positive" IMO condition - Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth, which affects both the small and large intestine. I really didn't think I was having extreme symptoms from when I had a stomach infection two years ago from a dirty scope. I had taken antibiotics and thought the SIBO was under control. I just thought I had some normal gut issues.

Turns out it's pretty bad, so I am hoping that if I clear this up, maybe my hives will calm down.

Also, my ferritin levels are low (the substance that puts your iron where it needs to go) so I am on an iron supplement.

Mostly, I just feel really exhausted. I went through a great deal of stress trying to keep affordable housing and it was a complete health and administrative nightmare for me in the end.

Between everything, and after moving out, I am mostly housebound I'm so exhausted.

I will check back in a while and let everyone know if treating the IMO and getting my ferritin level up, helped the CSU. Apparently, if you have a ferritin level of under 35, you become less tolerance to histamine.

My CSU has entered a new weird phase over the past couple of weeks where I feel like bugs are crawling on me at times. Can anyone relate? It's really unsettling because I am sure something is crawling on me but the itching follows right after.