r/GutHealth

Been dealing with this on and off for about 4 months and the gut health connection is real - every flare seems to line up with digestive issues. I've got the diet pretty much sorted, hydration good, probiotics, the works.

But the hemorrhoids themselves are still lingering. Feels like I'm managing everything around them but not the actual problem. What hemorrhoid treatment has actually worked for people here beyond just lifestyle stuff?

My 69 year old mother is scheduled for her first colonoscopy. She's really scared and nervous because she's lost about 2in in height and 30lb in the last 5 years specifically since she retired during COVID-19. She's currently 5'6 and only 106lb. She had a negative Cologuard 3 years ago (2023), and the last one was positive from January of this year (2026) hence the doctor scheduling colonoscopy. Her first prep was with MiraLAX and didn't end up working because she was still passing solid stools pre-procedure so her colonoscopy was rescheduled with the Go lightly prep which has to do with drinking 2 gallons of fluids and she's dreading it even more because the first prep was rough and didn't require the consumption of so much fluids. I'm trying to keep her positive and in the right mind space and just be a good support system and keep the energy positive but the worst possibility has crossed both our minds and we have been open with each other because honestly my mom is my bff and leading role model especially since the passing of my dad/her husband in 2009. So it has been a tough topic. Please, your insight, advice and stories are most welcome if you've been in similar situation or know anyone who has.

I feel like my intestines are extremely affected by my thoughts, and my anxiety makes me feel like I constantly need to use the bathroom. When I’m at home, I usually have no problems, but the moment I go outside, my thoughts start spiraling or even if I stop consciously thinking about it, my brain still goes into panic mode. Then I get unbearable intestinal pain and gas cramps.

If it were just pain, I think I could learn to tolerate it, but the gas and cramps get so intense that it genuinely feels like I’m about to poop myself. I end up desperately searching for a bathroom or painfully holding it in. This has been affecting my life very deeply for years, and it’s becoming unbearable.

Has anyone experienced something similar? I’m open to any advice or suggestions.

I’m trying to figure out whether what I’m experiencing is more related to GLP-1 side effects, IBS, stress/binge eating patterns, ADHD/reward issues, or some combination of all of them.

I’ve been on tirzepatide for a while and recently lowered from 10mg to 5mg because I was struggling with GI symptoms/fullness/burning sensations. The issue is that 5mg still seems to slow my stomach down physically, but doesn’t consistently reduce the food noise or mental pull toward eating as much as I want.

I also have IBS and take mebeverine, so it’s hard to tell what’s causing what.

The main thing bothering me is this ongoing sensation of:
- food sitting in my stomach / delayed emptying
- mild burning/fullness pressure in the upper-middle stomach area
- feeling physically full but still mentally wanting food
- eating sometimes making me want to eat more rather than less

This isn’t just after binge episodes either , I’ve noticed the stuck inside me feeling even during more structured eating periods.

I recently went through a very stressful dissertation period and had several days of binge/overeating episodes (mostly things like bread, peanut butter, cereal, nuts etc. rather than takeaways). I’m now back to more structured eating:
- tracking intake
- eating every 4 hours
- fewer binge-trigger foods in the house
- trying to avoid chaotic grazing

but my stomach still doesn’t feel normal.

I’m also coming off Elvanse/Vyvanse and just started atomoxetine/Strattera a few days ago, so I know my nervous system/appetite regulation is probably in flux too.

What I’m struggling with is the balance between:
- wanting reduced food noise/binge urges
- wanting normal digestion/fullness again
- not wanting to feel painfully overfull
- but also not wanting to remove every enjoyable food from my diet or eat tiny meals constantly

I’m not looking for extreme dieting advice or “just stop eating sugar” . I’m more wondering if other people with ADHD/binge eating/IBS/GLP-1 use have experienced:
- fullness that feels uncomfortable but doesn’t stop mental urges to eat
- burning/full sensations without severe reflux/vomiting
- food feeling physically slow to move
- or difficulty finding the balance between appetite suppression and feeling physically normal.

I’m considering whether I may need to stop the GLP-1 at some point just to work out what symptoms are medication-related vs baseline, but honestly I’m scared the binge eating/food noise will get much worse without it.

Hey everyone,

Quick context: I've spent the last year building a tool I wish existed when I was struggling with my own gut stuff. My wife is a certified gut health practitioner, and she's been the clinical advisor on the project.

The basic idea: a personalized AI coach that learns from your intake, your sensitivities, logged meals, logged symptoms and your patterns, so you can ask gut-related questions any time and get answers that actually reference your data. Not a replacement for doctors or practitioners. More like the thing you wish could connect the dots and ask questions at 11pm when something flares up.

I'm at the stage where I need real users who actually live with gut issues to tell me what works and what doesn't. I'm looking for 20 or so beta testers willing to use it for 2-3 weeks and give me honest feedback. Free during the beta, no obligation after.

I'm not here to sell anything. I wont drop the site. Dont want to break any rules. Genuinely just need to know if this is useful to people who aren't my friends and family. Honest feedback welcome.

If you're interested, drop a comment or DM me and I'll send you access.

Happy to answer any questions.

I took 3 weeks of doxy back in February, and my gut is still not the same. Is this normal? I'm already a pretty healthy eater and stick to 80-20 rule, but now I'm thinking I may have to do 100% whole foods all the time to get my gut back to where it was. I am dealing with extreme abdomen bloating, loss of appetite, gas, more burping than usual, fatigue, and anxiety. It seemed to be resolved a couple of times only to come right back. I will wake up one day looking 3 months pregnant, and my stomach will have mostly flattened out in a day or two. I'm getting really frustrated at this point and am hoping to hear some positive similar situations. I am doing Align probiotic and at least 20 plants a week. 80% whole foods, have only drank alcohol once and am currently cutting out gluten and dairy. I am also doing non dairy forager yogurt, wildbrine sourkraut, prune juice, and psyllium husk. Any advice? Anyone else with similar experiences, how long did it take to go back to normal? I fear it will never be the same again. It appears my metabolism has slowed down immensely as well.

My 4 year old has had 6 ear infections this year and all the antibiotics have completely wrecked his stomach. I’m desperate to find a probiotic with good ingredients that actually works pretty quickly because I hate seeing him uncomfortable all the time. Any recommendations would really help.

Your low energy might not be laziness.

It might be your gut.

90% of your serotonin is made in your gut not your brain.

When your digestion is off, your energy production is off too.

I learned this the hard way: full-time job, constant afternoon crashes, no amount of sleep fixed it.

Once I started looking at my gut, everything changed.

Has anyone else felt this kind of tired?

A lot of gut health conversations online focus heavily on:

• probiotics
• digestive enzymes
• powders
• “gut healing stacks”

But I’m curious about the non-supplement things people noticed made the biggest difference long term.

Could be:

• reducing stress
• sleeping better
• walking more
• eating slower
• chewing properly
• sunlight/circadian rhythm
• hydration changes
• fixing constipation
• meal timing
• reducing overstimulation/anxiety

Sometimes it feels like the nervous system side of digestion gets overlooked completely.

What habit or lifestyle change improved your gut health the most?

Hi everyone, I'm 25M suffered with Acid Reflux lately due to antibiotic and spicy food load. I took an ant-acid(Pan-D) which helped me calm my nervous system and the acid reflux stopped. Thing is - I actually continued to take it for more than 3 weeks which led me to bloating, no sense of hunger from the stomach and constipation due to low acids in the stomach. How can I undo this ? The acid reflux got better(I exact don't know if I got rid of acid reflux because I'm eating blant food) but I need to get rid of this phase. Please suggest. Sorry if my english isn't good, not my national language.

Hi everyone. I’ve been dealing with this for almost 2 years now and I honestly feel completely lost about what to do next. I don’t know how much longer I can deal with it physically and mentally.

My symptoms are:
- 24/7 post-nasal drip
- bad breath
- white tongue
- constant fatigue
- really bad brain fog

Over the past few years, I’ve seen 3 different ENTs. The first two recommended FESS surgery, but I never went through with it. I’ve also done:
- 21 days of doxycycline
- saline rinses
- steroid rinses/sprays to calm inflammation

As a last resort, I recently saw a new ENT and got a CT scan done. The CT showed my sinuses are clear and that there’s nothing blocked. So now I’m confused — if my sinuses are “fine,” why do I still have nonstop post-nasal drip?

Another weird symptom is that when I do saline rinses or use nasal spray, I sometimes smell a fishy odor deep in my nose. I also feel pressure mostly on the left side of my face, where I happen to have a dental implant. I saw my oral surgeon and they said the implant looks completely fine.

What’s also frustrating is that the ENT who ordered the CT scan didn’t even look inside my nose with a scope. But the previous ENTs who did look inside my nose were the ones recommending surgery without ever doing a CT scan first. So now I feel like I’m getting conflicting opinions from everyone.

At this point, I don’t know what this even is anymore:
- Silent reflux/LPR?
- A sinus issue that somehow isn’t showing on CT?
- Something dental-related
- Chronic infection?
- Gut-related?

For reference, I’m in the U.S., and navigating healthcare here has honestly been exhausting.

Has anyone experienced something similar — especially the post-nasal drip + bad breath + white tongue + brain fog combination? Did you ever figure out the root cause? And if so, what actually helped?

I’m exhausted and just looking for answers at this point.

Hi everyone, 

I'm trying to understand if my chronic brain fog and fatigue are caused by underlying gut problems. Brain fog dates back from when I was a teenager, if not earlier.

I'm 36m. I did a GI mapping in November of last year. Results were (i) h pylori infection (ii) methane SIBO (iii) leaky gut (iv) depleted gut immunity (v) and dysbiotic bacteria.

I've been doing a restrictive diet since end of January to address those issues. An integrative doctor told me which diet to follow and gave me a supplement regimen.

Initially, I had more vivid dreams. Stool consistency got better after 2.5 months. Early on I had less intestinal gaz. 

I don't see any improvement in fatigue and brain fog. There have been a few days where I had better energy and focus, but I've had experiences in the past where fatigue and focus were a bit better at times too.

In your experience, does it make sense to continue the diet and is there a chance that chronic fatigue and brain fog are caused by gut issues?

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!

Vegetables are the foundation of microbiome diversity, and most of us aren't eating enough variety.

Two things came up in the comments on the fruit post that need addressing before we dig into vegetables.  See: Fruit is one of the most underrated tools for gut microbiome diversity.

If fruit had probiotic capsules as the industry workaround, vegetables have greens powders. You know the brands and have seen the advertising. Same playbook. They position them as "vegetable replacements" for people who don't eat enough actual vegetables. The reality is that $50 to $80 a month for processed powder buys you significantly less than $20 a month buys you in actual vegetables. Real vegetables bring fiber, water content, live enzymes, intact polyphenols, and the food matrix that protects nutrients through digestion. Powders are dehydrated, processed, and often heat damaged versions of those same compounds. Your gut doesn't want a supplement. It wants food.

Second, the FODMAP and SIBO question. The vegetable list includes several high FODMAP items (garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli). For someone with active SIBO, fructose malabsorption, or significant gut dysbiosis, this list isn't the right starting point. I strongly encourage you to address the underlying imbalance first, then reintroduce these foods slowly. The list applies to people who are otherwise healthy and who are trying to build microbiome diversity, not to people in active GI flare.

Let's be honest with ourselves. While we may eat a decent amount of vegetables, there isn't much variety. Potatoes (as fries), tomatoes (as sauce and ketchup), onions, lettuce, and corn account for the majority of vegetable consumption in N.A. The fruit post talked about diversity. Vegetables are where the diversity problem is even more pronounced. The good news is that vegetables also offer the widest possible range of microbiome inputs of any food category. Vegetables do everything fruit does plus several things fruit doesn’t.

Why this matters. Microbiome diversity is the strongest predictor of microbiome health, and dietary diversity is the strongest predictor of microbiome diversity. The American Gut Project (McDonald 2018) found people eating 30+ different plant species per week had measurably more diverse microbiomes than those eating fewer than 10. More diverse microbiomes are consistently associated with better metabolic markers, lower systemic inflammation, stronger gut barrier function, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, depression, anxiety, and colorectal cancer. Low microbiome diversity shows up in nearly every chronic disease that's increased over the last 50 years. Let that sink in for a moment.

Different bacteria specialize in different fibers and polyphenols. Eating the same five vegetables every day, feeds the same handful of bacterial species. Rotating through 15-20 different plant sources across a week feeds a much wider range. The diversity you eat becomes the diversity you build, and that diversity is what protects you. 

This is vegetables only. Next up in the series: legumes (the magical fruit), then fermented foods, nuts and seeds, mushrooms, and the rest. The integrated diversity across all categories is what builds the microbiome the research keeps pointing to.

I did some simple research and here is my vegetable list, ranked most beneficial down for microbiome support, with fermentation speed indicated.

The ranking is based on four criteria: prebiotic fiber content (inulin, FOS, GOS, pectin, arabinoxylan, resistant starch), polyphenol density and diversity (anthocyanins, sulforaphane, quercetin, kaempferol, and others), specific bacterial population support (which beneficial species each vegetable feeds), and documented research base for microbiome effects. Vegetables high in inulin and other fast-fermenting fibers cluster at the top because they have the strongest direct prebiotic effect. Cruciferous vegetables follow because of their unique sulforaphane and glucosinolate contributions. Polyphenol-rich and leafy greens round out the list based on overall microbiome impact rather than any single mechanism.

The fermentation speed indicates where in the colon each vegetable fiber gets broken down. Fast in the ascending colon (early). Medium in the transverse colon (middle). Slow in the descending colon (end). The point is to combine vegetables across all three speeds within meals so different bacterial populations get fed simultaneously, and to rotate the specific items across days and weeks to build broader diversity over time. Both matter.

1. Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke): fast
2. Garlic: fast
3. Globe artichoke: fast
4. Leeks: fast
5. Onions: fast
6. Asparagus: fast
7. Dandelion greens: fast
8. Endive: fast
9. Fennel: fast/medium
10. Cabbage (especially fermented as sauerkraut or kimchi): medium
11. Brussels sprouts: medium
12. Broccoli: medium
13. Kale: medium
14. Cauliflower: medium
15. Bok choy: medium

A note on the top of the list. The first nine vegetables are fast fermenters because they're rich in inulin. They're also the most likely to cause gas if you've been on a low-fiber diet. If that's you, start lower on the list with the cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens, then add the fast fermenters gradually over a few weeks or months. Seriously - start slow. It takes your gut time to adapt to new foods. While we can have a good giggle about fart jokes, but gas and bloating can be uncomfortable, on both sides, if you get my meaning.

A note on dandelion greens and endive. These are unfamiliar to most American eaters but they're some of the most concentrated sources of inulin in the vegetable world. Available at farmers markets and Mediterranean grocers. The bitterness moderates significantly when sautéed with garlic and olive oil.

Practical suggestions: Combine vegetables across the fermentation speed range within meals so different bacterial populations get fed simultaneously. Rotate the specific vegetables across days for broader diversity. Cook some, eat some raw, both have value. Frozen is fine. Prioritize organic for leafy greens and bell peppers.

Link to the Fruit Post. https://www.reddit.com/r/Microbiome/comments/1te005q/comment/om5tt4n/

Sources: 

McDonald 2018 mSystems - PMID 29795809, DOI 10.1128/mSystems.00031-18, volume 3 issue 3, e00031-18.

Calatayud 2021 Frontiers in Nutrition - DOI 10.3389/fnut.2021.700571.

Gill 2021 Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology - 18(2):101-116, DOI 10.1038/s41575-020-00375-4, PMID 33208922.

2 years ago I was on back to back antibiotics for a strep infection and then Klebsiella UTI’s. I did get back to a decent place with my gut finally but unfortunately now on antibiotics again for 7 days for an E. coli uti. I didn’t get issues with UTI’s until my first 10 day course of antibiotics so I know I really need to look after my gut microbiome. I just would love to know the top foods to rotate weekly while trying to heal my gut and reduce the risk of another uti and anymore antibiotics. Feeling stuck again 🥲