# Intestinal gas affecting brain functionality?



## hsy

Hello everyone.I have been struggling with some sort of digestive issue for many years, and I am just starting to come to terms with the fact that this is probably IBS. It's a long story, many doctors, much frustration, now on Xifaxan, been through most modalities of treatment.My most distressing symptom is the brain fog. It is somehow tied into intestinal gas. I can be feeling fine one moment, and then all of the sudden my brain will go dead, I will get dizzy, eyes get red, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't come up with words, feel like i'm going to pass out.This lasts until I have a bowel movement, or until the gas passes.It is extremely disruptive and concerning. This is no minor reaction. It's debilitating.I am curious if anyone else is familiar with this symptom and if there is any more information on what exactly is going on.Thanks in advance.


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## ALF

hi hsy,I have had exact same symptoms as you described for years and just recently attributed them to gas in the intestines. I have no good answer to what causes it but my theory is that certain nerves are stimulated by the pressure from gas which adversely affects brain and in response it releases adrenaline that causes the symptoms.Doctor scoped my stomach and colon and CAT-scanned the rest but found pretty much nothing. I did a breath test which found SIBO. A course of xifaxan had no effect. However, earlier course of Prevpac I took for H-pylori infection they found during my endoscopy had all symptoms go away for a couple of days and then slowly return.I am still looking for answers and pretty convinced that SIBO is causing these horrible symptoms. I found that probiotics help me to manage gas problem and I am also on PPI which seems to help as well.Hope it helps.


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## Haunted

I too experience similar symptoms when I feel that I have gas inside of me.I often feel hot and uncomfortable and begin to sweat and feel nervous.


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## Moises

ALF said:


> hi hsy,I have had exact same symptoms as you described for years and just recently attributed them to gas in the intestines. I have no good answer to what causes it but my theory is that certain nerves are stimulated by the pressure from gas which adversely affects brain and in response it releases adrenaline that causes the symptoms.Doctor scoped my stomach and colon and CAT-scanned the rest but found pretty much nothing. I did a breath test which found SIBO. A course of xifaxan had no effect. However, earlier course of Prevpac I took for H-pylori infection they found during my endoscopy had all symptoms go away for a couple of days and then slowly return.I am still looking for answers and pretty convinced that SIBO is causing these horrible symptoms. I found that probiotics help me to manage gas problem and I am also on PPI which seems to help as well.Hope it helps.


Hi Alf,Prevpac contains antibacterial agents that work in the small intestine, so it is interesting that xifaxan didn't help but Prevpac did. I have done xifaxan and Vivonex and neither helped me.What is the PPI that you are referring to?


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## hsy

Thanks everyone. I will investigate Prevpac.This problem has been so horrible for so long. I was convinced for about 10 years that I had a sleep disorder because I constantly felt exhausted, brain fogged, etc.. But eventually I have learned that it is tied into the gas/bm situation. Very frustrating. Hopefully a doctor will be able to help me out somehow (in NYC.) The worst part about this is that I never have any idea when it's going to hit. It's like living with a damacles sword hanging over my head.


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## eric

"uncomfortable and begin to sweat and feel nervous."This is an exaggerated nervous system responce which can happen with IBS.Distension of the colon releases neurotransmitters that can effect the both the enteric nervous system and the Central nervous systemFYIaltered serotonin signaling and ibs compilationhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=80198You might also want to just look at thishttp://www.psychiatrictimes.com/print.jhtm...amp;url_prefix=


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## ALF

Moises said:


> Hi Alf,Prevpac contains antibacterial agents that work in the small intestine, so it is interesting that xifaxan didn't help but Prevpac did. I have done xifaxan and Vivonex and neither helped me.What is the PPI that you are referring to?


Hi Moses,Prevpac contains two antibiotics, amoxicillin and clarithromycin, and prevacid proton pump inhibitor (PPI). After seeing the effect I have tried another round of AB similar to amoxicillin and wanted to also try clarithromycin but was told it's not prescribed separately. I have tried almost all PPIs and found that Aciphex works best for me. I found that my symptoms are worst at about 3 hours after meals and that is when food exits small interstine. This agrees well with SIBO which is bad bacteria propagating from colon to small interstine and causing all kinds of problems including gas and intoxication.I will be doing another test for h-pylori this week to see whether I got re-infected and maybe another round of prevpac. I just could not forget how great I felt on the very first day of medication (in fact in 2-3 hours after the first dose I felt the difference) and how much energy I had during that day. Unfortunately it did not last. However, I still feel better than before the treatment, I guess some of it is due to PPI and probiotics. Those brain fog attacks are milder now and less frequent.


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## labgerms

hsy said:


> Hello everyone.I have been struggling with some sort of digestive issue for many years, and I am just starting to come to terms with the fact that this is probably IBS. It's a long story, many doctors, much frustration, now on Xifaxan, been through most modalities of treatment.My most distressing symptom is the brain fog. It is somehow tied into intestinal gas. I can be feeling fine one moment, and then all of the sudden my brain will go dead, I will get dizzy, eyes get red, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't come up with words, feel like i'm going to pass out.This lasts until I have a bowel movement, or until the gas passes.It is extremely disruptive and concerning. This is no minor reaction. It's debilitating.I am curious if anyone else is familiar with this symptom and if there is any more information on what exactly is going on.Thanks in advance.


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## labgerms

I too have had these stupid digestive problems....the intestinal gas and bloating and feeling dizzy, nauseous, sweaty and like im going to pass out. i get the brain fog and feel like almost tunnel vision sometimes. it affects me at work, home, while driving, and etc. i am so tired of feeling this way and people who don't share this problem look at you like you're nuts. dizziness from gas???? i too understand but do not know what to do about it. i am just so glad to hear that someone else on the planet feels these same symptoms. i also feel the dizziness and stuff goes away after defecation or after releasing the gas whether by burping or flatulence. thank you for posting and sharing.


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## TheIBSExperience

Haunted said:


> I too experience similar symptoms when I feel that I have gas inside of me.I often feel hot and uncomfortable and begin to sweat and feel nervous.


Me too, I am feeling so much pressure that I get sweaty even the weather is cold and so much if the weather is hot then I become unresponsive when someone is talking to me and then embarrassment. I can't control these gases.


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## eric

Gas distends the colon. When the colon gets distended it releases neurotransmitters. The gut brain and the brain are constantly communicating back and forth.So the gas is distending the colon, but its not really the gas causing brain fog but the neurotransmitters and how the gut brain and brain work together.IBS can also effect the HPA axis and continued stimulation of the HPA axis can cause fatique, brain fog and other symptoms including triggering IBSsymptoms.webmd"Question: I have suffered with IBS for 24 years. My question is what causes the following symptoms: Out of nowhere I start feeling very nauseated, then I start to sweat, feel faint, have heart palpitations, and have terrible stomach pains. Usually a bowel movement or just passing gas helps. Does the bowel pain bring this on? I've heard of many people that have the same symptoms. Answer: If a bowel movement relieves the discomfort, it is consistent with IBS. The likelihood is that at her age it would be IBS. However, if this is an acute, or short-lived, intense type of pain, it might also be an intestinal infection. If it's been going on for several weeks or months, then it's likely IBS or another type of intestinal disease, such as Crohn's disease, or if there is blood in the stool it could be ulcerative colitis. But in young people those disorders have perhaps one-hundredth to one-thousandth the frequency of IBS. The key element is that if it has been going on for a while without blood in stool or weight loss and you experience relief after passing gas or a bowel movement, it's most likely IBS. *Symptoms, such as pain, sweating, heart palpitations, and feeling faint are related to the exaggerated nervous system response to eating that occurs in people with IBS. -- *Douglas Drossman, professor of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and co-director of the UNC Center for Functional GI and Utility Disorders. "http://www.webmd.com/content/article/65/79521.htmYou can get that aside from eating as well if the gut- brain connection is stimulated.Causes Question: What progress has been made in finding a theory in the development of IBS? Answer: IBS occurs when there is a dysfunction in the regulation of how the brain and gut talk to each other. Diet, stress, hormones, and infection can all affect a person's sensitivity to this condition. There's a brain-gut connection, and if the bowel is distressed, it's not unusual to get anxious. Mental stress may also cause the bowel to become distressed. -- Douglas Drossman, professor of medicine and psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and co-director of the UNC Center for Functional GI and Utility Disorders. What's happening now is that there is an increasing recognition that IBS is a problem that is occurring in both the central nervous system and the gut and the interplay between the two. That is giving us a much better handle on mechanisms involved. Therefore, we now have a lot of new ideas and more scientific evidence that are leading to more effective treatments. -- Ray E. Clouse, MD, professor of medicine and psychiatry in the division of gastroenterology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/65/79519.htm


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## Girl

My god, this is exactly what I suffer from, it is destroying my life.What can we do guys? I think that if the problem of incontrollable gas won't stop, we will keep to feel all this horrible pressure on the head, this is a true disability. I wonder how I will be able ever to explain this problem to someone, people can't understand how it likes to have this, everyday is to go through hell, and it's a horrible weight on the brain, so sometimes people talking with me, and I... like, can't concentrate and don't understand what that talking to me cuz I am in the situation of holding in the gas I soon have turn to a protologic clinic, I feel so exhausted, my brain and body are all weak from having this problem for 9 years. Anyone have other advices? maybe together we will find a way to ease our pain.


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## cynthia

Hi all,My son also suffers from the gas/ brain thing. Just curious - when you are all talking about gas, are you referring to upper or lower? Do any of you get relieved from burping, or is it all farting? My son has upper (stomach/ small intestinal) gas and has brain fog and dizziness which improves when he burps - but then it comes right back. Thanks.


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## hsy

just checking in on this topic - i did a 10 day course of 1200mg xifaxan and while i have not had a single loose stool since then, i still suffer from this awful gas that totally causes my brain to shut down - some days i wake up feeling like i haven't slept - dizzy, out of it, can barely keep my eyes open - then x number of hours later the gas begins exiting and slowly my mind begins to recover - the depression lifts, and i am fine - no matter what i can do i can not determine what is causing this - i am undergoing stool testing, h pylori, parasite testing, colonoscopy and i am hoping for some information but it's not looking promising - the worst is the days when i just feel a little run down and i know it's a small amount of the gas impacting my energy level vs actually being run down - THIS IS HORRIBLE!


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## eric

Its not the gas per se, but the gas distening the colon and that will release nuerotransmitters that then can effect the brain.Normals with gas don't get these problems really. Gas itself can cross the brain barrier.


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## hsy

thank you for reiterating that - has your research yielded any solutions/directions toward solutions/hope?besthsy


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## hsy

also, have you ever discussed this with a doctor who agrees with you? not via quoting text or journal, but actual contact. do you yourself experience this problem?


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## hsy

this is a message for "girl"Girl - girl the problem i am talking about has nothing to do with being distracted by holding in gas - for me i would do anything to have what's in me OUT - be it gas, etc - the problem is that the gas that's IN THERE that won't get out is having a disabling effect on my brain causing exhaustion, sleepiness, dizziness, visual field distortions etc.


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## eric

MY IBS can effect my brain and my brain can effect my IBS.I have had this coverstaion with some of the worlds leading experts in IBS.Its physically not possible for gas to effect your brain, except through neurotransmission of nerve fibers in the digestive system. Its also how the system works. Its also what they are finding out in years and years of IBS research.FYIThere are very complex connections to the gut and the brain and one part of this is the emotional motor system or Limbic system. This is also connected to the HPA axis or bodies stress system. The bodies stress system is also used to FIGHT INFECTION as well as the fight or flight responce.*Constant activation of this system drains the body, like draining the batteries.*"Emotion involves the entire nervous system, of course. But there are two parts of the nervous system that are especially significant: The limbic system and the autonomic nervous system. "http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?a...f=1&t=90595So the limbic system (and Emotions) are connected to the autonomic nervous system that helps control digestion, heart rate and breathing amoung other things. This is one reason why emotions often effect digestion. Even subtle emotions."The hypothalamus is one of the busiest parts of the brain, and is mainly concerned with homeostasis. Homeostasis is the process of returning something to some "set point." It works like a thermostat: When your room gets too cold, the thermostat conveys that information to the furnace and turns it on. As your room warms up and the temperature gets beyond a certain point, it sends a signal that tells the furnace to turn off. The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating your hunger, thirst, response to pain, levels of pleasure, sexual satisfaction, anger and aggressive behavior, and more. It also regulates the functioning of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems, which in turn means it regulates things like pulse, blood pressure, breathing, and arousal in response to emotional circumstances. "http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/limbicsystem.html(This is also one reason why a person can get hot and cold chills before an attack as well as dilated pupils, increase heart rate and breathing ect..)"The first is to the autonomic nervous system. This allows the hypothalamus to have ultimate control of things like blood pressure, heartrate, breathing, digestion, sweating, and all the sympathetic and parasympathetic functions. "Importantly it helps regulated "It also regulates the functioning of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systemsThis is how it breaks downCentral nervous sytemThe Autonomic Nervous SystemThe organs (the "viscera") of our body, such as the heart, stomach and intestines, are regulated by a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is part of the peripheral nervous system and it controls many organs and muscles within the body. In most situations, we are unaware of the workings of the ANS because it functions in an involuntary, reflexive manner. For example, we do not notice when blood vessels change size or when our heart beats faster. However, some people can be trained to control some functions of the ANS such as heart rate or blood pressure. The ANS is most important in two situations:1. In emergencies that cause stress and require us to"fight" or take "flight" (run away) and2. In nonemergencies that allow us to "rest" and "digest.". The ANS is divided into three parts:The sympathetic nervous system The parasympathetic nervous system The enteric nervous system.The enteric nervous sytem is called the "Gut Brain" and has 100 million neurons as many as the spinal cord.http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/auto.htmlThis is really important in IBS and how some of it fits into IBS. Importantly there is a cell embedded in the gut wall that is directly connected to the HPA axis and the fight or flight.FYI"You have two brains: one in your head and another in your gut. Dr. Jackie D. Wood is a renowned physiologist at The Ohio State University. He calls the second brain, "the-little-brain-in-the-gut." This enteric nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system and contains over one hundred million neurons, which is as many as are in the spinal cord. This complex network of nerves lines the walls of the digestive tract form the esophagus all the way down to the colon. This little brain in the gut is connected to the big brain by the vagus nerves, bundles of nerve fibers running from the GI tract to the head. All neurotransmitters, such as serotonin that are found in the brain are also present in the gut.Dr Wood has discovered that this little-brain-in-the-gut has programs that are designed for our protection and which are very much like computer programs. They respond to perceived threats in the same way that the limbic system or the emotional brain does. So the threat of a gastrointestinal infection can activate the program that increases gut contractions in order to get rid of the infection. The symptoms are abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Dr. Wood has determined that a type of cell found in the body and the gut, called the mast cell, is a key to understanding the connection of the big brain in the head with the little-brain-in-the-gut. Mast cells are involved in defense of the body. In response to certain threats or triggers, such as pollen or infection, mast cells release chemicals, such as histamine, that help to fight off the invader. Histamine is one of the chemicals that causes the symptoms of an allergy or a cold. When an infection of the gut occurs, such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis, the mast cells of the gut release histamine. The little-brain-in-the-gut interprets the mast cell signal of histamine release as a threat and calls up a protective program designed to remove the threat â€" at the expense of symptoms: abdominal pain and diarrhea. The brain to mast cell connection has a direct clinical relevance for irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal syndromes. It implies a mechanism for linking allostasis and the good stress response to irritable states (e.g., abdominal pain and diarrhea) of the gut. Mast cells can be activated to release histamine in response to perceived psychological stress, whether the stressor or trigger is consciously perceived or not. So the end result is the same as if an infection activated the program in the-little-brain-in-the-gut: abdominal pain and diarrhea."http://www.parkviewpub.com/nuggets/n5.html So over activation of the limbic system emtional motor system can cause fatique.Emotional Processing & Physical HealthIrritable bowel syndromehttp://www.emotionalprocessing.org.uk/EP%2...%20syndrome.htm


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## karoe

I've had brain fog for about 10 years. It happens every afternoon. I have to take a nap to get rid of it. If I don't take a nap, like at work, I just feel progressively worse all afternoon. This is no minor thing. I really feel like I shouldn't be driving when this happens. I finally found someone who's seen it. Read Dr. Pimentel's book. He's got two pages on it. He thinks it's toxins that the liver couldn't handle.


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## hsy

the theory that it's toxins that the liver can't handle is directly contradicted by what eric posts aboveeric do you have said condition re brain fog?


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## eric

The term brain fog can have different meanings to different people. But yes I get this sometimes. The HPA axis I mentioned helps to fight pathogens or toxins. So it will be activated with a pathogen, a toxin or the fight or flight or stress or ANY THREAT to the organism or person. IT also helps regulate hormones and a lot of body functions and is connected to the immune system.There can be a ton of reasons for brain fog, many people with CFS or Fibro also have it as well as Adrenal burnout, which again is part of the HPA axis. Nutritional problems can certainly be a problem if someone is not eating right. Stress as mentioned can majorally effect the brain and cognitive functioning also through the HPA axis I mentioned.Blood flow can also be a problem. Sleep can be a problemA chronic condition such as IBS, but there are others.Fatique is a major one. Hormones regulation as well as menopause.I am sure I am missing a lot more.But gas in the bowel cannot directly cause brain fog, unless its by stimulating the colon and neurotransmission or other chemicals. I would have to see more on Dr Pimentel's theory. I doubt he thinks brain fog has one and only one cause, because as I mentioned above there are a lot of well known reasons already. I think personally I would start with eating right and sleeping right and stress reductions and recharging the batteries and then see how I felt and if those things helped.Also as mentioned CFS and Fibro are seen in a lot of IBSers and vice versa, so even that could be connected to some people. That IBS can cause brain fog as the central nervous system and autonomic nervous systems as well as the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are effected doesn't surprize me at all. There is also IBS research on the brain and blood flow, which is different then normals or people with UC.Pain is also another issue to brain fog.


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## eric

I was thinking about this more, but what toxins are we talking about here. We talking about a real a liver problem?"Toxins" from SIBO?I am not sure where the toxins are suppose to be coming from?


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## hsy

the toxins are theoretically being produced by bacteria that aren't supposed to be there - we know that the gas in generala is a byproduct of bacteria - unwelcome bacteria would be producing gas that is not native to that environment - i think they call them mycotoxins - can't recall - said toxins would then end up in the bloodstream (which eric you say i think is not possible? can't recall) and traveling to the liver - i read that xifaxan is also used to help people with liver problems because their systems cannot filter the toxins which oftentimes results in hepatic encephelopathy - h.e. symptoms seem to completely match what i experience with this brain fog - i have spent years obsessed with sleep and eating right trying to make this go away and it is linked to the gas - when the gas passes, which sometimes takes days, the effects pass


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## hsy

mycotoxin is definitely wrong term - they are byproduct of fungi - left over from my travels through the whole candida modality which i do not buy at all at this point


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## eric

There is altered gas dynamics in IBS and gas distends the bowel and then it releases neurotransmitters, importantly serotonin, which signals sensations to the brain, but also intiates gut contractions, from pressure sensitive cells that release serotonin. IBSers effectively demonstrate altered serotonin dysregulation.altered serotonin signaling and ibs compilationhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=80198Basically if the bowel was not distended like an inflated ballon and was a non inflated ballon and you cut it with a knife the person would not feel it. another part to this perhaps is the connection to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve connects the gut brain and brain and when stimulated can cause brain fog, but usally also other symptoms, perhaps nausea as well. But another thing to look into, the gas could effect the vagus nerve indirectly, via communications between the gut brain and the brain.FYI hysI asked a major player about this, you might want to read this thread firsthttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=68397But for one as Flux pointed out and is something to really consider on this"I mean anything metabolically active produces by-products that they don't want inside them, but usually the normal colon or mouth bacteria aren't generating something that makes people sick (or we would each and every one of us be sick)."But I asked Dr Drossman about the sibo as you can see from the other thread.sorry its in bold type that is how he worte it into the email so I would see it was his answers."IT IS AN OVERSTATEMENT TO SAY THEY ARE "IRRITATING" SUBSTANCES AT LEAST IN THE SENSE OF BEING SOME TYPE OF TOXIN. THEY ARE NATURAL BYPRODUCTS OF DEGRADATION OF FOOD SUBSTANCES BY BACTERIA WHICH DON'T NORMALLY OCCUR IN THE SMALL BOWEL. SO WITH INCREASED BACTERIA IN THE SMALL BOWEL, THE BACTERIA ARE ABLE TO DIGEST SUGARS FOR EXAMPLE PRODUCING H2 AND CO2 FROM THE SUGARS WHICH ARE GASEOUS BUT WHICH ALSO HAVE OSMOTIC PROPERTIES, I.E. INCREASED PARTICLES THAT CAUSE SECRETION OF FLUID INTO THE BOWEL THUS CAUSING DIARRHEA. IT'S THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS USING NON ABSORBABLE SUGARS LIKE LACTULOSE OR SORBITAL TO TREAT CONSIPATION BY INCREASING FLUID IN THE BOWEL. IT'S JUST THAT WITHOUT BACTERIA IN THE SMALL BOWEL, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AND THE FOOD SUBSTANCES GET ABSORBED. WITH INCREASED BACTERIA IT COMPETES FOR THE FOOD SUBSTANCES AND PRODUCES THE GAS AND DIARRHEA."*This means these are just in the wrong place and not specific or multiple pathogens?*CORRECT. HOWEVER, THERE IS GROWING INTEREST NOT IN THE AMOUNT OF BACTERIA BUT THE TYPE OF BACTERIA. CERTAIN BACTERIA CAN CAUSE SOME MILD INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWEL AND OTHERS PROTECT THE BOWEL FROM THAT POSSIBILITY. SO THERE IS "GOOD" AND "BAD" BACTERIA. POSSIBLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE TREATING PRESUMED SIBO (WHICH MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY BE HAPPENNING, BECAUSE THE TEST MAY BE INACCURATE) ANTIBIOTICS MAY HELP TO GET RID OF THE BAD BACTERIA AND THAT MAY BE WHY THEY ARE GETTING BETTER. THIS IS WHY SOME PEOPLE GET BETTER AFTER ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT. BUT IT CAN ALSO GO THE OTHER WAY, I.E., ANTIBIOTICS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO MAKE IBS WORSE AS WELL. THE OTHER IDEA IS TO USE PROBIOTICS WHICH CONTAIN "GOOD" BACTERIA (E.G., LACTOBACILLUS OR BIFIDOBACTERIA) WHICH REPLACE THE BAD BACTERIA, POSSIBLY REDUCE THE INFLAMMATION AND IMPROVE SYMPTOMS. SO THE ISSUE OF BACTERIA IN THE BOWEL IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED THAN SIMPLE SIBO, BUT SIBO CAN BE A PART OF THE WHOLE PICTURE (THOUGH NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE FOR IBS).So its not toxins really. Of course were also not seeing the two pages in Dr P's book at the moment either on the liver and toxins, but here the small bowel and substances in the wrong place.But in IBS there can be altered gas dynamics as matter ferments longer, because of altered motility through the intestines, whcih can also create gas pockets. But altered motility alone does not expalin IBS.There is this also hsy, just for the infoUnderstanding Intestinal Gas Everybody has gas in his or her digestive tract (the esophagus, stomach, small intestine/bowel, and large intestine/bowel). What is happening that causes painful or uncomfortable symptoms associated with gas in some persons while not in others? Report from this 2005 IFFGD Research Award Winner.Topics: Bacteria, gut flora, Diet, Foods, Fact Sheet, Gas, Bloating, Belching, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Click on the free pdf link. Its a very good article on gas.


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## eric

On another point, anxiety and depression is seen in a lot of IBSers, especially anxiety and anxiety or panic and in more severe cases depression can also cause brain fog.I know also when my IBS was very severe I would often be depressed and have anxiety over the IBS itself, but another aspect was like working and have my brain was on my job and the other half trying to keep my IBS under control or if it was acting up, it would be letting my mind know it. At other times I notice that my bodies chemicals and hence my nervous systems are out of whack and it does effects my brain. But I also know my gut will effect my brain and my brain (thoughts and emotions) will effect my gut.Pain itself is another aspect in IBS and brain fog as well.


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## eric

Just for the info on IBS and the brain"Neuroimaging has provided evidence of physiological differences between normal individualsand those suffering from IBS in the way a visceral stimulus (ie, rectal distention) is processed inthe brain.[14,15] Initial data from positron emission tomography (PET) scans demonstratedincreased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) among normal individuals, comparedto IBS patients. The ACC is a cerebral cortical area that is rich in opiate receptors and is thoughtto be a major component of cognitive circuits relating to perception as well as descending spinalpathways involving pain. More recently, fMRI was used to demonstrate increased activity in theACC, prefrontal (PF), and insular cortex areas, and in the thalamus of IBS patients compared tonormal individuals."







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The prefrontal cortex there has a lot to do with anxiety. Also the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, helps process pain and also emotions. Karoe, do you feel faint when it happens, tired, nausea, not thinking clearly, how do you actually feel when you get this? That it comes on at a certain time of the day, might be connected to your bodies natural cycles and rhythms.FYI"The twenty four hour cycle that our bodies work on is known as a circadian rhythm. "Circadian" is a Latin word which means, 'about a day'. ("How Biological Clocks Work"). On Earth, our biological clock runs on a twenty-four hour cycle because a significant piece of it is triggered by simple daylight. Light from the sun passes through our eyes and is detected by nerves in the retina, which is a sensitive area at the back of the eye. These nerves pass a signal along to the brain. "Some of these nerves feed the hypothalamus, which is a part of the brain that regulates body temperature, water, sugar ratios, and also fluid secretions. It houses the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is a bundle of nerves that controls the body's circadian rhythms" ("Jet Lag"). This also explains why circadian rhythms affect body temperature. The temperature of our bodies rises during the day, drops in the middle of the night, and begins to rise again in the early morning ("Jet Lag"). "http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01010/bioClocks.htmlalso yet again this is connected to the hypothalamus and hence the Hpa axis. Certain chemicals rise and fall in people during the day. An important one is cortisol and it is highest early in the morning and starts to decline later in the day and is really low after were asleep. When it starts to wear off after the early mornings into the afternoon, we get sleepy, fatiqued and perhaps irritable and can't think quite as clearly. It also helps us wake up in the morning and is connected with d in people with IBS and is one reason why some people have d really bad in the mornings.


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## hsy

eric thank you for this information it is very very interesting and i will be taking it to my doctor in nyc in the next 10 dayswhen i have information to add, i most certainly willbesthsy


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## eric

hsy, you don't happen to go to the mind body digestive center in NY do you?I am from NY, but live out west now.I lived across from west point on the Hudson river in the hudson highlands about an hour north of the city.


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## hsy

no i don't - i went to a top holistic md for a while and after spending many thousands of dollars with minor results (and major oversights on their part) i decided to call quintron and get a referral for a real gastro in manhattan (where i live) - so far i am happy with the doctor's professionalism and thoroughness


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## eric

Hsy, glad you found a caring doctor that is a plus.Just so you know though, this center specializes in IBS in New York.The Mind-Body Digestive Centerhttp://www.mindbodydigestive.com/There is also some helpful info on their site to read.


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## eric

FYI"The 'brain-gut axis' helps to explain the influence that thoughts, emotions, and psychological or social stress have on the function of the gut.""The Gut Speaks BackWhile the brain influences the digestive system, the opposite also is true. As stressful events can trigger digestive symptoms, so too can gastrointestinal disorders trigger stress, anxiety, and other psychological symptoms.Symptoms of a long-standing or recurring gastrointestinal disorder can be very intrusive, and can affect a person's daily life. Sadly, many sufferers can become preoccupied with their symptoms and how they might affect their day. As a result, they may find it difficult to concentrate on their normal activities and even suffer headaches, fatigue, and depression. These effects may be thought of as complications of the gastrointestinal disorder. We also know that patients who have ulcers and other inflammation of the bowel, such as with ulcerative colitis, may feel depressed and fatigued when the disease is active. *This is because the bowel disease releases chemicals that go to the brain and produce these emotional consequences."*Understanding the Causes of SymptomsAlthough there is a clear connection between psychological and digestive health, people with IBS and other gastrointestinal disorders often don't comprehend a link between psychosocial stress and their GI symptoms.http://www.merck.com/yourhealthnow/volume2-2/braingut.html


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## eric

only have a copy of this and its from 96' and I could not find an actual link, however they have learned a lot more since then, but Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Bellyaches.. « on: January 10, 2007, 11:46:04 am » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Complex and Hidden Brain in Gut Makes Bellyaches and ButterfliesEver wonder why people get "butterflies" in the stomach before going on stage ? Or why an impending job interview can cause an attack of intestinal cramps ? And why antidepressant s targeted for the brain cause nausea or abdominal upset in millions of people who take such drugs ?The reason for these common experiences, scientists say, is that the body has two brains - the familiar one encased in the skull and a lesser known but vitally important one found in the human gut Like Siamese twins, the two brains are interconnected ; when one gets upset, the other does, too.The gut's brain, known as the enteric nervous system, is located in sheaths of tissue lining the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. Considered a single entity, it is a network of neurons, neurotransmitt ers and proteins that zap messages between neurons, support cells like those found m the brain proper and a complex circuitry that enables it to act independently, learn, remember and, as the saying goes, produce gut feelings.The brain in the gut plays a major role in human happiness and misery. But few people know it exists, said Dr. Michael Gershon, a professor of anatomy and cell biology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New-York. For years, people who had ulcers, problems swallowing or chronic abdominal pain were told that their problems were imaginary, emotional, simply all in their heads. Dr. Gershon said. They were shuttled to psychiatrists for treatment.Doctors were right in ascribing these problems to the brain. Dr. Gershon said, but they blamed the wrong one. Many gastro-intestmal disorders like colids and irritable bowel syndrome originate from problems within the gut's brain, he said. And the current wisdom is that most ulcers are caused by a bacterium, not by hidden anger at one's mother.Symptoms stemming from the two brains get confused. Dr. Gershon said. "Just as little brain can upset the gut, the gut can also upset the brain" he said. "If you were chained to the toilet with cramps, you'd be upset too."Details of how tlie enteric nervous system mirrors the central nervous system have been emerging in recent years, said Dr. Gershon, who is considered one of a new field of medicine called neurogastroent erology.Nearly every substance that helps run and control the brain has turned up in the gut. Dr. Gershon said. Major neurotransmitt ers like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and nitric oxide are there. Two dozen small brain proteins, called neuropepddes, are in the gut, as are major cells of the immune system. Enkephalins, one class of the body's natural opiates, are in the gut And in a finding that stumps researchers, the gut is a rich source of benzodiazepine s - the family of psychoacrive chemicals that includes such ever popular drugs as Valium and Xanax.In evolutionary terms, it makes sense that the body has two brains, said Dr. David Wingate, a professor of gastrointestin al science at the University of London and a consultant at tlie Royal London Hospital. The first nervous systems were intubular animals that stuck to rocks and waited for food to pass by. Dr. Wingate said. The limbic system is often referred to as the "reptile brain".As life evolved, animals needed a more complex brain for finding food and sex and so developed a central nervous system. But the gut's nervous system was too important to put inside the newborn head with long connections going down to the body. Dr. Wingate said. O-ffsprmg need to eat and digest food at birth. Therefore, nature seems to have preserved the enteric nervous system as independant circuit. Inside higher animals, it is only loosely connected to the central nervous system and can mostly function alone, without insructions from topside.This is indeed the picture seen bydevelopmenta l biologists. A clump of tissue called the neural crest forms early in emblyogenesis. Dr. Gershon said. One section turns into the central nervous system. Another piece migrates to become the enteric nervous system. Only later arte the two nervous systems connected via a cable called the vagus nerve.Untill relatively recently, people thought that the gut's muscles and sensory nerves were vyired directly to the brain and that the brain controlled the gut through two pathways that increased or decreased rates of activity. Dr. Wingate said. The gut was simply a tube with simples reflexes. Trouble is, no one bothered to count the nerve fibers in the gut. When they did, he said, they were surprised to find that the gut contains 100 million neurons - more that the spinal cord has. Yet the vagus nerve only sends a couple of thousand nerve fibers to the gut.The brain sends signals to the gut by talking to a small number of "command neurons", which in turn send signals to gut intemeurons that cany messages up and down the pike. Dr. Gershon said. Both command neurons and interneurons are spread throughout two layers of gut tissue called the myenteric plexus and the subrnuscosal plexus. ("Solar plexus" is actually a boxing term that refers simply to nerves in the abdomen.) Command neurons control the pattern of activity in the gut. Dr. Gershon said. The vagus nerve only alters the volume by changing its rate of firing.The plexuses also contain glial cells that nourish neurons, mast cells involved in immune responses, and a "blood brain barrier" that keeps harmful substances away from important neurons. Dr. Gershon said. They have sensors for sugar, protein, acidity and other chemical factors that might monitor the progress of digestion, determining how the gut mixes and propels its contents. "It's not a simple pathway", he said. "It uses complex integrated circuits not unlike those found in the brain."The gut's brain and the head's brain act the same way when they are deprived of input from the outside world. Dr. Wingate said. During sleep, the head's brain produces 90-minute cycles of slow wave sleep punctuated by periods of rapid eye movement sleep in which dreams occur. During the night, when it has no food, the gut's brain produces 90-minute cycles of slow wave muscle contractions punctuated by short bursts of rapid muscle movements. Dr. Wingate said.The two brains may influence each other while in this state. Dr. Wingate said. Patients with bowel problems have been shown to have abnormal REM sleep. This finding is not inconsistent with the folk wisdom that indigestion can produce nightmare.As light is shed oA the circuitly between the two brains, researchers are beginning to understand why people act and feel the way they do. When the central brain encounters a frightening situation, it releases stress hormones that prepare the body to fight or flee. Dr. Gershon said. The stomach contains many sensory nerves that are stimulated by this chemical surge - hence the "butterflies". On the battlefield, the higher brain tells the gut brain to shut down. Dr. Gershon said. "A frightened, running animal does not stop to defecate", he said.Fear also causes the vagus nerve to "turn up the volume" on serotonin circuits in the gut. Dr. Gershon said. Thus overstimulated, the gut goes into higher gear and diarrhea results. Similarly, people sometimes "choke" with emotion. When nerves in the oesophagus are highly stimulated, people have trouble swallowing.Even the so-called "Maalox moment" of advertising fame can be explained by the two brains interacting, said Dr. Jackie D. Wood, chairman of the department of physiology at Ohio State University in Columbus. Stress signals from the head's brain can alter nerve function between the stomach and oesophagus, resulting in heartburn.In cases of extreme stress. Dr. Wood said, the higher brain seems to protect the gut by sending signals to immunological mast cells in the plexus. The mast cells secrete histamine, prostaglandin and other agents that help produce inflammation, he said. "This is protective. If an animal is in danger and subject to trauma, dirty stuff in the intestines is only a few cells away from the rest of the body. By inflaming the gut, the brain is priming the gut for surveillance. If the barrier breaks, the gut is ready to do repairs". Dr. Wood said. Unfortunately, the chemicals that get released also cause diarrhea and cramping.Such cross talk also explains many drug interactions. Dr. Gershon said. "When you make a drug to have psychic effects on the brain, it's veiy likely to have an effect on the gut that you didn't think about", he said. Conversely, drugs developped for the brain could have uses in the gut.For example, the gut is loaded with neurotransmitt er serotonin. When pressure receptors in the gut's lining are stimulated, serotonin is released and starts the reflexive motion of peristalsis. Dr. Gershon said.Now a quarter of people taking Prozac or similar antidepressant s have gastrointestma l problems like nausea, diarrhea and constipation, he said. These drugs act on serotonin, preventing its uptake by target cells so that it remains more abundant in the central nervous system.In a study to be published soon. Dr. Gershon and his colleagues explain Prozac's side effects ont the gut. They mounted a section of guinea pig colon on a stand and put a small pellet in the "mouth" end. The isolated colon whips the pellet down to the "anal" end of the column, just as it would inside an animal. Dr. Gershon said.When the researchers put a small amount of Prozac into the colon, the pellet "went into high gear". Dr. Gershon said. The drug doubled the speed at which the pellet passed through the colon, which would explain why some people get diarrhea. Prozac as been used in small doses to treat chronic constipation, he said.But when researchers increased the amount of Prozac in the guinea pig colon, the pellet stopped moving. The colon froze up. Dr. Gershon said, which is why some people get constipated on the drug. And because Prozac stimulated sensory nerves, he said, it can also cause nausea.Some antibiotics like crythromycin act on gut receptors to produce oscillations. Dr. Gershon said. People experience cramps and nausea. Drugs like morphine and heroin attach to the gut's opiate receptors, producing constipation. Indeed, both brains can be addicted to opiates.Victims of AIzheimer's and Parkingson's diseases suffer from constipation. The nerves in their gut are as sick as the nerve cells in their brains.Just as the central brain affects the gut, the gufs brain can talk back to the head. Dr. Gershon said. Most of the gut sensations that enter conscious awareness are negative things like pain and bloatedness. Dr. Wingate said. People do not expect to feel anything good from the gut but that does not mean such signals are absent, he said.Hence, the intriguing question : why does the human gut produce benzodiazepine 7 The human brain contains receptors for benzodiazepine, a drug that relieves anxiety, suggesting that the body produces its own internal source of the drug, said Dr. Anthony Basile, a neurochemist in the Neuroscience Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Several years ago, he said, an Italian scientist made a startling discovery. Patients with their liver failure fall into a deep coma. The coma can be reversed, in minutes, by giving the patient a drug that blocks benzodiazepine .When the liver falls, substances usually broken down by the liver get to the brain. Dr. Basile said. Some are bad, like ammonia and mercaptans, which are "smelly compounds that skunks spray on you", he said. But a series of compounds are also identical to benzodiazepine . "We don't know if they come from gut itself, from bacteria in the gut or from food". Dr. Basile said. But when the liver falls, the gut's benzodiazepine goes straight to the brain, knocking the patient unconscious.The payoff for exploring gut and head brain interactions is enormous. Dr. Wood said. For example, many people are allergic to certain foods, like shellfish. This is because mast cells in the gut mysteriously become sensitized to antigens in the food. The next time the antigen shows up in the gut. Dr. Wood said ; the mast cells call up a program, releasing chemical modulators that try to eliminate the threat. The allergic person gets diarrhea and cramps, he said.Many autoimmune diseases like Krohn's disease and ulcerative colitis may involve the gut's brain. Dr. Wood said. The consequences can be horrible, as in Chagas disease, which is caused by a parasite found in South America. Those infected develop an autoimmune response to neurons in their gut. Dr. Wood said. Their immune systems slowly destroy their own gut neurons. When enough neurons die, the intestines literally explode.A big question remains. Can the gut's brain learn 7 Does it "think" for itself 7 Dr. Gershon tells a story about an old Army sergeant, a male nurse in charge of a group ofparaplegics. With their lower spinal cords destroyed, the patients would get impacted."The sergeant was anal compulsive". Dr. Gershon said. "At 10 A.M. eveiyday, the patients got enemas. Then the sergeant was rotated off the ward. His replacement decided to give enemas only after compactions occured. But at 10 the next morning, everyone on the ward had a bowel movement at the same time, without enemas". Dr. Gershon said. Had the sergeant trained those colons?The human gut has long been seen as a repositoiy of good and bad feelings. Perhaps emotional states from the head's brain are mirrored in the gut's brain, were they are felt by those who pay attention to them.The "brain in the gut" takes the form of two networks of neural connections in the lining of the gastrointestin al tract, called the myenteric plexus and the subrnucosal plexus. The nerves are highly interconnected and have direct influence on things like the speed of digestion, the movement and secretions of the finger-like mucosa that line the intestines and the contractions of the different kinds of muscle in the gut wall. [Diagram # 1]GUT-BRAIN HIGHWAY: A 2-WAY STREET:The gut has a mind of its own, the enteric nervous system. Just like the larger brain in the head, researchers say, this system sends and receives impulses, records and experiences and responds to emotions. Its nerve cells are bathed and influenced by the same nerotransmitte rs. The gut can upset the brain just as the brain can upset the gut. [Diagram #2]Diagram of wall of small intestine, with layers cut away to show two networks of nerves that make up enteric nervous system, or "brain in the gut". One network, called the subrnucosal plexus, is just under the mucosal lining. One, the myenteric plexus, lies between two coats of muscle. [Diagram # 3]Sandra BLAKESLEE,The New York Times, Januaiy 23rd, 1996.


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## hsy

tested positive for SIBO/hydrogen via breath testingput on 1200mg xifaxan dailyabove course halted after positive test for blastocystisnow on 500 mg flagyl 2xday 7 days


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## karoe

HSY -- please keep posting about this treatment --- I'm very interested in what happens. Had you not had a test for parasites before??? Generally that's one of the first things they do.


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## eric

HysThe doctor doing the testing was a regular gi doc yes?Do you know if it was a lactulose breath test?Its important to know that breath testing is not very accurate, some more then others even. So you may or may not have sibo still, its hard to diagnose and there are variables. Also if I remember correctly sibo is another functional problem, like IBS. Things don't function right and that leads to SIBO. Also IBS could still be on the table. Some of the conditions can mimick some IBS symptoms or a person can have IBS and SIBO. Or maybe not have IBS. But can you read this link? I point this out for a number of reasons including the diagnoses and treatment suggestions for sibo, as well as other very important points to a bigger picture.http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/145/8/626and on thisCenters for Disease Control and PreventionNational Center for Infectious DiseasesDivision of Parasitic DiseasesBlastocystis hominis Infection(BLASS-toe-SIS-tiss HOM-in-iss)Clinical Features:Whether Blastocystis hominis can cause symptomatic infection in humans is a point of active debate. This is because of the common occurrence of the organism in both asymptomatic and symptomatic persons. Those who believe symptoms could be related to infection with this parasite have described a spectrum of illness including watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, perianal pruritus, and excessive flatulence.The first link goes into this in more detail.http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/bl...tis_hominis.htmTreatmentespite the controversial clinical significance of this organism, metronidazole or iodoquinol has been reported to be effective. For additional information, see the recommendations in The Medical Letter (Drugs for Parasitic Infections).http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Blastocystis.htm


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## hsy

thanks for everyone's posts - i am amazed by the amount of views on this topichere is my current status:most recent treatment was 10 days of 1200mg xifaxan which was halted when i tested pos for blasto and put on flagyl - completed course of flagyl then completed course of xifaxanthis was 6-8 weeks or so ago - around this time i felt like i had been cured for the first time - truly - clear head, depression gone, didn't wake up everyday feeling like i didn't sleep for even 5 mins, like there was tar in my brain - i was ecstatic and felt like i could finally begin living my life and not hiding and waiting for the fog to pass - i was seriously infectiously happy for the first time in years, and so hopefulover the past i would say 3 weeks, things have rapidly declined - conditions are the following: i am in an extremely high stress work situation, when i started feeling better i started eating things i hadn't eaten in years (wheat, cookies, things like that), and i CAN overdo it sometimes, it was all part of feeling better and like i had been cured, i figured i could eat normally, thanksgiving was in this time as well and i actually let myself do the american thanksgiving overeating thing (for the first time in 10 years prob)it takes me a week or so of being really depressed (about not being able to think clearly) and trying to sleep around the clock before i realize that it's not a sleep problem and that it's the digestion again, i have a therapist who helps me parse thisi keep a very irregular schedule in general (i do creative work and work when inspired as much as possible), so it's hard to tell what contributes to whatthe first clue that it was not the sleep making me feel out of it was when i started noticing a bit of mucus on my stool - over the last year i have learned that that SEEMS to accompany dairy ingestion which i avoid like the plague - i had been having terrible gas and could not trace it - at that point i started rummaging through my cupboards and discovered that a package of pepperidge farm cookies, which i bought because they were dark chocolate and not milk chocolate, did in fact still have milk it themi do believe that there was a period of constipation in that timeframe since i felt great - at that stage i never have any idea whether i am supposed to eat or not eat - i have read information supporting both - my doctor says more than anything fluids are the answer so i am going to try drinking like 5 litres of water and eating light when i become constipated moving forwardi am meeting with a nutritionist next week referred by my gastro - i am also calling gastro on monday to report that my head feels like it's nonfunctional and that i can barely function in the real world againthat's the updatei am hopeful based on recent improvements but frustrated by return of symptoms - and i never know if maybe they will just go away once the gas passes but it seems like im back on the merry go round - eat or not - eat what - which ibs modality suits my situation? lots of refined grains so as not to create too much gas? or do those refined grains feed the bacteria? or lots of plants/veggies - which pimentel says ALSO feed the bacteria - what a disaster this situation is . . .more to comealways appreciate the feedback posted here - i wasn't receiving notifications so i didn't know there had been replies - naturally once i start feeling bad again i start googling which always leads me back here -GROUNDHOG DAY!also - a few questions were asked:1. never been tested for parasites before - i have had the privilege thus far of seeing the worst doctors on the planet, for nearly 10 years, who basically all made me feel like i was nuts and that my problem was 'stress' - all of this landed me in therapy which landed me with a proper gastro2. sibo test was a breath test, yes - i got my gastro by getting a manhattan referral from quintron so it was a quintron lactulose test which reported moderate SIBO (dual peak? i think that's what it's called can't recall)


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## eric

HSYjust fyiVideo CornerThe Experts SpeakAt IFFGD's 7th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in April 2007, we had the opportunity to talk to some of the international experts in functional GI disorders. Our discussions covered some of the most recent developments in this field. Click the topic titles below to go to the video interviews!Video Corner: Gut Flora, Probiotics and AntibioticsBacteria are germs that are normally in the gut. They are often referred to as the gut flora. Most bacteria are in the large intestine (colon). Some bacteria can cause infection; these are called pathogens. Other bacteria can be helpful. These helpful (or "good") bacteria are called probiotics. Medicines that destroy bacteria are called antibiotics.During IFFGD's 7th International Symposium on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in April 2007, we had the opportunity to interview a leading researcher, Dr. Eamonn Quigley, on the topics of probiotics and antibiotics.http://www.aboutibs.org/site/learning-cent...corner/gutfloraIts important also that the sibo lactulose breath test can be inaccurate. Its also not likely anymore that SIBO is a "cause" of IBS, but that some people have one or the other or both.These are more videos on IBShttp://www.aboutibs.org/site/learning-center/video-corner/


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## eric

PS"which i bought because they were dark chocolate and not milk chocolate, did in fact still have milk it them"There probably is not enough lactulose in that to make a difference really. Your body produces an enzyme to break down lactulose. When a person uses up that enzyme and has latulose intolernce then it becomes a problem, but that usally requires about a half cup to a cup, before its an issue.Another problem for some might be people who have a type of allergy to diary, but this is a different issue then latulose intolerence.


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## hsy

problem went away after i stopped eating the cookies which is strange then


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## Cillian

Wow I thought that I was the only one having these issues







. I just quit smoking a month and a half ago and had attributed it to that though. I also have been feeling this kind of cloud come over me every now and again(although this past week its been almost every day). I recently had an upper and lower scope performed by a specialist, but had not met the doctor before the procedure. A couple weeks after I had them done I went in to see him and brought with me a list of my symptoms which included: lots of gas, slight confusion and that my girlfriend had reported that my eyes look bloodshot sometimes. Also when she comments that they are bloodshot it is when I am feeling this sort of drunken state. I will only get like this after a couple days of low activity which leads to gas building up inside me. I know for me that I can feel better by exercising and eating foods I know are good. Also one food that really seams to help me is chilli, the kidney beans in it are high in fiber and also magnesium which both seem to help with the gas issue.


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## why

HSY - I am experiencing exactly the same symptoms as you. It seems to be worse when I eat fermentable carbohydrates such as broccoli and beans - and I cannot touch probiotics/prebiotics. I used to be able to tolerate them in the past - up until a year and a half ago, but now they make me feel very ill and it will take me a week to recover. I have no idea what to do. I had an endoscopy back in March and it showed gastritis. I burp an awful lot and have done since March after a terrible bout of flu, the doctors still don't know what the reason could be for that, but the burping is a slight gerd issue I believe, remnants from gastritis. The main issue though is the gas and subsequent symptoms of brain fog, sore/gritty eyes, funny taste in mouth and puffy hands/face. My blood sugar also seems affected where it seems to go down and I then crave food/sugar. Do you get a strange taste in your mouth sometimes? It's almost as if the by products of fermentation are leaching into my blood stream and lungs.I am trying to set up a business but I am crippled by this infliction, no one seems to have any idea what it could be other than 'an abnormal handling of gas that may be ibs related'.Have you ever taken drugs of any kind - recreational or pharmaceutical? Did you notice a correlation between your symptoms and any courses of antibiotics you may have taken in the past?I have not yet taken a breath test, but I have long suspected SIBO. It is interesting that you felt better having completed a course of antibiotics, do you still think it could be SIBO related? Perhaps the antibiotics course taken was too short?Answers/replies gratefully received, nobody understands how bad this is and how it affects me mentally and physically. I just wish to god I knew what it could be, how it arose and how I can treat it.


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## hsy

did a long course of tetracycline for acne in high school - basically a bottomless supply of itdid get a strange taste in my mouth regularly in recent years - the sibo treatment seemed to affect thatand yes re the 'other stuff' although have been 10+ years without any of it at all. including alcohol.


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## why

interesting, and similiardo you think it's still SIBO? are you able to take probiotics?


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## hsy

while i was tested for and diagnosed with sibo, so it's sibo. but it's not the whole story. i don't know the whole story yet . . . we'll see what the doctors and nutritionists have to say after a colonoscopy and diet examination etc


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## why

i'm also considering whether there are any chemical changes in the brain due to other stuff. this would affect the autonomic nervous system i believe - and therefore digestion etc. i may look into a brain scan as well, i need to cover all areas, i'm sick to death of not knowing what's wrong. what's your next plan of action -test/treatment wise, if any?


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## hsy

see above!


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## why

yeah i'm gonna get colonoscopy done too. please report back any news/updates... cheers


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## eric

FYII posted this on another thread but figured I would post it here also.""Do people get cured after they have found SIBO? "Sibo is another functional issue, so it might depend on *what causes the sibo in the first place*. The speculation that sibo causes IBS is not working out so well. So this is a seperate issue some people have along with IBS. SIBO usally causes d.ON IBSaltered serotonin signaling and ibs compilationhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=80198There are two cells in IBS that seem to be very important, enterochromaffin (ec) cells and mast cells.There seems to be different cell pathologies for one in different groups of IBSers. For example there are important cellular changes in Post infection IBS after the resolution of the intial infection.Some of these changes are also seen in IBS and some of the problems are also seem connected.The digestive system is extremely complex and the connections to digestion and the brain are extremly complex. This system works or should work in harmony.This is some excellent up to date Post Infectious IBS info.Post-infectious Irritable Bowel SyndromeRobin Spiller; Eugene Campbell"Recent Findings: Recent studies have overthrown the dogma that irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by no abnormality of structure by demonstrating low-grade lymphocytic infiltration in the gut mucosa, increased permeability and increases in other inflammatory components including enterochromaffin and mast cells. Furthermore, increased inflammatory cytokines in both mucosa and blood have been demonstrated in irritable bowel syndrome. While steroid treatment has proved ineffective, preliminary studies with probiotics exerting an anti-inflammatory effect have shown benefit.Summary: The study of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome has revealed the importance of low-grade inflammation in causing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. It has suggested novel approaches to irritable bowel syndrome including studies of serotonin and histamine metabolism which may be relevant to other subtypes of of the disease."http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/518355_printenterochromaffin or EC cells store the majority of serotonin in the gut. They are pressure sensitive and release serotonin to start gut contractions. Mast cells release histimine.Here is a picture of where those cells are located.







The 5ht3 receptors are involved in D IBS and the 5ht4 receptors C IBS.I will post more on the mast cells because they are also very important.More on the enterochromaffin cells and IBS and serotoninAliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Apr 15;23(8):1067-76. LinksReview article: intestinal serotonin signalling in irritable bowel syndrome.Mawe GM, Coates MD, Moses PL.Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. [email protected] in motility, secretion and visceral sensation are hallmarks of irritable bowel syndrome. As all of these aspects of gastrointestinal function involve serotonin signalling between enterochromaffin cells and sensory nerve fibres in the mucosal layer of the gut, potential alterations in mucosal serotonin signalling have been explored as a possible mechanism of altered function and sensation in irritable bowel syndrome. Literature related to intestinal serotonin signalling in normal and pathophysiological conditions has been searched and summarized. Elements of serotonin signalling that are altered in irritable bowel syndrome include: enterochromaffin cell numbers, serotonin content, tryptophan hydroxylase message levels, 5-hydroxyindoleacedic acid levels, serum serotonin levels and expression of the serotonin-selective reuptake transporter. Both genetic and epigenetic factors could contribute to decreased serotonin-selective reuptake transporter in irritable bowel syndrome. A serotonin-selective reuptake transporter gene promoter polymorphism may cause a genetic predisposition, and inflammatory mediators can induce serotonin-selective reuptake transporter downregulation. While a psychiatric co-morbidity exists with IBS, changes in mucosal serotonin handling support the concept that there is a gastrointestinal component to the aetiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Additional studies will be required to gain a more complete understanding of changes in serotonin signalling that are occurring, their cause and effect relationship, and which of these changes have pathophysiological consequences.PMID: 16611266Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2007 Aug;19 Suppl 2:25-31. LinksRecent advances in understanding the role of serotonin in gastrointestinal motility in functional bowel disorders: alterations in 5-HT signalling and metabolism in human disease.Spiller R.Professor of Gastroenterology, Wolfson Digestive Diseases Centre, Nottingham, UK. [email protected] (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is present in abundance within the gut, most stored in enterochromaffin cell granules. It is released by a range of stimuli, most potently by mucosal stroking. Released 5-HT stimulates local enteric nervous reflexes to initiate secretion and propulsive motility. It also acts on vagal afferents altering motility and in large amounts induces nausea. Rapid reuptake by a specific transporter (serotonin transporter, SERT) limits its diffusion and actions. Abnormally increased 5-HT is found in a range of gastrointestinal disorders including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, carcinoid syndrome, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with diarrhoea (IBS-D), especially that developing following enteric infection. Impaired SERT has been described in IBS-D and might account for some of the increase in mucosal 5-HT availability. 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists inhibit chemotherapy-induced nausea and diarrhoea associated with both carcinoid syndrome and IBS. While IBS-D is associated with increased 5-HT postprandially, IBS with constipation (IBS-C) is associated with impaired 5-HT response and responds to 5-HT(4) agonists such as Prucalopride and 5-HT(4) partial agonists such as Tegaserod.PMID: 17620085Another very important cell in IBS is the mast cell. You can see where that is located in the picture, they are embedded in the gut wall.Mast cells are involved in fighting infections, allergies and the fight or flight stress responce. They can be activated by the HPA axis or Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The HPA axis has importnt roles in bodily functions, but is also the bodies stress system. The mast cells can degrandulate and release histimine from the mast cells embedded in the gut and this can contribute to pain and D.DR Wood is an expert on food lallergies, but importantly the enteric nervous system and IBS.First from Dr Drossman though.Dr Drossman's comments on foods for IBS Health.Shawn,To say that people with IBS may get symptoms from food intolerances is an acceptable possibility, since the gut will over react to stressors of all types including food (high fat or large volumes of food in particular). Futhermore, there can be specific intolerances. So if you have a lactose intolerance for example, it can exacerbate, or even mimic IBS. Other examples of food substances causing diarrhea would be high consumers of caffeine or alcohol which can stimulate intestinal secretion or with the latter, pull water into the bowel (osmotic diarrhea). The same would be true for overdoing certain poorly absorbed sugars that can cause an osmotic type of diarrhea Sorbitol, found in sugarless gum and sugar substituted foods can also produce such an osmotic diarrhea. Even more naturally, people who consume a large amount of fruits, juices or other processed foods enriched with fructose, can get diarrhea because it is not as easily absorbed by the bowel and goes to the colon where it pulls in water. So if you have IBS, all of these food items would make it worse. However, it is important to separate factors that worsen IBS (e.g., foods as above, stress, hormonal changes, etc.) from the cause or pathophysiology of IBS. Just like stress doesn't cause IBS, (though it can make it worse), foods must be understood as aggravating rather than etiological in nature. The cause of IBS is yet to be determined. However, modern research understands IBS as a disorder of increased reactivity of the bowel, visceral hypersensitivity and dysfunction of the brain-gut axis. There are subgroups being defined as well, including post-infectious IBS which can lead to IBS symptoms. Other work using brain imaging shows that the pain regulation center of the brain (cingulate cortex) can be impaired, as well as good evidence for there being abnormalities in motility which can at least in part explain the diarrhea and constipation. So finding a specific "cause" of IBS has grown out of general interest in place of understanding physiological subgroups that may become amenable to more specific treatments. Hope that helps.Doug http://www.ibshealth.com/ibs_foods_2.htmhttp://www.ibshealth.com/ibsfoodsinfo.htmDr Wood's comments for me"Dr. Jack Wood, a renowned physiologist at The Ohio State University calls the ENS the little-brain-in-the-gut."Dear Shawn:Sorry for the delayed reply to your question. I generally agree with Dr. Drosssmans response. A subgroup of individuals when they become sensitized to specific molecules in certain foods respond to ingestion of the molecules with symptoms of cramping abdominal pain, fecal urgency and explosive watery diarrhea. These are also the primary symptoms of diarrhea-predominant IBS. Enteric mast cells, by mechanisms we don't understand, become sensitized to the food molecule and respond to its presence by releasing a signal to the brain-in-the-gut (ENS) which is interpreted as a threat. The ENS responds by running a program which organizes secretion and motility into a behavior pattern of the bowel, which rapidly clears the threat from the lumen. Because to be effective secretion occurs in large volumes and the contractions that accomplish rapid propulsion are strong, running of the program has the side effects of diarrhea and cramping pain. Big brain input to mast cells during stress activates the mast cells to evoke the symptoms resulting from exposure of the mast cells to sensitizing food antigens. Aside from food allergens and mast cells, certain chemicals such as those in hot peppers, stimulate sensory nerves in the ENS and we are beginning to understand how this can also lead to food-related symptoms that might mimic or exacerbate IBS.Hope this helps,Jackie (Jack) D. Wood " FYI"You have two brains: one in your head and another in your gut. Dr. Jackie D. Wood is a renowned physiologist at The Ohio State University. He calls the second brain, "the-little-brain-in-the-gut." This enteric nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system and contains over one hundred million neurons, which is as many as are in the spinal cord. This complex network of nerves lines the walls of the digestive tract form the esophagus all the way down to the colon. This little brain in the gut is connected to the big brain by the vagus nerves, bundles of nerve fibers running from the GI tract to the head. All neurotransmitters, such as serotonin that are found in the brain are also present in the gut.Dr Wood has discovered that this little-brain-in-the-gut has programs that are designed for our protection and which are very much like computer programs. They respond to perceived threats in the same way that the limbic system or the emotional brain does. So the threat of a gastrointestinal infection can activate the program that increases gut contractions in order to get rid of the infection. The symptoms are abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Dr. Wood has determined that a type of cell found in the body and the gut, called the mast cell, is a key to understanding the connection of the big brain in the head with the little-brain-in-the-gut. Mast cells are involved in defense of the body. In response to certain threats or triggers, such as pollen or infection, mast cells release chemicals, such as histamine, that help to fight off the invader. Histamine is one of the chemicals that causes the symptoms of an allergy or a cold. When an infection of the gut occurs, such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis, the mast cells of the gut release histamine. The little-brain-in-the-gut interprets the mast cell signal of histamine release as a threat and calls up a protective program designed to remove the threat at the expense of symptoms: abdominal pain and diarrhea. The brain to mast cell connection has a direct clinical relevance for irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal syndromes. It implies a mechanism for linking allostasis and the good stress response to irritable states (e.g., abdominal pain and diarrhea) of the gut. Mast cells can be activated to release histamine in response to perceived psychological stress, whether the stressor or trigger is consciously perceived or not. So the end result is the same as if an infection activated the program in the-little-brain-in-the-gut: abdominal pain and diarrhea."http://www.parkviewpub.com/nuggets/n5.html This is also very important" whether the stressor or trigger is consciously perceived or not"The inflammation seen in some IBSers is MACROSCOPIC and not 'overt inflammation" which is seen in IBD conditions. Normal testing with IBS will not reveal this, until more powerful microscopes are used on specific cells and tissue.Inflammation CONTRIBUTES to the symptoms.There is another issue with inflammation and IBS however. "But microscopic inflammation cannot be a diagnostic marker for IBS because it does nor typically produce pain in those who have it. All patients with active celiac disease have microscopic inflammation, but a large proportion do not have abdominal pain, and patients with ulcerative colitis who also have microscopic inflammation when compared with patients with IBS seem to have higher pain thresholds."http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=91184


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## eric

FYIBritish Medical Bulletin Irritable bowel syndrome Robin C. Spiller Wolfson Digestive Diseases Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK "Visceral hypersensitivityVisceral hypersensitivity is a feature in the majority of IBS patients and has been extensively studied using rectal distension, a safe way of inducing abdominal discomfort in such patients. How closely it mimics IBS pain is unknown, since in many cases the pain may well arise because of strong contractions rather than excessive distension. This hypersensitivity is most clearly seen when the patient knows that the distensions will continue to increase until they say that they experience pain. However, when the stimuli are unpredictable, the ability of patients to detect distension does not appear to be better than that of normal subjects, suggesting that most hypersensitivity is due to a 'response bias', i.e. a tendency to use pain to describe a lesser sensation than that described by normal subjects.30 This may reflect a conditioned fear of gut stimuli based on previous experience. Recent studies have used functional brain imaging to show increased response to both actual and sham rectal distension* in the anterior cingulate cortex,31 an area where the emotional response to afferent signals is registered. Afferent signalling of pain is modulated by descending antinociceptive pathways.32 There is also preliminary evidence that activation of the periaqueductal grey area, where descending antinociceptive pathways may originate, is defective in IBS.31 "*http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/72/1/15I have posted a lot of new IBS information. There still is the issue of sibo in those with IBS and if sibo is confirmed the need to treat the sibo and possibly both sibo and IBS.


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## why

Hey Eric, thank you so much for the info.Unfortunately I dont believe I have IBS as it is currently seen - I have developed this problem over the last few years gradually, until one day last February something seemed to switch.I have a real problem with anything fermentable, brassica vegetables, prebiotics, probiotics, beans etc. It is as though the bacterial fermentation of these foods in my intestines are secreting harmful by-products which are then leached into my bloodstream affecting my whole body. I will get this awful cloud over my head - severe brain fog that I cannot describe, terribly dry/cracked areas on the palms of my hands (mainly around the base of my fingers & crevices in between), I'll also suffer joint/arthritic pain, puffy face and hands, erratic blood sugar...to name but a few symptoms. I am 27 years old.I have also noticed a correlation with symptoms after a cold or bout of flu, where my symptoms are markedly better during the illness as if everything seems to speed up through the tract, but when the cold ends it's as though my digestion grinds to a halt- and my symptoms are increased 10 fold.It all sounds very strange I know, but I have lived with this now for almost a year (and intermittently for a few years prior to this, but not this level of adverse reactions - they were much milder, but still appeared every so often). I also have developed an increasing sensitivity to chemicals, notably artificial fragrances that cause a very strange reaction such as hyperactivity, erratic blood sugar and excessive urniation (as if trying to rid my body of the checmicals).It all seems linked but I don't know how or why. I just hope that one day soon I can discover what the issue is and pray it can be fixed...


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## eric

Why, have you been to a doctor and what did they say?"I have a real problem with anything fermentable"That is consistent with IBS."prebiotics, probiotics"Aren't really fermentable.while they is such a thing as gut permeablitiy its not quite what you posting here."I have also noticed a correlation with symptoms after a cold or bout of flu, where my symptoms are markedly better during the illness"This can go both ways with IBS, sometimes makes it better and sometimes worse.You may also have other health issues that aren't all related to each other.smells can also set IBS off as well and certain chemicals can trigger it.Many IBSers have bladder issues as well and it has to do with something called mast cells. Which also cause allergic reactions.Actually some of this you mentioned could be consistent with IBS.What has the doctor told you?Do you have d or c?Do you have pain or dicomfort?


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## Fullogas

Reading this thread has been great!For months now I've been feeling absolutely horrible. The brain fog has been near unbearable at times, along with the gas and bloating. I don't know which I fall under, D or C because I don't really seem to have either. But I have all the side effects and all the joy that comes with them. I'm especially interested in the role of neurotransmitters and hystamine. I know my diet has been bad the last few months. Tons of stress which led to eating out of a stress response. Far more sugar in the diet than I likely should have these past few months. Now with the holidays, it's not an ideal time to try to correct that. I'm hoping to get the sugars back under control over the next few weeks.I'm going to be seeing my regular doctor tomorrow and may begin going through some of the tests again. In additional to the brain fog and severe gas I've been experiencing heart palpitations regularly the last month or two, and off and on all year. I thought I had a heart condition for the longest time. Glad to know it's probably the IBS.Printed off many of the links to read further and take to my doctor. Thanks for all the information. Nice to know I'm not alone.


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## hsy

what i can't wrap my head around is what to and not to eatone of the major ibs sites (non medical) says that we need tons of soluble fiber (in combo with insoluble fiber) because it stablizes gut contractions which solves both constipation AND diarrea - but isn't that high carb? and aren't said carbs sugars that feed bacteria?pimentel says go easy on salads etc - so high carbs feed the bacteria, salad feeds bacteriaso which way do you go?i am seeing a nutritionist tomorrow referred by my gastro in manhattan so we'll see what turns upit really is maddening trying to determine whether it's the food causing the constipation, or something mentaland the depression is horrible - what i hate is when i get better for a week and im like holy ###### im cured and the depression goes away and i start thinking of all the things i want to do and then bam i start getting more and more backed up, then depressed, then i don't realize im depressed until a few days in, and THEN i realize that the thing is back, whatever it isfor me, it's all about the brain fog - i don't care about anything else - the fact that i cannot mentally process things at the rate that i expect to be able to is devastating - affects all interactions with people, my perceptions of those interactions, expectations of myself - awful, awful experience - all leads to anxiety, vicious cycle


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## Fullogas

hsy:I really appreciate you posting all your medical updates. This has been a years long battle for me as well (8 plus). I've seen every GI Dr. I can in Los Angeles, including Pimentel. I've been told I was positive for SIBO, negative for SIBO, that I had cancer, I had gastritis, it was all in my head, that my depression caused the gut to react, that the gut caused the depression...I too have been told constantly, increase fiber to cure things, increase acidophillus, only to feel worse with each.I've been told everything but how to fix it. I'm convinced my problems begin with reactions to food, then go downhill from there. I test negative to Celiac but wheat is really bad for me, causes tremendous, explosive gas and all kind of problems. Bananas, Hah! They make me wish I could carry a bathroom around with me all day long -- instant brain fog reaction.Like you, I simply do not know what to eat. I only know most of the things I eat make me worse so I'm very curious to hear about your nutritionist. I'm beginning to think there are some people who's systems simply work contrary to what is accepted, that healthy things are not healthy for us.Re: Dr. Pimintel: Went there last year. They said I did not have SIBO and couldn't seem to get me out the door fast enough after the results were in. There was no attempt to figure out anything else as a possibility or to even consider other treatments. As far as I'm concerned, his approach is one note and if you don't fit his profile, don't bother because they seemed to lose interest in me completely because I didn't fit their stats. Extremely disappointing.


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## eric

You guys should read this state of the art researchFYIIn PDF format2007 IFFGD Symposium Summary Reporthttp://iffgd.org/pdfs/SymposiumSummaryRepo...Winter_2007.pdf


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## Fullogas

Eric:First of all, thanks so much for all your research and for sharing. Thanks also for the link to the site above. I downloaded several pdfs and plan to read them through as well as give them to my doctors. Now if only my partner would read them...The link above does not go to the summary report. I searched the site and could not find the report you mentioned. Did you happen to download it? I'd love to read it.


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## hsy

eric i would appreciate an updated link toothe nutritionist i was seeing advised me to go on a basic diet including 2 eggs every morning, a piece of toast with peanut butter (i used almond butter) and some fruit - in the back of my mind i recalled testing VERY high for egg sensitivity 3 years ago but who knows whether to believe that stuff, and at the time i was eating 4 eggs for breakfast every day, so seems normal that i would be producing antibodies anyhow . . . anyhow, the nutritionist and i just figured we'd establish a baseline diet and just jump right inso per the advice i basically for a week ate that recommended breakfast, doing general salmon and veggies for dinner, then occasionally overeating some vegan cookies or chocolate or the like, sushi also in therethe week of christmas and new years was unbelievably abysmal leading to my post of 12/23my entire system slowed/shut down leading to new years day when everything started moving again - and that was an entire day of using the bathroom and an entire previous week of dizziness, confusion, malaise, depression, woozinesssince then i thought hey maybe the fat in the egg yolks, maybe the almonds in the almond butter, maybe all the bread, who knows - so i switched back to a diet of occasional bread, no eggs, no nuts, usual salad/sandwiches/no dairy, benefiber, VDL#3, and i seem to be stabilized again (even eating organic dark chocolate, vegan cookies and the like)i take the maximum amount of benefiber and tend not to drink less than 1 large bottle of water a day and try for two (not easy!)we'll see how long it lasts . . .


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## Fullogas

hsy:Fiber heavy diets make my symptoms worse. I avoid wheat products altogether. I find I feel much better without them. Nuts and nut butters of any kind aggravate things as well. I find it hard to believe someone would recommend peanut butter to someone with IBS. We tend to have secondary illnesses and allergies along with the IBS, nuts are usually one of them. I'd avoid them where ever possible.My doctors say I don't have celiacs, but wheat allergies and sensitivities share many of the same symptoms you've describe. I'd avoid wheat for a while, see how you feel.Personally, I'm coming to believe that our modern diets, heavy in sugars and processed ingredients, coupled with stresses on our systems is the chief culprit behind my IBS. If you look at history, humans didn't have to deal with the things we deal with on a daily basis until very recently. I wonder if our bodies have had enough time to adapt. I once read it takes 10,000 years for the body to adapt to things (this was in an article talking about wheat in the diets of eastern Europeans -- I read it because I've read that eastern Europeans and people of eastern European Jewish ancestry were more prone to celiacs. Being both I was interested). I don't know if this is true, but it got me thinking about how much we tolerate today versus just 200 years ago. Not a lot of time to adapt. And think about all the processed crud we eat that didn't exist a mere 50 years ago. No wonder our insides turn sour on us!The more I read the more I'm convinced it's a combination of too-fast, too-complicated lives and too much sugars in our diets.


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## eric

Here is the link2007 IFFGD Symposium Summary Reporthttp://iffgd.org/pdfs/SymposiumSummaryRepo...Winter_2007.pdf


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## hsy

eric it's a dead link


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## eric

Hopefully this workshttp://iffgd.org/pdfs/SymposiumSummaryRepo...Winter_2007.pdfif not let me know. Do you have adobe reader on your computer, as this doesn't open like a regular webpage.also thesehttp://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF...=1&.intl=usandhttp://www.aboutibs.org/site/learning-center/video-corner/This is new alsoWomen with irritable bowel syndrome unable to regulate pain effectivelyFindings may lead to new understanding of disorder and novel treatment approacheshttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=92873


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## why

Eric, once again thank you so much for your research. It is very interesting and there are correlations with my symptoms and their proposed hypotheses. However as it is a 'functional' disorder, the medical world still has no definitive diagnostic measures or treatments to suggest and we, the sufferers, are fobbed off at every turn. It is unforunate that people like hsy, fullogas and myself must carry on through life, not knowing how we will feel when we wake up each day, why we feel the way we do and what is causing it. More importantly how to treat it once and for all. My symptoms seem to come and go and also take on different forms. They also seem to change during my monthly cycle, where C can be more of an issue at times bringing with it an exaggeration of symptoms. Fullogas, you mentioned you have been living with this for 8 years or so. Can you pinpoint anything that may have precipitated the condition? Did you start eating differently for example or change your lifestyle in any way? It would be very interesting to see if there are any links between our symptoms and any potential root causes.hsy - did you go for the colonoscopy? Sounds like the nutritionist was't much help, I wondered if they would be. Also, you mentioned taking fibersure - does it always seem to help? Does it speed things along? I may try it, it's been here a while in the UK, but I've tried so many potions and herbs that I'm beginning to be skeptical of most things. Thanks to you all for your posts, there is at least some comfort in knowing I am not the only one suffering.


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## Fullogas

Why:Several things happened right about the same time 8 years ago. 1) I was on a job that was pretty stressful at the time. I went on break for the holidays and did not get time to rest up enough so I really hadn't gotten rid of the stress when I went back to work in January. I look back now and think that job was a cake-walk compared to what I've been doing lately.2) I went into the holiday break with a severe sinus infection which was being treated with a pretty strong anti-biotic.3) I flew with the sinus infection. We had a previously planned trip to Hawaii and as much as I wanted to stay home and get well, it was one of those things where the partner would have been extremely difficult to live with if I didn't go. Stupid move on my part and I spent most of the trip sleeping in the hotel room. I had my first hydrops attack on the airplane as we were descending for a landing in Los Angeles.Diet hadn't changed at that time.The first sign was dizziness that started a few weeks after returning from the trip. It was probably two years before I began to see the correlation between the illness and food, mostly because the stomach problems in the first two or three years didn't seem out of the ordinary to me. The main problem was the dizziness and lethargy.Repeated visits to my MD didn't really get anywhere. I was finally referred to an ear specialist who prescribed a physical therapy treatment that seems almost medieval when I look back at it. That didn't help. The maze of doctors began there and didn't finally settle down until I decided this was just something I was going to have to live with and find a way to treat myself.This forum and Eric's medical information has been far more helpful to me than any doctor I've been to.


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## hsy

Fullogas said:


> Why:Several things happened right about the same time 8 years ago. 1) I was on a job that was pretty stressful at the time. I went on break for the holidays and did not get time to rest up enough so I really hadn't gotten rid of the stress when I went back to work in January. I look back now and think that job was a cake-walk compared to what I've been doing lately. - i will second presence of crushing stress throughout my ordeal (which may have started 20 years ago, but stress was there from the beginning)2) I went into the holiday break with a severe sinus infection which was being treated with a pretty strong anti-biotic. - also went through severe sinus infection - was treated with avelox which stunned my system so bad i couldn't sleep for a single millisecond over 3 straight days, until i stopped the aveloxThe first sign was dizziness that started a few weeks after returning from the trip. It was probably two years before I began to see the correlation between the illness and food, mostly because the stomach problems in the first two or three years didn't seem out of the ordinary to me. The main problem was the dizziness and lethargy. -same here with the dizziness and lethargy. it was so insidious that i became convinced i had a sleep disorder due to feeling out of it and exhausted all the time, became obsessed with trying to sleep better, and then gave myself a sleep disorderRepeated visits to my MD didn't really get anywhere. I was finally referred to an ear specialist who prescribed a physical therapy treatment that seems almost medieval when I look back at it. That didn't help. The maze of doctors began there and didn't finally settle down until I decided this was just something I was going to have to live with and find a way to treat myself. -went through the same exact thing; told by all doctors that it was stress, as the depression began to eat me and my job performance alive, as well as my attitude etc, leading to acting out behaviors that probably exacerbated the problemThis forum and Eric's medical information has been far more helpful to me than any doctor I've been to.


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## eric

FYIhttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...mp;#entry708103Why"It is unforunate that people like hsy, fullogas and myself must carry on through life, not knowing how we will feel when we wake up each day, why we feel the way we do and what is causing it. More importantly how to treat it once and for all. "I have had IBS for over thirty five years. Very severe until about four or five years ago. HT helped me and many others more then anything we had tried before."not knowing how we will feel when we wake up each day, why we feel the way we do and what is causing it"This causes a type of stress and can actually make IBS worse. Like antispatory anxiety, worry and triggering the fight or flight, and negative emotions, that the gut feels as well as the brain.


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## eric

a couple times on this thread I have seen the word depression mentioned and that can certainly contribute to brain fog and for sure. It messes with thinking clearly as well.


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## Cillian

What or who is "HT" exactly, thanks.


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## Noah

I have noticed this too. Having gas can tip my brainfog to the point of madness. I suspect it's a bit of both theories ... the pressure in the colon and the toxins being absorbed. I have permanent neck,back,headache tension pain which I used to think was stress. I now believe it's entirely gut-absorbed toxicity.


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## eric

Cillian, its gut directed hypnotherapy.The gas itself can cause brain fog. The contractions of the colon and the gut ignaling to the brain can however. There are also some other reasons perhaps as well, food, sleep, stress, depression, anxiety ect..Noah, what toxins?This is free in medscape and I highly recmmend reading this, you have to register and give it a user name and password, but this is a very good article on a lot.This is in medscape and is an excellent article on"Review Article: Abdominal Bloating and Distension in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders -- Epidemiology and Exploration of Possible MechanismsPosted 01/22/2008A. Agrawal; P. J. WhorwellAuthor InformationSummary and IntroductionSummaryBackground: A sensation of abdominal bloating, sometimes accompanied by an increase in girth (distension), is one of the most common and most intrusive features of functional bowel disorders.Aim: To conduct a systematic, evidence-based review of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of abdominal bloating and its relationship to distension.Methods: The terms bloating, distension, functional bowel, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and diarrhoea were searched on MEDLINE up to 2006. References from selected articles and relevant abstracts were also included.Results: Approximately 50% of irritable bowel syndrome patients with bloating also experience an increase in abdominal girth and this is more pronounced with constipation than diarrhoea. Bloating appears to be more frequently associated with visceral hypersensitivity, whereas distension is more often related to hyposensitivity and delayed transit. Although there is little evidence for excessive gas as a cause of bloating, gas infusion studies suggest that handling of gas may be impaired in irritable bowel syndrome and there may also be abnormal relaxation of the anterior abdominal musculature in these patients.Conclusions: There is unlikely to be a single cause for bloating and distension, which probably have different, but overlapping, pathophysiological mechanisms. Relieving constipation might help distension, but the treatment of bloating may need more complex approaches involving sensory modulation.IntroductionAbdominal bloating and distension occur extremely commonly in the functional gastrointestinal disorders with many patients ranking them as particularly intrusive symptoms. Characteristically, the problem is exacerbated by meals, fluctuates in intensity, is worse at the end of the day and settles overnight. When these symptoms follow this pattern, they are almost pathognomonic of a functional gastrointestinal disorder and it is somewhat surprising that their diagnostic utility has not been harnessed more often. This is in part because these features do not appear to be so common in men, but to some extent, this is because men describe the problem differently often referring to it as a 'hardness' or 'tightness' of the abdomen. Probably the best way to view these features is that when they are present, they make the possibility of a functional bowel disorder almost certain but when absent, they don't exclude the diagnosis.Until recently, research into bloating and distension has been sparse and largely empirical as well as being based on the assumption that the two descriptors were describing the same phenomenon. Thus, interpreting the data from older studies is difficult and even today, patients and their physicians often use the terms synonymously. However, with the development of more objective ways of assessing it such as the gas challenge technique[1,2] or abdominal inductance plethysmography (AIP),[3,4] there is increasing evidence that bloating and distension may have different pathophysiological mechanisms."http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/568555_1This is also new and not medscapehttp://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=93168


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## Torpid_X

Hi everyoneI found this site after searching for these symptoms. (Thanks for all the great info) I too have been suffering from these disabling problems too. I have also acquired high blood pressure with this and, when having blood drawn, it's extremely hard for them to find a vien. These are all related problems.I was wondering, because most users are reporting depression (and quiting smoking), if any of you have been taking Wellbutrin or other Buproprion products?Hope we all get well soon,Richard


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## hsy

at this point i am basically doing the .. approach - seeing a nutritionist which seems to be leading towards the ...com modality - seeing a gastro referred by mark pimentel at cedars sinai next thursdayat this pointmy motility is mostly regular - the remaining and most debilitating problem is any presence of gas causes my brain to go dead and i am useless for hours until it passes - that effect becomes depression, and then i am toast - hopefully a colonoscopy will turn something up - i am certain that for some reason the presence of gas in the colon is having a debilitating effect on my brain there have been some things posted here that confirm but maybe there is a way to block thisi vaguely vaguely recall glutamine MAYBE helping this as it forms a slight barrier between the intestine and the substance but that is just my theory and vague recollectionsmore to come!


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## eric

Did you read the whole bloating paper?There are two cells that have been majorally implicated in IBS, Mast cells and ec cells. EC stores most of the gut serotonin and when released it signals the brain. It also starts gut contractions. So when your gut contracts it releases serotonin and that can effect the brain through nerve fibers.IN IBS the blood flow to certain areas of the brain can be effected.It can't be gas itself because it cannot cross the brain barrier for one and since everyone has gas it everyone's brains would be effected, so its not gas, but gas effecting the colon.


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## eric

HSY, also just to know there are some major IBS doctors at UCLA that are top researchers. IF you want to know about them let me know.


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## hsy

eric thanks very much - i read as much of the paper as i could process - i hope to bring a lot of this information to my doctor next week - i will be seeing christine frissora at cornell who was recommended by mark pimentel . . . if i need more referrals i will most certainly let you know - and i will report back


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## eric

I didn't realize you were in New York. That is where I am originally from, my family were some of the very first settlers New York and first settled in Hornell.Dr. Christine Frissorahttp://talkibs.org/talk_frissora.htmlShe sounds good. I do know of others there as well, just in case.


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## hsy

eric thank you - i met with christine - doing gallbladder sonogram, another lactulose test, perhaps some scoping, just as first level of attackisn't the solution here something to dull the sensitivity of the colon? i wonder if glutamine did that when i used to take it . . .


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## eric

HSY, its good she is starting to look into your situation. Let me know what she does and how it goes, I would be interested.also"isn't the solution here something to dull the sensitivity of the colon?"Yes and that can be done in different ways, one targeting the brain where all pain is processed and at the gut level. F9or me personally and for a lot of others that is what the HT actually did, target both and the communication between the two this is one reason why it is so effective, but often misunderstood for a medical condition like IBS, but its being used more and more every year and why some centers now have HT clinics in the gastro departments.They can already turn it completely off, but then you wouldn't know if you had to go or not. The system is super complex, really complex, because were talking botht he gut brain which itself is very complex and then the brain. But actually they have been making bigger progress over the last five or so years then anytime in the history of the disorder. you saw this one right?This talks alot about new research and IBS and the brain and the gut influencing each other. http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=92806


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## hsy

yep read that thx


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## pamela123

Here's a great article I found recently and a brief beginning excerpt below.Bacteria disappearing from our bodies may harm human healthBy Colin Nickerson, Globe Staff02/25/2008- Not feeling quite yourself? No wonder. In a sense, you aren't really you.Scientists estimate that 90 percent of the cells contained in the human body belong to nonhuman organisms - mostly bacteria, but also a smattering of fungi and other eensy entities. Some 100 trillion microbes nestle in niches from our teeth to our toes.In this emerging view, humans and their microbes - or, as some biologists playfully put it, microbes and their attached humans - have evolved together to form an extraordinarily complex ecosystem."We're not individuals, we're colonies of creatures," said Bruce Birren, director of microbial sequencing at the Broad Institute, a research center affiliated with Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His team is part of a newly launched effort by the US National Institutes of Health to map the DNA and complete the first comprehensive census of microbial species that are inseparable from human existence."We can't take nutrition properly without bacteria. We can't fight bad germs without good germs," he said. "It may turn out that secretions from bacteria affect not only long-term health, but hour-by-hour moods - could a person's happiness depend on his or her bugs? It's possible. Our existences are so incredibly intertwined."However, in the opinion of some researchers, this strange union may be headed for trouble because of profligate use of antibiotics and antiseptic lifestyles that deter the transfer of vital strains of bacteria that have swarmed in our systems at least since early humans ventured out of Africa.Some strains of bacteria are disappearing from humans, especially in industrialized countries, and may be linked to germ-destroying substances in everything from hankies to hamburger."We're seeing the equivalent of global warming in the human ecosystem," said Dr. Martin J. Blaser, professor of microbiology and chairman of the department of medicine at New York University. "Changes of huge magnitude are occurring over a few generations. Nature famously abhors a vacuum - the bacteria disappearing from our systems ... might be replaced by organisms that aren't nearly as benign."Since the late 19th century, when microbes were discovered, researchers have focused mostly on bacteria that cause disease."No one was paying too much attention to the vastly more numerous species [within the body] that do no harm and may be doing a great deal of good," said Roberto Kolter, professor of microbiology at Harvard Medical School and president-elect of the American Society of Microbiology. "Without these microbes, human beings would be in trouble."There is much more to the article, but I don't want to take up too much space here.


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## hsy

my apologies for no recent updates - i am still trying to get over the anger regarding 9 months of posts disappearing on this thread, which had been viewed nearly 40,000 times. aggravating beyond belief, especially because i was using this thread as a historical journal and source of research for the doctors i am working with. the moderators of this site really screwed up big.


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## notyetnever

Hi again, I wrote once or twice last year for the same reason you are experiencing. Luckily, I haven't had any major episodes in roughly 4 months. I did the Xifaxan, I think it helped, although I still had many issues after completing it. However, (not sure if I wrote about this before), and this may seem a bit primative compared to the treatments you've been doing, but I started taking Beano before eating any carbohydrates (2-3 like it says on the instructions) and I didn't have any brain fog at all. I definitely still had gas, for some reason it all appeared before bed or first thing in the morning, but I never had brain fog. I took beano for about 3 weeks and the brain fog is pretty much gone. Now when it comes (once a week if that) I only experience it for an hour or two. Seems like it went away. I still stay away from pasta. I miss it, but I'd rather not chance my string of good luck.Again, maybe it was the Xifaxan that helped but had a delayed response? But maybe something as simple as the Beano since it is an actual digestive enzyme, not just an anti-bloating kind of med. Everyone's body is different, I just hope you find something that works for you.


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## notyetnever

I'm not sure how everyone else on here is doing or if someone has already mentioned this in a previous post, but perhaps something called hepatic encephalopathy is the reason for this brain fog we all have.I came across it herehttp://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/Datasheet...tulosesyrup.htmDid a little more reading on it and its symptoms and for me at least, it seems to match up quite well. IF this is the answer, the only problem is figuring out how to treat it.


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## hsy

eric if you are still checking this thread - i am almost certain that my issue is the neurotransmitter problem you mentioned a year or two ago - distension causing some kind of adverse reaction in the brain which causes fatigue, brain fog and the likei no longer believe that the problem is bacterial, although using whatever means necessary to reduce gas (abx, specific carbohydrate diet) does relieve pressure which improves symptoms. i believe the overall problems to be delayed motility and visceral hypersensitivity. is it possible that abx caused this in the first place? sure. have abx helped in the short term? yes, but no cure yet.eric - ive read most of your links but i cannot find anything directly linking the brain fog/fatigue/dizziness/ringing ears to the colonic/rectal distension. there is certainly lots of talk about exaggerated nervous system response but i would like to see something that directly addresses my particular symptoms. stumble upon anything? im looking for researchers to talk to as well. i am about to start low dose antidepressants to see if they can help.


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## siddi103

Amazing. I've read through much of this thread. It amazes me how the doctors check for everything but Celiac's. I supposedly had "IBS" for years. Brain fog, gas, etc. Sounds like iron deficiency due to malabsorption.


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## Ravi D

Hi ,Every morning i wake up with severe intestinal & stomach pain due to GAS,then this gas passes to my head & sudden my brain go dead, I feel dizzy, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't do anything & at the same time i get relief from intestinal pain but my brain dead for next two three hours I read your post that “Gas itself can cross the brain barrier”I observe this passing of gas daily, I can also stop this gas passing by pressing my neck from my hand, please suggest something for my situation .ThanksRavi


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## BQ

No gas gets into your brain hon. That just isn't how the body or intestinal gas works. Really!Your brain _can't_ "go dead"... unless you really _are_ dead. Which... you aren't.. thankfully! NOW if by "go dead" you mean you faint.... perhaps you have a problem with Vasovagal Syncope.Here is some info on that:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vasovagal-syncope/DS00806 My suggestion to you is to use an anti gas product (something with an active ingredient of simethicone) WITH your meals.


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## Hester

Thought I'd throw in my two cents. I have/had SIBO and diarrhea, gas, terrible gas, grumbling, bloating, farting. I can relate 100 percent to the brain fog. When my diarrhea and gas were at their worst, my brain would "go dead" too. It was a feeling like I was suffocating, no thought could form. I could not type, talk, drive or organize anything. The mental fatigue was crushing. I could not even smile or see clearly. A couple of times I rushed to the ER thinking I might die. Only to have them treat me like I was nuts because my labs came back fine. At the time, my docs did not know I had SIBO but had diagnosed me with IBS-D. In last ditch effort, I went to a Naturopathic doctor who does LIVE BLOOD CELL analysis. Lone and behold, there were 90 percent bacteria in my blood. I could see them, moving while my white cells did absolutely nothing and my red cells had no "glow" or halo. It was shocking. This provoked me to ask for ABs and my doc put me on Tetracycline 2000 mg daily. Within four hours, I was feeling better, much better! Later, I found an article in the Journal of Gastroenterology citing how there is bacterial gut permability with SIBO and this can leak into all the organs of the body effecting their functioning. This includes the brain, heart, muscles, etc. So, while "gas" cannot get out of your gut and into the brain, the bacteria certainly can! Problem is that our body does not recognize these bugs as intruders because they are the natural bacteria found in our bodies. They are just displaced. So, while I cannot really explain the "gas" as the cause. Excessive gas is certainly is a sign that bacteria in the gut is off balance and sugar/carbs are hitting the colon undigested. Obviously, no one has a straight forward cure but I had to take ABs for 6 months before it quit coming back. I am still a little gasy and now use soft, blended and cooked foods low in gas formation rather than spicy, greasy, sugary foods which could make my condition worse. Taking acid blockers can make SIBO sufferers much worse as the stomach acid is needed to kills bacteria in the SB. Dairy and even some probotics especially those with FOS can also make SIBO worse because the capsules open in the SB rather than the colon where they belong. There is a theory on transit time and the loss of the "housekeeper" wave that cleans the SB every several minutes being off. Laying around too much and lack of activity can make this worse too. I would say for SIBO: Find an AB and stick with it for 3 months or longer, use them in combinatins per your doctors Rx, avoid alcohol, coffee, dairy, probotics and acid blockers, blend your food and eat like a baby, keep moving/exercising even if it is hard to do, use antidepressants and imodium to control the diarrhea, use GasX or Beano for gas, use digestive enzymes if you tolerate them, eat healthy and do what you can to reduce your stress. Also, be sure you have as many rule-out tests as you can to ensure you do not have something more serious. Lastly, try garlic, grapefruit seed extract and peppermint as a natural bacteria killer just before eating. Good luck to all those and know your symptoms are NOT "all in your head"!(I am not a doctor or health professional but a fellow sufferer.)


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## Mr.Foggy

In response to BQ's comment that intestinal gas can't enter your brain, it's not as outlandish as it sounds. The hydrogen breath test that is administered to check for SIBO measures the amount of excess intestinal gas that has been dissolved into the blood stream and is excreted by the lungs (just like the carbon dioxide in coke gets dissolved in the liquid, so too can gasses be dissolved in blood). I don't think it's too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that some of the dissolved gas in circulation in the body could somehow affect the brain. In fact, there is a whole school of though relating to the cognitive dysfunction associated with CFS and Fibromyalgia which postulates that Hydrogen Sulfide gas in the blood stream could be the causal factor.


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## BQ

hmmm... Well Foggy.. that's not how Ravi characterized his situation. Or how I read it anyway...


> I don't think it's too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that some of the dissolved gas in circulation in the body could somehow affect the brain.


"dissolved gas in circulation" can have an impact I'm sure... as in an "effect".. as in a literal... effect. I just don't think it could be in large enough amounts to cause "brain death".FWIW and IMHO...ANY chronic illness can mess with with one's brain.. obviously. Symptoms can wreck concentration and dull thoughts cause one to feel anxious which can in turn cause racing thoughts..etc...Much of intestinal gas comes from carbs.. Ingesting a lot of carbs (sugar) can cause foggy thinking too. Try lowering the amount of carbs you ingest and avoid any other flatulentce causing foods and perhaps you will see an improvement??BTW Here is a link Gas & Flatulence Prevention diet info:http://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs12.htm


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## Gmonkey

How did the tests on your gall bladder go?Hsy and Eric have created one of the best threads on the forum.Your efforts are heroic and I thank both of you.


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## heathyindian

Hi,I was feeling very dejected beleiving that I am the only person in the world to have such a worrying disease. See this forum I have a relief that I can share my suffering and hear from people about possible solutions. Thanks for the group.I am 28, male. I dont have any pain but all the problem I have is I get gas in my stomach and then my brain stops working till I pass out all the gas. Its very terrible because I am not able to use my brain during that 2-3 hours which affects evrything in my life. From friends, family and office. Coming back 2-3 hours I feel like I have recovered from Short Term Memory Loss. Very pathetic disease. I have went to doctor only once and he siad this is a normal gastric problem and gave me PRTONIX 40 tablet. I dont have bad stomach in morning and I pass out well. But when I get gas I loose my mind and act like a stupid. Can anyone suggest if I have IBS. Can anyone here suggest me some good doctor to test for that. I am living in FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, USA.It will be very nice to hear some solution to my problem.Thanks.


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## seajay

heathyindian said:


> Hi,I was feeling very dejected beleiving that I am the only person in the world to have such a worrying disease. See this forum I have a relief that I can share my suffering and hear from people about possible solutions. Thanks for the group.I am 28, male. I dont have any pain but all the problem I have is I get gas in my stomach and then my brain stops working till I pass out all the gas. Its very terrible because I am not able to use my brain during that 2-3 hours which affects evrything in my life. From friends, family and office. Coming back 2-3 hours I feel like I have recovered from Short Term Memory Loss. Very pathetic disease. I have went to doctor only once and he siad this is a normal gastric problem and gave me PRTONIX 40 tablet. I dont have bad stomach in morning and I pass out well. But when I get gas I loose my mind and act like a stupid. Can anyone suggest if I have IBS. Can anyone here suggest me some good doctor to test for that. I am living in FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, USA.It will be very nice to hear some solution to my problem.Thanks.


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## seajay

Hey this is my first post upon joining today after searching the internet for my sysmtoms.I have similar problems and my symptoms & info are as follows: 1) Symptoms are that I get a weird feeling in my stomach and some sort of slight gas expels that leaves a taste of like plastic in my mouth that makes me slightly faint and sometimes makes my brain foggy (but only slightly), this taste is déjà vu and it has happen for about the last 3 years. It started occurring monthly and now has progressed to weekly. I told my primary physician about it and that I have been eating more healthy since about the same time. He told me that he has had patients with the same problems after eating a healthy high fiber diets and lots of fruits, so he suggested I see a Gastrologist (sp). 2) I just had upper GI and Colonoscopy last month and all is well plus bacteria levels are good in stomach and colon. 3) I have no stomach pain with attacks. 3) I have decided to decrease my levels of high fibers and fruits plus I switched to Rice Dream milk about the same time this started, so will quit Rice Dream Milk to see if that helps as well. I also have been taking digestive enzymes to no avail. I will let you know how it goes.


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## humiliated

I noticed this effect from intestines to brain a long time ago, not from gas but, when I get constipated I get a headache, it isn't quite migraine level but it is a very bad headache. I've always felt that it had something to do with toxins.


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## Chris87

hey,so which antibiotics have been effective against SIBO? I'm going to try a course of antibiotics but i don't know which antibiotic to trythanks


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## seajay

I have managed to decrease the occurrence of my brain fog since eliminating juice drinks and fruit from my diet, and have not introduced Rice Dream Milk into my diet either. This is the 3rd week of doing so and have not had an occurrence this week. Although I originally suspected it to be caused by gas in my stomach, I don’t really have any gas issues and have ruled out gas after reading about the symptoms from other posts and suspect it is more related to nerves in the stomach. Also noted that when I eat Mexican spicy hot foods that it seems to help stop the problem, for a few days (thus probably numbing the nerves). Currently I am not having any problems and have started massaging my stomach with my hands too, because I thought that might help relax the nerves, if that is really the problem. So far, so good. Let me know if this post helps anyone else. Thanks!


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## ghost4

Anyone have any new progress to report? I have a very similar situation with really bad brain fog, excessive thirst, and lots of belching for the past couple years.


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## Paix

Guys!!I belong to India and moved to US 2 years back. Few months after coming to US, I started experiencing the same problem as you all are talking about. I tried everything Doctor, Medicines, changing food habits etc., but the problem refused to go away permanently.On the top of it, I also experience problem releasing the gas out of my body and it can take me hours to expel it, leaving me exhausted, disabled and what not. I feel as if my brain is disintegrating and every part of it is paining. And yes, I do associate it with problem in breathing.Then, I tried listening to some meditation music, doing some deep breathing yoga excercises, physical excercises etc. which helped me to some extent. But, due to my busy work schedule , I cannot keep up with the excercising regularly and the gas/ brain problem comes again & again. I also observed one thing that if I eat freshly prepared home food, I am less likely to have this problem. Eating stored & processed food that we get in supermarkets just makes the problem worse. So, now I stick to freshly prepared whole wheat tortilla/ Roti and some Indian side dish made of carrots, onions, bottle gourd, mushrooms etc.And few days ago, I bought a cool-drink concentrate popularly used in India called "Rooh-Afza". I started taking it and felt tremendous improvement in my problem the very first day. You have to mix 3 tablespoons of it in about 250-300 ml of water & add 1-2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (make sure the drink doesn't become too sweet). It tastes great and really helps. You may like to try it yourself. This concentrate can be found in any Indian grocery store or ordered online from eBay etc.I am taking one glass of it everyday after returning from work and I am also cutting down on my caffeine intake.Good luck and happy fighting with the problem.


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## Paix

Hester said:


> Thought I'd throw in my two cents. I have/had SIBO and diarrhea, gas, terrible gas, grumbling, bloating, farting. I can relate 100 percent to the brain fog. When my diarrhea and gas were at their worst, my brain would "go dead" too. It was a feeling like I was suffocating, no thought could form. I could not type, talk, drive or organize anything. The mental fatigue was crushing. I could not even smile or see clearly. A couple of times I rushed to the ER thinking I might die. Only to have them treat me like I was nuts because my labs came back fine. At the time, my docs did not know I had SIBO but had diagnosed me with IBS-D. In last ditch effort, I went to a Naturopathic doctor who does LIVE BLOOD CELL analysis. Lone and behold, there were 90 percent bacteria in my blood. I could see them, moving while my white cells did absolutely nothing and my red cells had no "glow" or halo. It was shocking. This provoked me to ask for ABs and my doc put me on Tetracycline 2000 mg daily. Within four hours, I was feeling better, much better! Later, I found an article in the Journal of Gastroenterology citing how there is bacterial gut permability with SIBO and this can leak into all the organs of the body effecting their functioning. This includes the brain, heart, muscles, etc. So, while "gas" cannot get out of your gut and into the brain, the bacteria certainly can! Problem is that our body does not recognize these bugs as intruders because they are the natural bacteria found in our bodies. They are just displaced. So, while I cannot really explain the "gas" as the cause. Excessive gas is certainly is a sign that bacteria in the gut is off balance and sugar/carbs are hitting the colon undigested. Obviously, no one has a straight forward cure but I had to take ABs for 6 months before it quit coming back. I am still a little gasy and now use soft, blended and cooked foods low in gas formation rather than spicy, greasy, sugary foods which could make my condition worse. Taking acid blockers can make SIBO sufferers much worse as the stomach acid is needed to kills bacteria in the SB. Dairy and even some probotics especially those with FOS can also make SIBO worse because the capsules open in the SB rather than the colon where they belong. There is a theory on transit time and the loss of the "housekeeper" wave that cleans the SB every several minutes being off. Laying around too much and lack of activity can make this worse too. I would say for SIBO: Find an AB and stick with it for 3 months or longer, use them in combinatins per your doctors Rx, avoid alcohol, coffee, dairy, probotics and acid blockers, blend your food and eat like a baby, keep moving/exercising even if it is hard to do, use antidepressants and imodium to control the diarrhea, use GasX or Beano for gas, use digestive enzymes if you tolerate them, eat healthy and do what you can to reduce your stress. Also, be sure you have as many rule-out tests as you can to ensure you do not have something more serious. Lastly, try garlic, grapefruit seed extract and peppermint as a natural bacteria killer just before eating. Good luck to all those and know your symptoms are NOT "all in your head"!(I am not a doctor or health professional but a fellow sufferer.)


Your post was very helpful...I never thought about SIBO as such but, after reading your post I went on to read more about SIBO and realized one main symptom of it is same as I have. I was losing weight no matter how much and what I eat...Actually I am not the types who would lose weight easily...So,I had to believe something was not right with my health....After reading your post & the article on SIBO, I thought that it might be bacteria which are giving me this tough time...Then I went on to look for natural home remedies for getting rid of bacteria. I had been on anti-biotics earlier but they didn't help much. So, I started taking Garlic (1-3 cloves each day) after roasting them in microwave for about a minute and sprinkling them with salt & black pepper (Be sure not to burn them). Believe me, there was tremendous improvement the very first day. My stomach felt no more sore. I was full of energy when I got up in the morning and did a great deal of work at home (which I used to do many months ago). Gas problem was greatly relieved. No stinging sensation in ears due to gas. I am able to sleep as soon as I hit the bed. My brain works better now. Today is the fourth day of it and I am really looking forward to life as each day comes...Thanks a lot !!! What more could I have asked for ??Your two cents are definitely priceless..


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## hsy1

hi everybody - i started this thread 4 or 5 years ago it seems - at this point my conclusion is that gas and food matter in the colon can cause pressure on the gut which stimulates the vagus nerve, thus causing a feeling of drunkenness/brainfog/fatigue/confusion/dizziness/red eyes/sneezing/ringing in ears etc - all signs point to it - reduction of gas and keeping motility in tip top shape is critical - easier said than done


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## hsy

sorry this is my current account - the one i just posted from was an accidental new accountthat is all.


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## mystomachkindahurts

Found this post while searching around the net looking for some answers.In my current condition, I have had gut issues for a few years now ever since a bout of Giardia. Just never quite been the same. For a while, it was back and forth between diarrhea and constipation, but is now a battle between feeling really full and bloated or feeling really empty and needing food now.What led me to this post is something that's been happening recently. I've started getting these instances of foggy brain, dizziness, about to pass out feeling, nervous, tunnel vision, body feeling hot, tingle in different parts, heart racing, hard to think of anything, and small muscle twitches. Has happened three time now total in the last few months lasting a few hours a piece, with this past time not having my heart race. When searching around in the middle of this instance I found this post about a possible correlation between the stomach issues and brain issues.So I decided while I was sitting here to force myself to start burping over and over. Low and behold, it's relieving the symptoms as I keep doing it. I read through the posts and see that there is some kind of interaction taking place during this time, but I'm not quite sure what. Last time I went to the doctor when these instances started, I was told my stomach was gassy and to take Prilosec, which I've been on for a bit. I didn't take it before this tarted going, but I did during it. I'm not real sure what's going on, but I have an appointment for a cardiologist visit in a few days. I have a feeling based on all I've read that I'd be better off going to a GI doc. I've been to the ER twice, with tests there all coming back fine and a full blood workup including thyroid and sugar tests all normal.Should I keep the cardio appointment? Does this sound like a solid case of the stomach causing my brain to do funny things? Is there anything else I can do from home to get myself back in good order or specifically rule out gas issues as what's giving me these instances?Thanks for some insightful info here, seeming to me like I might be able to put this together.


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## Lex2x

Can hot or warm weather cause the symptoms mentioned in this thread?When I get in a hot or warm area, this can happen:
pressure in upper abdomen
burning in upper abdomen
pressure in head and neck
legs (notably calves) get weak
arms get weak
eye problems (everything goes flat, maybe a little blurry).
face may get numb
thirsty
begin to tremble
anxiety
I'd thought it was related to my Mitral Valve Prolapse, and am going to the doctor to talk to him about it maybe being thyroid, but after seeing the above thread I'm thinking I may have IBS.The symptoms usually subside after I eat something and get in a cool place. And have found lately, that the pressure in my abdomen gets less when I get rid of gas. Immediately, my whole body seems to calm down.So can hot weather cause IBS symptoms to worsen like this?Thanks! (sorry about the length of the reply).Lex


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## samy

I have also been suffering with these problems for almost 5 months now.I have been said by one of the doctor(unani medicines), that this is due to weakness of the liver.1.By excessive sexual activity,2.excessive use of antibiotic,3.lots of liver related diseases(malaria, typhoid),4.Alcohol intake, etc (basically anything which hurts liver)The gas which is made in the stomach passes through liver to various parts of your body hands, legs, chest, back, shoulder including your brain, causing brain fog, weakness, ear sensation, vision distortion etc. By avoiding foods which doesn't make gas you will only be able to help reduce the symptoms. And that is what you should, untill we find a solution.And i think what he said makes absolute sense.


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## Fed up with IBS

hsy said:


> Hello everyone.I have been struggling with some sort of digestive issue for many years, and I am just starting to come to terms with the fact that this is probably IBS. It's a long story, many doctors, much frustration, now on Xifaxan, been through most modalities of treatment.My most distressing symptom is the brain fog. It is somehow tied into intestinal gas. I can be feeling fine one moment, and then all of the sudden my brain will go dead, I will get dizzy, eyes get red, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't come up with words, feel like i'm going to pass out.This lasts until I have a bowel movement, or until the gas passes.It is extremely disruptive and concerning. This is no minor reaction. It's debilitating.I am curious if anyone else is familiar with this symptom and if there is any more information on what exactly is going on.Thanks in advance.


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## Fed up with IBS

Hi...I have exactly the same symptoms as you , and am in the middle of brain fog right now, so excuse any dopey comments ok.I recently spent three weeks in hospital as the added problem of inflamed gallbladder and stress had sent the IBS into some kind of mad overdrive! Now,despite the gb being taken out,my symptoms are worse.I get feelings of panic,dizzy spells,in fact pretty much exactly the same as you..They want to keep loading me up with chemicals, which I try to NOT RELY ON...some foods definitely make it worse , and the gut reacts as if allergic to some food groups..I got an amazing book...GOOD GUT HEALING BY KATHRYN MARSDEN...it's a god send.I am awaiting an appt with an IBS specialist , but life is a daily challenge. Meditation helps ( providing am am not on a fuzzy day ) and I really think perhaps some kind of hypnosis may help..but all my GP does is laugh.I hope you get some respite soon, please don't hesitate to ask me for any help ok.X


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## cookies4marilyn

Hello Fedup and welcome...Hypnotherapy (and other similar treatment) is indicated in the UK's NICE Guidelines for treatment of IBS after 12 months of nothing else helping - also, the protocol used in a recorded program by many people on this support group- the IBS Audio Program 100 - has now been accepted at St Marks Gastro Hospital in London. Your GP should not laugh - there are studies as far back as 1984 showing the efficacy of hypnotherapy for IBS.If you are interested in a recorded program, consider the IBS Audio Program - there is more info in the links below. It was very helpful for my severe IBS. Or ask your IBS specialist too! All the best to you.


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## SIBOHater

Before I was diagnosed with SIBO I too experienced many strange symptoms that are not commonly listed as symptoms for SIBO. I have had to take Xifaxin several times so far so I think I probably have a motility issue and may need repeated antibiotics. At any rate, after taking the Xifaxin the majority of my symptoms went away and I can usually go about 4 or 5 months before my stomach starts to bother me again. However, there are three things that have never gone back to normal even when my stomach is not bothering me. I would say my bowel movements have never returned to normal and I still experience the foggy head and pressure in my ears. The foggy head is not nearly as bad as it used to be but is definitely still there. I'm curious if anyone else ever experienced any problems with their ears as a result of having SIBO? It is really annoying.


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## BQ

They may not be connected at all hon. Please go over these symptoms with your Dr.


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## Jazzi7

Hi guys I just wanted to say thanks so much for sharing your experiences. It just adds another layer to my journey of discovery. I decided a couple of years ago to deal with my IBS symptoms wholistically because I got sick of going to the specialist, trying another drug & having it not work. I have gone after fiddling with diet & with counselling / psychologist... GP finally put me on antidepressants, I was initially very uncomfortable with the idea after doing some research but to get some credibility I agreed. I'm on a low dose so it's not all bad but hasn't helped the IBS at all. But I am interested in the brain gut connection. Only recently I've discovered some information on the "gut brain" and I wondered whether it was linked to IBS. I totally relate to brain fog & that & I have also experienced dizziness kind of light headedness on occasion which I thought was maybe blood pressure & my doctor hadn't told me otherwise. I have had brain fog explained to me as being part of the freeze response (related to fight or flight). But I didn't even consider that gas & constipation could be contributing to it. I will be paying more attention from now on. I think there is a place where body (or gut brain) probably effects the brain & brain the body (or gut brain) but new information is always helpful as it makes me feel a bit more normal & opens me up to new ideas & looking into new research. Though at times it's information overload & I don't always have the money to fork out for the next miracle cure I'm thankful to read up on what's free & add it to my personal research & find some rhythm to balance it all out as best I can. It does give me hope that new ideas & research are surfacing. Not all of it is filtering through to my GP/s & specialists here in Australia as far as I know.


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## roland

Hello,I've had basically the same. IBS-PI diagnosis, inable to digest esp carbs, lots of intestinal activity after eating, lots of gas, terrible brain fog and dizziness. Symptoms releive after loss of gas or stool.This problem however can be dealt with (I am feeling a lot better already). Actually in my view the problem may be too acidic pH values that lead to reduced activity/effectiveness of digestive enzymes and to an unhealthy intestinal flora. You can more or less compare it to an acidic ground that can host mushrooms and in which some plants cannot live...You can test your pH easily with strips on urine and saliva. For me it was indeed too acidic. This can be fixed by some simple measures like: drinking 1,5 to 2,0 litres (0.5 gallon) mineral water a day (get one with high pH of at least 7.2), taking mineral complex incl calcium, taking some pH balancing supplements and adjusting the diet (avoid foods that lead to acidity and eat alkaline things like cucomber with all meals; you can find alkaline lists on the web). Also ess. fatty acids/ omega fish oil help and a good high dose anti-oxidant. While your pH is too low/acidic it can be wise to take digestive enzymes, while the ones your body creates are not effective enough in an acidic environment so you may need to supplement.It takes a while for your body to adjust, but first results should show fast. pH can be fixed rather quickly, intestinal flora takes longer. In the meantime the gas can be reduced by simethicone (over the counter) which helps in symptom releive.Hope this helps for others like it did for me... I found it very frustrating doctors did not tell me this which cost me 6 months of unnecessary symptoms. Of course this is only my view and you should see and discuss with your doctor.


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## vlw1961

Hi everyone, I'm new here, although I think I read this forum awhile back. I haven't actually been diagnosed with IBS, but did tell my doctor my symptoms about 6 months ago and she said it's probably IBS, and gave me diet advice, which has helped some, but not much with the "brain fog" issue. Right now I don't have any health insurance, so I can't keep going back to the doctor. For me the brain problem seems not so much a fog... I get lightheaded, and sometimes it seems like my brain totally stops working... there have been several times when I've fallen down. Which is what brought me here today... I fell awhile ago, know it's related to the lightheadedness I get with gas. Has anyone else ever experienced falling? I know that I should go back to the doctor, but I'm thinking of trying probiotics first to see if that helps.Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## hsy1

sounds like something related to the vagus nerve


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## Cheryl1967

I was just reading through this thread and wanted to add that when there is gas/bloating in the colon it put pressure on the vagus nerve causing your body to release a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine (hence why a lot of the IBS meds are anticholinergics including amitryptaline) this is what causes the increased sweating. However, after acetylcholine is released epinephrine (which is responsible for the "fight or flight" syndrome causing anxiety is then released. Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter that tries to shut down the digestive tract. Epinephrine is what is causing the "brain fog" as acetylcholine is actually good for the brain, but unfortunately it is also what controls the gut sensitivity and spasms. Anyone ever notive that their skin is excessively oily @ times? This is because of acetylcholine also. Try to steer away from foods like egg yolk and anything containing soy lecithin as this increases acetylcholine...so do many of the B vitamins. I noticed that my probiotic and multivitamin contain soy lecithin. Hope this was of help to you.


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## Not-as-young-as-I-should-b

Was looking for something else, but SO glad I ended up here. What I hear from people at this topic is SO similar to what I'm dealing with concerning my Crohn's. My problem is that I'll have a bowel movement and within 5 minutes begin "The Crash", getting sleepy and foggy. Your experiences show me mine isn't unique. My answer so far has been to quit "fighting" it, but once out of bed down half a Costco version of 5 hour energy. Then eat breakfast and halfway through take a Provigil. So I get what I need to be awake and be able to concentrate before I poop at the end of breakfast (b'fast kicks it off consistently). So the meds make it a dip more than a crash. Problem is about 90 minutes later at work I'll go again and at least dip rather than crash. So I'm not myself at work until 10 or 10:30. But your posts show me that I'm not nuts. Thanks for being open, and let me know please if you've seen any other Crohn's related posts related to this. Blessings to all!


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## suba

HI

what are the medications for IBS ?

I have been suffering with these symptoms for about 7 years did not know what was the cause. I have been taking Lansoprazole for about 3 years now but the symptoms are still there. Recently i was on a 10hour flight as soon as the flight took off i heart rate was increased had trouble breathing, it was exactly like a panic attack and i felt like someone was squeezing my chest. i thought i was going to pass out. i was a not a good feeling at all. fro the whole 10 hours my chest was like blocked with some gas. i felt dizzy, light headed, brain fog, basically i felt like i had few shots of whiskey. I cannot read while i`m on public transport i fell dizzy and i burp most of the time.

can anyone please tell me that any of you guys are experiencing the same symptoms. If so tell me what should i tell my doctor because he cannot figure out whats wrong with me.

I have done my eyes tested, ears tested, no high or low blood pressure, and i am 28 years old and this symptoms are seriously disturbing my lifestyle.

please please please somebody help me.

Thanks

God bless


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## SIBOHater

suba said:


> HI
> 
> what are the medications for IBS ?
> 
> I have been suffering with these symptoms for about 7 years did not know what was the cause. I have been taking Lansoprazole for about 3 years now but the symptoms are still there. Recently i was on a 10hour flight as soon as the flight took off i heart rate was increased had trouble breathing, it was exactly like a panic attack and i felt like someone was squeezing my chest. i thought i was going to pass out. i was a not a good feeling at all. fro the whole 10 hours my chest was like blocked with some gas. i felt dizzy, light headed, brain fog, basically i felt like i had few shots of whiskey. I cannot read while i`m on public transport i fell dizzy and i burp most of the time.
> 
> can anyone please tell me that any of you guys are experiencing the same symptoms. If so tell me what should i tell my doctor because he cannot figure out whats wrong with me.
> 
> I have done my eyes tested, ears tested, no high or low blood pressure, and i am 28 years old and this symptoms are seriously disturbing my lifestyle.
> 
> please please please somebody help me.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> God bless


Have you ever been tested for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)? There is a breath test that you can get to tell you if you have this. Given your symptoms I would look into this.


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## suba

Hi

No i haven`t. But i have done the H.Pylori bacteria test it was negative. anyway i will look into this SIBO test as well.

thanks a lot for the reply


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## brooke31

hsy1 said:


> sounds like something related to the vagus nerve


Hi all,

I know this is an old thread, but I'm really intrigued by everything I'm reading here. For the last 12 years, I have suffered from severe brain fog that is affected by my digestion and is much worse when I'm bloated (strangely enough, it is partially relieved by belching). Thanks so much for suggesting the possibility of a vagus nerve connection - I've been trying to read up on it as best I can and this hypothesis really makes sense in light of my symptoms.

Has anyone here had luck with medications that affect vagus nerve communication or block acetylcholine (i.e. anticholinergics?). Or maybe just something new for this topic. I'm just trying to figure out if there are any next steps to take with this vagus-nerve idea.

Thank you!


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## twonK

hsy said:


> I can be feeling fine one moment, and then all of the sudden my brain will go dead, I will get dizzy, eyes get red, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't come up with words, feel like i'm going to pass out.This lasts until I have a bowel movement, or until the gas passes.It is extremely disruptive and concerning.


This is *exactly* what I've been telling the various doctors I've seen over the years. It's like someone flicks a switch and I've suddenly been poisoned. It ruins my life.


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## meown

I also have this problem. Stomach gas affecting my brain and i feel my brain going to die and i forget everything for some minutes. My left side from arm to leg become die with no feeling. I dont know why is this? I feel gasious sound in ear all the time and found it a sword hanging on my head. No doctor can understand here. They just know it as nothing but depression but i am much worry about it. It happend when i was affected with malaria and typhus, after that it became my part of life. Any one know the right answer then must contact with me. Thanks. [email protected] is my email id.


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## meown

.


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## ghost4

hey guys, i have been following this thread for the last few years, as i have had very similar issues with heavy brain fog, low energy, irritability, etc, in conjunction with my digestive system. i also have excessive thirst and cravings for specific things like magnesium, calcium, and sugar.

i just wanted to share a very helpful discovery i made a few weeks back. i have been taking the amino acids glutamine and glycine when i have certain thirst or "cravings" and have had great success and gains. i would not say that i am recovered, but i would say that i feel worlds better than i have for the last couple of years and am eager to see where it takes me.

there are more specifics, but without going into detail, the things that are helpful for me are:

-magnesium

-calcium

-glutamine

-glycine


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## physicsstudent13

does xifaxin or glutamine help a lot? I took some short term glutamine, but after then I'm starting to have IBS attacks again. I'm thinking of taking bentyl again and started probiotics, magnesium


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## ghost4

i did not notice anything particularly positive from the xifaxin. the glutamine helps, but it is specifically helpful at the time i am "thirsty" for it. it sounds strange, but i have an almost constant dry thirst in the back of my throat; with a little bit of thought i can figure out what my stomach is requesting based on the taste. if i satisfy the "craving" i get positive gains in terms of strengthened peristalsis, bowel movements, increased physical and mental stamina, etc.

and yes, i am well aware of the fact that it sounds completely ridiculous  but so far, i've gotten much further through my own experiments and research than i have in several years of doctor visits and tests.

let me know if you have any luck with anything. its helpful to hear other people's experiences.


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## physicsstudent13

I've been having IBS/IBD attacks the last couple days with fog and tiredness it's terrible. I felt better today after taking glutamine but had problems with my sleep apnea asv and had worse fog. I think the glutamine and bentyl helped. I also take probiotics for nausea and pantropozole a PPI for GERD


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## Lexer

I have also hade this! dizziness, shaky hands, tunnel vision and nausea. This was infact the worse problem I hade before. It was more prominent when I was pressured in any way.

I did not associate it with gasses in stomach but it might have been, I hade(have) balloon stomach.

My doctor sent me to a neurologist but nothing strange was found. Thay also checked for ear crystals but nothing.

Finally thay said that it was connected to the IBS based on anxiety of the disease and there was nothing to do.

I dont get this problem as often any more, now the pain in my stomach is with out a doubt the worse.


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## armnoir

Hi all,

I've been checking in on this thread for some time now looking for information and recommendations.

I have the same symptoms described by hsy in the original post...been struggling with it for three years now.

I've had all the tests...everything negative except for SIBO...went on Xifaxan for three months...helped tremendously but it came back a month or so after treatment.

Figured it must have to do with my probiotic situation...except I would also have an "episode" (as I call them) after taking a probiotic pill.

The best thing that I've found to work at this point is following a low(er) carb diet (certain carbs are worse than others...bread is horrible while potatoes are fine) and drinking *kefir* everyday.

I can't stress how much the kefir has helped.

I know some folks on here must be lactose intolerant (I am not) but if you can drink it, I recommend trying it.

Some kefir (or other drinkable yogurt-type products with probiotics) are actually quite low in lactose.

It only took a few days for me to notice a huge difference.

Honestly, when I stick to around 16oz of kefir spread throughout the day, I don't actually need to follow a low-carb diet...but if I slip up, it catches up to me pretty quickly.

It's a simple solution that has really helped me and I'm hoping it can help others as well.

Best of luck.


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## twonK

thanks for the suggestion armnoir. Last time I tried Kefir it appeared to make things worse but I'm game to try anything twice.


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## roh

Hello everyone,

I am suffering from the problem similar to what is described in the original post of this thread since last three years. I am a 31 year old woman. I was quite healthy and never had any health problems and used to eat happily all kinds of food. Three years back I used a herbal nutritional health supplement (wheat grass powder sold by some local company) for more than a month thinking that it will make me more healthy and fit. But it made my life upside down.I did not notice that I was reducing lot of weight while I was using it and one day I felt that all the water from the body was getting flushed out through urine and felt very very giddy ( I stopped taking this supplement from then). From next day, I was almost bed ridden with severe weakness for many days. I realized a new problem has started in me ...consuming any gas generating food was making me feel very sick. Taking foods like milk, cheese, fermented foods, green gram, citrus drinks etc were creating symptoms like brain fog, light headedness, feeling faint, dizziness, giddiness etc. I had to resign from my job and stay at home most of the time being afraid of when these symptoms may suddently start. I feel fine at a moment and very dizzy at another moment. Especially after 1.5 or two hours after eating food (that is I suppose when the food enters the small intestine) I feel very very dizzy, as if going to faint any moment. Also few seconds before the gas gets released out of the colon I feel as if I am going to faint, it feels like I am going to die. My bowel is completely normal , I am not suffering from diarreah or constipation. Also there is no abdomial pain or pain anywhere else in the body. Also I do not have any gastric porblem or stomach bloating. If any day I have even one loose bowel movement due to any reason, it makes me feel very dizzy throught the whole day. This brain fog and dizziness symptoms are resulting in severe fatigue in me. My body became weak and hardly there is any stamina. I had consulted many doctors and lot of blood tests were done and as all the test results were normal, no body is able to diagonize the problem and they just say that I suffer from anxiety disorder that creates all these symptoms, which is not true in my case.

Can someone suggest what is the cure for this problem? What more foods I have to avoid? Should I have to avoid gluten? What is the diet plan that I should follow?

Taking probiotics did not help but increased my symptoms, I suffered a lot when I have taken a probiotic drink for a week.

Thanks


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## armnoir

Hi everyone,

In an earlier post, I suggested that drinking kefir really helped my issues, and it did, but I believe I have finally found the cause of my particular problem. In my earlier post I also mentioned that I could eat potatoes with no problems but not bread, which makes complete sense now that I've been following a low FODMAP diet.

When I follow this diet strictly, my bloating (and therfore my brain fog) are completely gone. When I have an episode of brain fog and bloating, I can always trace it back to some food I shouldn't have eaten. For three and a half years I struggled with this problem. I knew somehow it related to food but many different foods seemd to trigger the problem. It all came together with this diet. I looked at the foods I shouldn't be eating on this diet and it looked like my shopping list. The nice thing is that now that I've pinned down the problem, I can eat high FODMAP foods that I enjoy, as long as I'm willing to deal with the consequences (gas, bloating, brain fog). At least I feel a little bit of control now. I think the most frustrating and confusing part of my problem is that it seems that the problem food has to be completely cleared out of my system before the symptoms cease. That's why it was so difficult for me to pin down the problem. A problem food could still affect me days after I ate it.

I know how debilitating this condition can be and I hope this information will be of some help. I had to give the diet a few days to feel a difference but overall it's a quick turnaround compared to some other options.

You can find info about the diet here:

http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/

And a list of foods to avoid (and to eat here):

http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/

I sure hope this can help someone else...good luck out there.

- Arm


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## thomasnotting

Hi All,

I hope people are still reading this thread.

I hope Hsy is still on it too.

I've struggled for several years too. Fingers crossed but I finally see relief.

These are the things I am doing right now.

1.) I wake up in the morning and drink Apple Cider Vinegar diluted with water. I take a few tables spoons in a glass of water.

2.) Morning - I take a probiotic pill.

3.) Morning - I take Glutamine.

4.) Morning - I take a GABA (Gamma amino-butryic acid 750mg) supplement.

5.) Morning & Night - I take ground cold pressed flax seed powder with Pavel's Russian yoghurt.

6.) Before every meal I take a digestive enzyme.

The digestive enzyme helps better digest my foods (try different varieties for yourself).\

GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. So, it blocks the neurons from firing (or something like that) when the IBS pain starts to kick in.

These things are helping me.

As I am still part way through the debugging stage, I have a feeling that not all of my 6 items on the list are required right now - I will eliminate a selected few and observe their effects.

Please look at the following links also,

http://www.drwhitaker.com/natural-ibs-treatments

http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/09/16/5-simple-steps-to-cure-ibs-without-drugs/

I feel your pain!, Stay strong! Embrace the challenges, they are opportunities for something new!


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## Saket Maheswari

I too face this problem(brain fog,pass out,discomfort)
It is very irritating now.
Please help me to cure it completely.
From INDIA.
Thankyou


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## hsy1

most likely the issue is IBS / SIBO / Dysbiosis causing gut pain which causes a vasovagal episode

as far as i know there is still no cure except for general IBS maintenance and SIBO treatment


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## ruinedlife

Thanks for making this thread. It's the only place I've found on the net that describes this problem almost exactly as I've experienced it.

I started having it since 8th grade and it's basically ruined my life. My grades went down the toilet (no pun intended) and I have struggled to be a functional person since then. And OMG what embarrassing situations I've been in. I have struggled to maintain a career and friendships because I just have constant brain fog, difficult forming words, and I even occasionally behaved like a drunk. So now my problem is twofold, not only do I have this condition which is ruining my life, but even if somehow I could miraculously get cured, I'd still have to deal with the regrets of my behavior while "drunk" against my will.

I have a very severe instance of this problem, it's not ONLY gas that causes it. Some foods trigger it for me regardless of their gas potential, like anything dairy for me. Also, ghee is the single worst trigger for me, I had 1 teaspoon of "plain" rice from a restaurant and within 10 minutes my ears completely clogged up, my eyes turned red, and I got the worst sinus headache. I got joint pains and I couldn't even sleep properly for ~6 days. Sleeping under this condition reminds me of "feverish" sleeping, where you toss and turn all night and have weird crazy dreams.

I also get lower intestinal gas almost every morning and if I go back to sleep, I start getting the crazy dreams and feverish feeling, while my lower intestines give off a weird sickly burning feeling and nausea. And when this is happening, I can't even get up anymore, it feels like I'm stuck.

The problem with treating this is the INSANE amount of quackery around the Internet, so it's really hard to find good sources. The amount of hullabaloo surrounding candida / gluten intolerance / toxins is making it very hard to find real info. Like, yes, I believe in candida existing, but what's up with those crazy people at curezone who do caffeine enemas and "liver detox"! The "bug zappers" are also completely ridiculous...

-------

edit:

A few more points.

* Any probiotic with FOS in it amplifies my condition, so it definitely has to do with some kind of fermentation and/or infection in the colon. I have very slow and weak bowel muscles. I had a pelvic floor injury fairly recently and the condition got worse. So it's definitely localized to the colon.

* At one point, Flagyl (metronidazole) resolved my symptoms for a few weeks, but as soon as I stopped it, everything came back. I tried it again recently but this time it didn't work, nor did other antibiotics.

* I took a relatively small regimen of Diflucan once for a fungal skin condition, and my "colitis" and accompanying brain fog improved a lot! So I thought, "okay, time to really look into candida" -- but then that's impossible these days, there's too much insanity surrounding it. Could this be simultaneously fungal and bacterial?

* When I pass a bowel movement, my symptoms resolve but I get an *extremely* runny nose, instantly.


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## jaumeb

ruinedlife said:


> * I took a relatively small regimen of Diflucan once for a fungal skin condition, and my "colitis" and accompanying brain fog improved a lot! So I thought, "okay, time to really look into candida" -- but then that's impossible these days, there's too much insanity surrounding it. Could this be simultaneously fungal and bacterial?


It seems you are on something here. Dr. Hyman has proposed a protocol for IBS and also has an article "Is hidden fungus making you ill?"

Reading those could be a starting point.

What remedies have you tried so far?


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## ruinedlife

Thanks for your reply.

I've read Dr. Hyman's articles and I followed some of his advice, but it's been really hit or miss. Of all the herbal antifungals he mentions, caprylic acid moderately improves my sympyoms, but everything else severely aggravates the condition (oregano oil, garlic, citrus, tannins...). I thought it could be die off and persisted, but I only got worse and worse while taking them.

I also already take FOS-free probiotics (probiotics that have FOS absolutely kill me).

I tried low-carb but I ended up getting really low blood sugar. I think malabsorption makes low-carb unachievable. Right now I've switched to brown bread and pasta (I toast it to get the yeastiness out) and carob molasses (which supposedly has antifungal properties) and that generally works out okay, but I never get better beyond a certain point.

Over the years I've also done an elimination diet and I basically only eat a handful of things now.

Other considerations:

- Flagyl used to help me, but no longer does. This is inconsistent with a pure fungal infection, so perhaps it was SIBO, which once resolved, resulted in candida? I don't even know how to pursue this anymore.

- I take the following supplements: B-complex, Magnesium Aspartate (I've also tried Citrate. Neither helps with the constipation, but they do reduce the intestinal spasms), Solgar Advanced Acidophilus, and I've recently started Psyllium Husk powder which seems to help a bit.

- I seem to have pelvic floor dysfunction. My pelvis and lower colon area feel really weak when walking, but I've been checked out by a urologist and a neurologist and even got a CT scan and a pelvic MRI (I had this issue for a long time and so I had it checked numerous times). Nothing ever came up. I have weird pelvic numbness and spasms, and I have what appear to be bladder/prostate issues, but my gastroenterologist dismissed these things as "part of the constellation of IBS symptoms."

- I have constant splenic flexure pain (or at least I think that's what it is). It feels like I'm "flinching" in a specific point right under my lower left rib. It's like someone's trying to tickle me or poke me there, and the muscle's spasmed as a response to that. It almost never goes away, save for a few times after a "complete" feeling bowel movement (most of the time they don't feel complete). To me, this screams "diverticulitis" but it was not detected on a barium meal w/ follow through, or colonoscopy, or abdominal CT scan... Maybe the inflamed pocket is too small to be seen? This feeling improved temporarily on a high fiber diet, but after a while the insoluble fiber just tired out my digestive tract and I had to stop it.

I've been through numerous theories about what the problem is. For a while I believed it was a vagus nerve disorder, which is what hsy, the poster of this thread, seems to have settled on now. Personally I think the vagus nerve issue is only 1 part of this disorder. I think the focus should be on fermentation in the colon. So my theory now is that I have some kind of muscular dysfunction in the lower abdomen, which makes my colon sluggish and weak, and leads to increased fermentation in the colon.

Purely hypothetical: I think the brain fog is a distress signal from the colon, similar to when you touch something that's too hot, a signal is sent to your brain that makes you move your hand away to avoid getting burned. I think the colon is sending such a signal to my brain, but there is no appropriate reaction to be taken (can't "move my colon away" from the source of discomfort), so the colon keeps on sending this signal and it overloads the brain.


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## jaumeb

ruinedlife, yours seem to be a difficult case. Have you read Aglaee's book?

I mentioned Hyman because his IBS protocol involves fluconazole and that one seemed to help you.

Have you tried coconut oil?


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## ruinedlife

@jaumeb:

I'm not aware of Aglaee's book. I'll be looking into it soon.

I've tried coconut oil and it helps a little bit, but prolonged use makes me sick. From my elimination diet, I've figured out that I'm probably intolerant to salicylates (IThere's an ~80% match between high sal foods and foods that aggravate my IBS), and so coconut oil is a no-go.

You're right that fluconazole did indeed help me, but I can't find any doctor who's willing to treat me with it on a longer term basis. I also think there's a chance that the results will be transient, as with the Flagyl.

Difficult case indeed. I suspect everyone in this thread is a difficult case, unfortunately.


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## jaumeb

@ruinedlife when I tried coconut oil I felt partial relief within seconds. I think it killed some kind of bug. After that initial effect, I haven't noticed any difference from taking it. In fact, I am not taking it lately. Still something worth trying for someone that never tried it before.


----------



## ruinedlife

jaumeb said:


> @ruinedlife when I tried coconut oil I felt partial relief within seconds. I think it killed some kind of bug. After that initial effect, I haven't noticed any difference from taking it. In fact, I am not taking it lately. Still something worth trying for someone that never tried it before.


I had a similar effect when I first used it. The theory behind it is that it contains lauric and caprylic acid, which are antimicrobial. Whether this indicates SIBO, Candida, or something else, I'm not sure.

After a while, I became intolerant to it. It's high in salicylates, and salycilate intolerance is something that builds up over time, so my experience was consistent with that (I'm also intolerant to ~80% of things on the high salicylate list).


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## jaumeb

@ruinedlife: My current experiment is diet (meat, fish, zucchini, green beans, spinachs, cooked lettuce, white turnip, broccoli, banana, lemon juice, olive oil), celibacy, boulardii and glutamine.

I try to test things and then after careful observation of my symptoms decide how to proceed. I also read the forums to learn about new remedies and other people's reactions to such remedies.

I have to keep in mind that what works for others not necessarily works for me and the other way around.


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## Elisabeth35372

Oh, my gosh I have had this for four years and am so grateful that I have found this site. My first question is: how is everyone doing now? This site was started quite a few years ago and I hope that many of you are feeling better. My case started when I was on vacation and had a sudden stroke-like episode. I felt a lightning bolt in my head, the right side of my face went numb, my eyes went dark, I had vertigo and I could barely think. The right side of my head felt so heavy and numb. I was rushed to the hospital with a stroke diagnosis. While there, they filled me full of stroke meds and my whole situation got worse with unbelievable panic attacks starting. Finally, after treating me for a stroke for three weeks, I went home and had an MRI (they had done a CAT scan in the hospital and some ultrasounds, but no MRI) and NO STROKE! But, nobody knew what happened. I spent the next year in a dead head catatonic state, panic attack state. There was an unbelievable amount of pressure on my head, my body was full of bubbles, I could barely think at all. It was horrible. I visited neurologists and other doctors, test after test after test, no answers. I continued like this day after day after day. My life just stopped completely. I was continually filled with fear at what was happening to me. The second year the pressure started to lift a little and I started to feel a very little bit better, BUT short lightning pains in my head started again. I had hormone tests, etc. I was starting menopause and had some hot flashes and catamenial epilepsy was discussed. I tried hormone replacement therapy, which made me worse. I also had constant migraines. I continued through the year this way, feeling like I was going to die at any minute. The third year, I started to get reactions to food that sent me to the ER with anaphylaxic reactions. Through research, I found that these were histamine reactions and I determined that I had developed histamine intolerance. I also developed vertigo and tachycardia. This sent me to a digestive doctor who also diagnosed me with SIBO. These two maladies can cause some of the symptoms that I have been having. At this time, I had been pretty much dead head for three years, had continual lightning bolts in my head, constant panic attacks and migraines, signs of peripheral neuropathy, hypoglycemia, muscle wasting and more. I lost 60 pounds. Before this time, I had already deleted food groups wondering if I was allergic to certain foods. I went gluten-free, migraine-free, lactose-free, sugar-free, now histamine free. It seems like the more I deleted, the more foods I reacted to. My doctor wants to eradicate the SIBO with Allimax (garlic), but I react to this with more dead head and panic. So, I started a SIBO diet and eliminated even more foods. So, now I react to gluten, tyramine, dairy, sugar, histamine, carbs, fruits, nightshades, root vegetables. In addition, I realize that I am reacting to proteins which increases the dead head, which leads me to believe that I also have low stomach acid. I have prayed to God daily during this nightmare and He has told me that this whole situation is a digestive problem put into gear by menopause and that the root cause is low serotonin. I have seen references to serotonin in previous posts. I do not want to take an anti-depressant, so I have ordered a book that suggests taking 5-HTP to raise serotonin levels which can help to alleviate digestive problems. I have also seen the reference to the vagus nerve and this merits much consideration. In addition, I am very low in Vitamin D (15 ng) which also can create digestive problems. However, since I am histamine intolerant, I cannot go out in the sun as it kicks up the histamine reaction. I also seem to not be able to absorb Vitamin D because of the SIBO. I also get big headaches from Vitamin D supplements, which has led me to realize that I am low in magnesium. If I supplement magnesium, I get bone aches, which has led me to realize that I am low in calcium. Currently, I am using a patch that has Vitamin D, magnesium and calcium, but I'm not sure if it's doing anything. If you've gotten this far down in my story, thank you! For the first three years of my illness, I was convinced that I had a neurological disorder. But, with the development of the histamine intolerance, I have come to realize that, yes, digestive disturbances can cause head problems that mimic neurological issues. And, yes, gas is a big part of this, even if you can't feel it. I do want to let you all know that I have done some things that have helped and that may help you all as well. First of all, in addition to all the other foods I can't eat, I have also eliminated all gas-producing foods (list on internet). I have found that getting up and walking around the house for 15-20 minutes after a meal does help the gas. If you can get out and walk, even better. This should be a gentle stroll, not an aerobic walk (think Mayberry!) Also, doing a yoga exercise several times a day where you lie on the floor or bed and rock your knees back and forth for 15 minutes or so helps to pump the gas up into my stomach and then when I sit up, I am able to burp some out (look on internet for yoga for digestion). I also push in gently on my sides and gut (not too much or I push up acid) seems to help move the gas out of my intestines and up so that I can burp it out. Throughout the day, I do belly dancing moves and it seems to pump the gas up as well, so that I can burp it out to relieve pressure. Gas-X also helps some, but if I take too much (more than 1-2 times a day), I get very dizzy. Dizzy from the gas and dizzy from the Gas-X! I also meditate daily, do light yoga, think good thoughts, smile, go out in nature, turn off the TV news--all raise serotonin levels which help. I also feel that I have developed dysautonomia, which is an illness that affects my central nervous system. I am very wasted by this illness. I still suffer daily and wonder if I have permanent brain damage and neuropathy. Every day is a challenge, BUT I am getting better. I am malnourished and very thin and cannot seem to eat enough without a reaction to gain any weight. But, I do have hope that the more I learn about this, the more I'll find that can help--not only me, but all of this on this website. I would love to hear back from all of you. I hope you're doing much better. I'm going to put my personal e-mail in here, but I'm not sure if it will be deleted, but I'll try: [email protected] Prayers and hugs to you all. Truly, Elisabeth


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## jaumeb

Elisabeth35372, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing your story and what helps you with the gas.


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## thomasnotting

Hi guys, I posted earlier on 1 Oct 2014.

While my condition is much much better now and my outlook on life is way more positive (and yours will be too, just keep trying a bunch of diff things and pay attention to the small signals), there are still things that hurt me everyday.

Anyway I think I had SIBO and leaky gut. I started taking enzymedica digestive enzymes. I would dissolve L-glutamine in water and drink it on empty stomach. I think I am good now. I also took raw garlic clove before going to bed.

I also used to take apple cider vinegar from time to time on empty stomach.

I was previously at a point where anything I ate would pretty much sedate me, I dont think I was producing any enzymes for digestion and my lower gut was receiving undigeted food which would give me nausea, headache, extreme brain dog, double vision, dizziness, that cold feeling in the brain(which I still get sometimes). I was afraid to eat for a while.

Cut down as much sugar and carb for sometime.

Anyway doing the above made things soooo much better and helped in healing my gut.

Now I am also vegetarian. Feels great.

I used to have severe headaches and extreme grogginess from sugar. Also even even though digestive enzymes saved my life I would still get gassiness and bloating - after much thought and connecting patterns I came to the conclusion that I am also low on stomach acid (this also explains SIBO). I also would feel like I was dying if I had espressos or any coffee almost.

I've now started taking Betaine HCl with Pepsin and I couldn't believe it - I could take a ton of sugary foods and coffee now (not that I recommend sugar). I hope that helps someone. Control the amount though, I took too much today and caused myself acidity.

I also believe that constant ab exercise should help in the body relieving itself of gas much easily as the muscles control gets better. I also have the vagus response issue and its super annoying.

By the way when I started off I was taking GABA to reduce the pain that intestinal gas would cause (bad coffee was causing pain in the intestine). But I wouldn't recommend this in the long term, also don't do any activity while you are on GABA.

I still get headaches and grogginess. I think I also need to manage my fiber intake and reduce spicy intake as well as eat at the right times.

Guys, please keep posting and ask questions. I think we can fix this.
I am still looking for more answers.

Juicing (with cabbage juice) & other juice is taking on. I think cleanses and fasts should be good. Certain yoga, pranayam to get blood flow to internal organs so that they may heal themselves (i.e. the vagus response diminishes)?

I have suffered so much that I want to do anything I absolutely can to help others.


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## thomasnotting

These days I chew 3 beano tablets and swallow 1 Betain Hcl with Pepsin capsule before a meal


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## thomasnotting

Another couple of things I keep in my arsenal are 1.) Activated Charcoal
2.) Pavel's yoghurt

Both these things help me feel way better


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## thomasnotting

Hi Elisabeth35372,

Yes you should work on getting the SIBO fixed. SIBO causes gas. The other thing I found causes gas is being low on stomach acid and being low on digestive enzymes.

I would try that for a few days and see if it has made any difference. Again I used Solaray Betain HCl with Pepsin and Enzymedica Digest Basic. Also chewed 3 beano tablets before every meal.

Be careful though - you don't want too much acid. I experiment with these things but exercise caution. I would also completely give up on non vegetarian food as that has caused me a ton of trouble. It is much more difficult to digest and it caused me heavy pain, nausea and brain fog the day after (SO - there was like a huge time constant before the effects would appear). Write down how you feel after you consume anything. If Apple Cider Vinegar makes you feel sick then maybe it is not for you.

So while all of this is in progress I cut down on coffee (stop if you can as most coffees can seriously mess up the experiment, also no non-veg ofcourse)

Write down your results, e.g. how bloated and gassy you felt as compared to before. Any headaches dizziness, brain fog, time of bowel movement and how complete was the evacuation. Were the stools well formed? Was there any undigested material? Do you see an oil slick in the toilet bowl? What part of the day did you start feeling well? and what was the last 3 or 4 meals did you have before that and what was the fat, carb and protein content in those meals? - Do this info gathering exercise a few times and you could start seeing patterns - It is super cool when you do.

(I don't care if it sounds gross lol - getting out of pain and leading a normal life is more important)

Also just focus on one thing at a time and don't get distracted.

I've found that if to fix a problem we are having to try a hundred different things and we aren't able to settle on one, then the reality is that we haven't understood the problem at all - so we need to take a huge step back - kinda like those cartoon shows in which characters end up trying to prevent the air from escaping on different parts of a balloon and more and more holes keep popping up. Anyway we are all a victim of that.

If I feel that what I am trying something for a few days (I think time constant of a few days is good) isn't working then I perform a hard reset and start again by changing the method intelligently. What I mean by this is: I stop food intake (I take pavel's yoghurt) and consider a natural bowel cleanse (http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=335358&catid=317327&aid=338666&aparam=335358&kpid=335358&CAWELAID=120142990000050276&CAGPSPN=pla&kpid=335358) until everything in the gut clears out and start again.


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## jaumeb

Thanks for the betaine HCl tip. Keep us updated about your progress.


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## doces

I'm so glad I found this thread! This is EXACTLY what my problems are! A short history:

* Had several kidney surgeries as a kid
* Ever since then, was always mildly sick with everything (headache, nausea, fatigue, etc.), became a real indoor cat, no sports etc.

* Didn't know what I had was mild IBS (always thought it was normal...)
* Ended up learning I had food allergies 20 years later
* Dairy & all grains are on the no-no list (corn, oatmeal, gluten, rice, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, anything grass-family)

* No doctor I've seen has been able to help; I simply have to avoid those foods, and corn is nearly impossible to avoid completely

* Nothing shows up on my allergy tests (skinprick, blood tests, endoscopy to check for issues & Celiacs...nada), also no lyme disease or anything else

For starters, I'm officially dubbing this "Brain Gas Syndrome" (you heard it here first!). hsy & twonK nailed it:



hsy said:


> Hello everyone.I have been struggling with some sort of digestive issue for many years, and I am just starting to come to terms with the fact that this is probably IBS. It's a long story, many doctors, much frustration, now on Xifaxan, been through most modalities of treatment.My most distressing symptom is the brain fog. It is somehow tied into intestinal gas. I* can be feeling fine one moment, and then all of the sudden my brain will go dead, I will get dizzy, eyes get red, eyes very heavy, can't think, can't come up with words, feel like i'm going to pass out.This lasts until I have a bowel movement, or until the gas passes.*It is extremely disruptive and concerning. This is no minor reaction. It's debilitating.I am curious if anyone else is familiar with this symptom and if there is any more information on what exactly is going on.Thanks in advance.





twonK said:


> twonK
> 
> This is *exactly* what I've been telling the various doctors I've seen over the years. *It's like someone flicks a switch and I've suddenly been poisoned. * It ruins my life.


It took me years to figure out all of my food allergies, as they show up on ZERO tests of any kind. I've paid, literally, thousands of dollars out of pocket trying to chase this down. Doctors just aren't interested in solving it. The best I've been able to come up with is this:

"Certain foods cause me pain/fatigue/etc., which is caused by gas, relieved by gas, and disappears upon having a bowel movement of said food."

Like twonK said...it's like a switch. I have a night class that I was early for tonight, so I went to the library to work on my homework. The food hit that part of my stomach where the "switch" lies and I was instantly in "moron mode"...could not focus, could not think, limbs felt like an anchor, eyes felt like anchors, etc. I knew it was a stool that needed to get out, but it's a day away, and I knew that working out the gas would alleviate the issues, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to go for a walk - it was exactly like that, like I had been poisoned! It's basically like a small amount of compressed gas is pushing all of the negative health effects buttons until the stool containing that food passes out of me.

The good news is that I feel 100% fine if:

1. I do not eat anything on my allergen list (very difficult with corn, as it's in everything & can be unlabeled)
2. I keep a steady flow of food going throughout the day to kind of buffer my stomach
3. I do at least a minimal amount of exercise, which helps to compress the stool into a solid mass (3/4 on the Bristol scale)

I have noticed on the days when I'm super busy & skip breakfast and lunch, if I do eat something on my allergen list, the impact is far greater. It's like someone pulls the drain on your energy (and IQ). When I started hunting down my health issues, I had absolutely zero idea it was food-related, just no clue. Now I can see it clearly, and am fortunate to know exactly what foods cause it. The trouble for me is mainly the corn...it's not as bad as dairy or gluten, which are absolute killers for me, but corn can whack me pretty good for a couple days, and it's a very tricky ingredient to deal with (it's really a world in & of itself to deal with, to be honest).

Anyway...glad I found this thread. My heart goes out to everyone else suffering from this, it blows chunks! It's just the worst when you get hit with "the fade"...it's like someone comes over & whacks your insides with a baseball bat. Insta-sleep, the beginnings of tunnel vision, the brain fog, the extreme fatigue, the not being able to think or speak clearly or follow conversations or logic in classes or books, it just goes on & on. I'm allergic to gas!


----------



## doces

cynthia said:


> Hi all,My son also suffers from the gas/ brain thing. Just curious - when you are all talking about gas, are you referring to upper or lower? Do any of you get relieved from burping, or is it all farting? My son has upper (stomach/ small intestinal) gas and has brain fog and dizziness which improves when he burps - but then it comes right back. Thanks.


I get both. Basically like this:

1. Burping temporarily relieves it, but it will come back

2. Gas helps way more, and is typically a small, forceful amount that provides a lot of relief

3. Having a bowel movement that gets rid of the offending food solves it literally instantly. As soon as it hits the toilet, I am human again. Instantly (as long as ALL of it comes out).

I know exactly what foods cause it for me, too. But one of them is a very difficult ingredient due to widespread use & lack of labeling laws (corn & derivatives). I almost wonder if it's something like glyphosates rather than the foods themselves. I have no idea. I only know what happens & what triggers it, which is at least a start. No doctor has any idea what this is. Have seen more than a dozen easily.


----------



## doces

Lex2x said:


> Can hot or warm weather cause the symptoms mentioned in this thread?When I get in a hot or warm area, this can happen:
> 
> 
> pressure in upper abdomen
> burning in upper abdomen
> pressure in head and neck
> legs (notably calves) get weak
> arms get weak
> eye problems (everything goes flat, maybe a little blurry).
> face may get numb
> thirsty
> begin to tremble
> anxiety
> I'd thought it was related to my Mitral Valve Prolapse, and am going to the doctor to talk to him about it maybe being thyroid, but after seeing the above thread I'm thinking I may have IBS.The symptoms usually subside after I eat something and get in a cool place. And have found lately, that the pressure in my abdomen gets less when I get rid of gas. Immediately, my whole body seems to calm down.So can hot weather cause IBS symptoms to worsen like this?Thanks! (sorry about the length of the reply).Lex


What's interesting is that eye doctors have no idea what this is. I get a little bit of tunnel vision, a little bit of blurriness, a little bit of everything that you're talking about. I saw a retina specialist for an unrelated issue, as well as an advanced specialist & more of a regular eye doctor (3 total). No one had any idea what I was talking about. Lately I've been getting some eye "pressure" too, like I get when my stomach bloats up from the food & gives me a pressure headache & a sinus ache. I can confirm that it is NOT blood-pressure or blood-sugar related, as I have tracked those. I was hoping maybe it was like a blood pressure-related issue, but it has no correlation in my tracking.

I am SO happy I found this thread...nothing else has really rung up 100% with me! I'm not Celiac (tested), but I have severe food allergies (mirrors everything in this thread) but nothing shows up in any test (from IgE to blood panels to skin patch pricking) that is the trigger. The people suffering from this in this thread may find out they have the same issues with food. For example, corn was just a nightmare to track down. I'm not allergic to corn protein, rather ALL of corn, and the more refined it is (i.e corn is bad, corn syrup is worse, high fructose corn syrup is the worst) the strong a reaction I get. Here's a sample list of product names derived from corn:

http://www.cornallergens.com/list/corn-allergen-list.php

So hopefully that can get some people pointed in the right direction. I can be 100% healthy if I am super super SUPER careful about my diet. That means I have to get safe meat, safe product, safe everything. They put corn-based wax on apples to make them shine - I can pick them from a farm without getting hit with the fade, but if I buy the store-bought ones, I'm hosed. Stuff like that. It's awful & pretty much governs my life. Would love to figure out what this thing is...


----------



## twonK

doces said:


> I'm so glad I found this thread! This is EXACTLY what my problems are! A short history:
> 
> * Had several kidney surgeries as a kid
> * Ever since then, was always mildly sick with everything (headache, nausea, fatigue, etc.), became a real indoor cat, no sports etc.
> 
> * Didn't know what I had was mild IBS (always thought it was normal...)
> * Ended up learning I had food allergies 20 years later
> * Dairy & all grains are on the no-no list (corn, oatmeal, gluten, rice, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, anything grass-family)
> 
> * No doctor I've seen has been able to help; I simply have to avoid those foods, and corn is nearly impossible to avoid completely
> 
> * Nothing shows up on my allergy tests (skinprick, blood tests, endoscopy to check for issues & Celiacs...nada), also no lyme disease or anything else
> 
> For starters, I'm officially dubbing this "Brain Gas Syndrome" (you heard it here first!). hsy & twonK nailed it:
> 
> It took me years to figure out all of my food allergies, as they show up on ZERO tests of any kind. I've paid, literally, thousands of dollars out of pocket trying to chase this down. Doctors just aren't interested in solving it. The best I've been able to come up with is this:
> 
> "Certain foods cause me pain/fatigue/etc., which is caused by gas, relieved by gas, and disappears upon having a bowel movement of said food."
> 
> Like twonK said...it's like a switch. I have a night class that I was early for tonight, so I went to the library to work on my homework. The food hit that part of my stomach where the "switch" lies and I was instantly in "moron mode"...could not focus, could not think, limbs felt like an anchor, eyes felt like anchors, etc. I knew it was a stool that needed to get out, but it's a day away, and I knew that working out the gas would alleviate the issues, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to go for a walk - it was exactly like that, like I had been poisoned! It's basically like a small amount of compressed gas is pushing all of the negative health effects buttons until the stool containing that food passes out of me.
> 
> The good news is that I feel 100% fine if:
> 
> 1. I do not eat anything on my allergen list (very difficult with corn, as it's in everything & can be unlabeled)
> 2. I keep a steady flow of food going throughout the day to kind of buffer my stomach
> 3. I do at least a minimal amount of exercise, which helps to compress the stool into a solid mass (3/4 on the Bristol scale)
> 
> I have noticed on the days when I'm super busy & skip breakfast and lunch, if I do eat something on my allergen list, the impact is far greater. It's like someone pulls the drain on your energy (and IQ). When I started hunting down my health issues, I had absolutely zero idea it was food-related, just no clue. Now I can see it clearly, and am fortunate to know exactly what foods cause it. The trouble for me is mainly the corn...it's not as bad as dairy or gluten, which are absolute killers for me, but corn can whack me pretty good for a couple days, and it's a very tricky ingredient to deal with (it's really a world in & of itself to deal with, to be honest).
> 
> Anyway...glad I found this thread. My heart goes out to everyone else suffering from this, it blows chunks! It's just the worst when you get hit with "the fade"...it's like someone comes over & whacks your insides with a baseball bat. Insta-sleep, the beginnings of tunnel vision, the brain fog, the extreme fatigue, the not being able to think or speak clearly or follow conversations or logic in classes or books, it just goes on & on. I'm allergic to gas!


I'm glad you've found the culprit although that really is a tall order avoiding corn in all forms. For me not even the elimination diet provided relief and I have variable length periods of variable health. I've essentially given up on finding a causal food and instead am focusing on finding potential abdominal disease (if disease is the right word).

I've recently had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (with biopsies) which both came back clean. But, the doc did note that my appendix was enlarged (but without signs of acute appendicitis) so I'm hoping to get an exploratory op to check for abdominal adhesions (I too had a kidney op years ago) and chronic appendicitis. Before the op I'm getting the pill cam to check out my small intestine (I didn't know that it's not possible to view the inside of the small intestine otherwise).

I'll post here if anything is found. This condition, whatever it is, is a living nightmare.


----------



## hsy1

hey I'm the person who started this thread -

the issue has something to do with the following:

- gas pressure stimulating the walls of the gut and causing a pain response; according to the previous head of the cleveland clinic gastro dept, it's like being hit in the head with a brick - "you see stars"

- gas or food in gut causing pressure on the vagus nerve which causes a vasovagal partial 'fainting' response

- mast cells, histamine response aka gas byproducts activating something related to mast cells which causes something involving histamine that makes you out of it like allergies

the things that have helped me, temporarily:

- allegra antihistimine cured EVERYTHING however it sadly can also cause the gut to just shut down which it did in my case, so i had to stop it

- the SCD/GAPS (decreased fermentation, gas, stimulation of gut)

- rifaximin then flagyl one after the other

- alinia

nothing has been permanent

exploring the mast cell histamine thing now

i don't have any answers just making note of what works as i try things


----------



## doces

twonK said:


> I'm glad you've found the culprit although that really is a tall order avoiding corn in all forms. For me not even the elimination diet provided relief and I have variable length periods of variable health. I've essentially given up on finding a causal food and instead am focusing on finding potential abdominal disease (if disease is the right word).
> 
> I've recently had a colonoscopy and endoscopy (with biopsies) which both came back clean. But, the doc did note that my appendix was enlarged (but without signs of acute appendicitis) so I'm hoping to get an exploratory op to check for abdominal adhesions (I too had a kidney op years ago) and chronic appendicitis. Before the op I'm getting the pill cam to check out my small intestine (I didn't know that it's not possible to view the inside of the small intestine otherwise).
> 
> I'll post here if anything is found. This condition, whatever it is, is a living nightmare.


Oh it's such a pain - basically governs my life. But at least I can live normally as long as I am extremely careful about what I eat. For me that includes:

*Dairy:*

Cow

Goat

Sheep

*Grass-family grains:*

Wheat/gluten

The alternative grains (millet, sorghum, etc.)

Rice

Corn (it's in everything)

Sugarcane

I can still eat, I just have to do 3 things:

1. Make pretty much all of my food myself, at home

2. Carefully research ingredients (especially corn)

3. Use alternative substitutes (for example, I use beet sugar in place of sugarcane)

It took nearly 10 years to figure all of this out. I didn't know that specific foods were causing my problems...I felt terrible all the time, but I was eating trigger foods all the time. The weird thing is, no hives, no rash, no breathing problems from anaphylaxis, and absolutely nothing shows on any food allergy tests. I consulted several practices using different tests to verify the results. I would be curious to see how many people here have specific food triggers as opposed to any food...I say that because again, corn is in everything, and if that's your trigger, it's extremely difficult to track down because if it's used in the manufacturing process, they're not required to label it as an ingredient (for example, a corn derivative is used as a drying agent for raisins, which triggers my Gas Brain Syndrome, but if I make them myself at home in my dehydrator using only heat to dry, zero reaction).

It has been an extremely long road to get to where I'm at. My life is basically ruled by food choices, but on the flip side, I can live a normal life by being strict. But I've never heard of anyone who had exactly these same problems, which is why I'm really excited...for most people with what I'll call traditional food allergies, even touching the foods can cause issues like swollen lips or skin rashes, which I have no problem with - only ingestion, and only during transit through my GI tract - once it's out of me, I feel instantly better. I've always felt like there's a tollbooth in my stomach, where the food has to stop a few hours into the commute & pain buttons get pushed throughout my body. I get whacked & it just shuts me right down. Terrible stuff!


----------



## doces

hsy1 said:


> hey I'm the person who started this thread -
> 
> the issue has something to do with the following:
> 
> - gas pressure stimulating the walls of the gut and causing a pain response; according to the previous head of the cleveland clinic gastro dept, it's like being hit in the head with a brick - "you see stars"
> 
> - gas or food in gut causing pressure on the vagus nerve which causes a vasovagal partial 'fainting' response
> 
> - mast cells, histamine response aka gas byproducts activating something related to mast cells which causes something involving histamine that makes you out of it like allergies
> 
> the things that have helped me, temporarily:
> 
> - allegra antihistimine cured EVERYTHING however it sadly can also cause the gut to just shut down which it did in my case, so i had to stop it
> 
> - the SCD/GAPS (decreased fermentation, gas, stimulation of gut)
> 
> - rifaximin then flagyl one after the other
> 
> - alinia
> 
> nothing has been permanent
> 
> exploring the mast cell histamine thing now
> 
> i don't have any answers just making note of what works as i try things


First of all, THANK YOU so much for starting this thread! I'm glad to know I'm not crazy haha. I don't think I've found any other source of information that matches exactly what my problems are! Doctors are quick to brush you off...I've seen so many

Second, that information is really interesting. That's exactly what it seems like - trapped gas expanding the GI tubes, causing issues. It's like when it expands the gut walls, it hits some buttons that trigger a myriad of responses that hits us like a hammer. I'd be happy to post more about the food allergy stuff if anyone was interested...it was very difficult to pin down, but I feel great now, as long as I'm super crazy careful about what I put in my mouth.


----------



## doces

A couple other notes:

1. Quantity of food seems to help. Like, if I'm eating regularly (3 meals plus snacks day after day), it keeps things moving in my stomach. If I'm busy and skip a meal or two and then have a meal with food on my avoid list, it whallops me a lot harder. If I stay on top of my exercise, it helps move things a lot too. The trouble is that when I get the fade, I just can't pull it together to go for a walk or a bike ride or hop on the treadmill to help move it along - my energy is completely zapped. Aside from avoiding the toxic food, keeping the bowels full & moving seems to be my best bet for managing things because it pushes the stool out faster. I can easily tell my health level by my stool sample - if I have a #3 on the Bristol stool scale (single solid log & not pellets, sinks not floats, and at peak health, doesn't even require toilet paper - no wiping needed because it's not "runny"), then I know things are going well in my stomach. I've also found lately that smaller meals helps...larger meals tend to cause more of a problem for me. So small meals with no foods on my no-no list, along with daily exercise, have given me the best results.

2. Thinking makes it worse. Like, when I crash and I'm doing something that requires thinking (homework or a work project, for example), it drains me even more. I've read that the brain uses something like 30% of the calories we ingest, and that doing brain-intensive things like studying burns more glycogen than say playing football for the same amount of time. All I know is that when I'm trying to mentally focus on something new to comprehend or memorize it, that completely pops the plug out of the drain & I go into coma-mode even more. It's an extremely specific problem - does anyone else experience this during an episode? It's the same with movement - even things like doing up the stairs amplifies it & puts me into total shutdown mode. Doctors look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them these things, but that's exactly what happens to me - any kind of exertion, whether mental or physical, increases the symptoms during an 'attack'.

I know that specific foods trigger it. What I don't know is (1) if it's the food itself, or some kind of pesticide/roundup/etc. in the specific foods, and (2) exactly what is defective in my GI tract that would cause these symptoms for me & not others like my family members. My dad suffers the same thing I do, which was diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But he's been working on eating a similar diet as mine lately & has gotten more relief than he has in the last thirty years from that.


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## rewinj

Wow. Finally reading this thread. This is me too... and I've become highly suspicious of histamine. Gonna have to try allegra! How were you taking it, and what do you mean it "shut the gut down"? Caused major constipation? You finding fibre has a strong effect doces?


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## Elisabeth35372

I want to thank everyone for posting since I wrote my experience. I would like to respond in depth soon, but I've been having a huge jag of migraines lately and can hardly be on the computer. I will be trying the advice written and I have some advice to impart as well. (There are a few readers that have contacted me personally and I am sorry that I haven't been able to respond; I will do so as soon as possible--I have not forgotten you and hope you are doing better.) All my best to all of us going through this; it is truly debilitating. I find that I am at the point where I'm pretty much housebound, and even then I can hardly do anything. Sometimes it's better than others and I feel like I am beating this and then I have a major relapse. However, I still have hope that we will all find our way to good health again. Much love to you all and I will post as soon as I am able. Truly, Elisabeth


----------



## notyetnever

Hi All,

I know I haven't written much since I think I only posted once or twice over the years, but I have been reading updates. I know exactly how everyone is feeling and I may or may not be on the right track to figuring out my situation. I recently had an abnormal EEG and will be doing follow up studies, but it indicates a general term called focal cerebral dysfunction, meaning there's a problem but they don't know why, though it can cause many of the problems we experience. Has anyone else had an EEG? For me at least this could explain why grains are an issue and why cutting them out (replaced with fat) has had major improvement for me since it is similar to a ketogenic diet that is known to decrease/stop seizure activity. Perhaps I've been unknowingly preventing some seizures by this diet change? Or maybe I just have seizures from the massive amounts of metronidazole I was on. Or maybe the 3 fainting spells I've had over the past 10 years were actually seizures (3 occured before these cognitive issues developed)? Or maybe I'm just someone who randomly has seizures now. HOWEVER, I still don't understand why my cognitive and fatigue issues suddenly improve once I pass gas or have a BM. One would assume seizure activity doesn't work that way, but there are lots that we don't know about the body. Though it is known that the gut and brain are connected and for some reason diet changes improve those with epilepsy (ketogenic diet) and some parents say their children with autism too.

Was anyone else on antibiotics/antiparasitics or any drugs before your symptoms started? I just wonder if we should do our own kind of "study" in terms of comparing our own microbiomes. About a year ago I signed up for both uBiome and American Gut and got my intestinal microbiome from both and would be willing to share it with whoever else wants to do the same. Maybe we all have some rare bacteria or perhaps a known bacteria in too great a quantity that could be causing this. I just entered a physician assistant program and now have to go off this diet so they can accurate measure my brain functions, so I'm a bit scared of feeling a zombie again and then that having a negative impact on my school. A big part of me is hoping that with a better understanding of health and through personal experience with this disorder that I can somehow help figure out what's going on. And I hope it isn't just wishful thinking  Results from my EEG below. I had a normal MRI.

.

IMPRESSION: This study is abnormal due to presence of bilateral frontocentral epileptiform discharges.

CLINICAL CORRELATION: These findings suggest focal cerebral dysfunction over frontocentral regions with possible epileptogenic potential. Long‐term EEG monitoring is recommended to catch the patient's events to rule out seizures.


----------



## doces

rewinj said:


> Wow. Finally reading this thread. This is me too... and I've become highly suspicious of histamine. Gonna have to try allegra! How were you taking it, and what do you mean it "shut the gut down"? Caused major constipation? You finding fibre has a strong effect doces?


I haven't tried Allegra myself. I recently tried activated charcoal pellets & surprisingly, it helped! You have to drink a lot of water with it; it basically acts like a sponge for gas. Took about 30 minutes to kick in, and by about 45 minutes I was thinking clearly again.

I haven't noticed any effect of fiber, although for the past few months I haven't really been able to tolerate sweet potatoes, which is odd. Same deal, makes me burp nonstop.


----------



## doces

Elisabeth35372 said:


> I want to thank everyone for posting since I wrote my experience. I would like to respond in depth soon, but I've been having a huge jag of migraines lately and can hardly be on the computer. I will be trying the advice written and I have some advice to impart as well. (There are a few readers that have contacted me personally and I am sorry that I haven't been able to respond; I will do so as soon as possible--I have not forgotten you and hope you are doing better.) All my best to all of us going through this; it is truly debilitating. I find that I am at the point where I'm pretty much housebound, and even then I can hardly do anything. Sometimes it's better than others and I feel like I am beating this and then I have a major relapse. However, I still have hope that we will all find our way to good health again. Much love to you all and I will post as soon as I am able. Truly, Elisabeth


Sorry to hear that! I have been there & it is no fun to feel shut down all the time.

Have you looked into food allergies at all? Again, none of mine show up on any test, but I went from feeling like crud my whole life to living a fairly normal, productive life by avoiding my trigger foods. For me that is dairy & grass-family grains (wheat, corn, oatmeal, sugarcane, etc.). It was extremely difficult to correlate food vs. reactions; it literally took me years. Corn was the most difficult since it has the most derivatives & is not limited to a protein allergy - anything I eat with corn ruins my stomach & induces extreme headaches. Plus there is a time delay for the fade to hit, so it was really hard to put two & two together. I would be curious to know how many people in this thread have undiagnosed food sensitivities. Professional help didn't help me, as mine are apparently digestive allergies, not auto-immune - once the foods are out of my body, I feel pretty much instantly better. Have you tried fasting, and does it help? That is a good sign that food is your culprit - I always felt better on days where I wouldn't eat, like when I'd run out the door late in the morning & work through lunch.


----------



## doces

notyetnever said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I know I haven't written much since I think I only posted once or twice over the years, but I have been reading updates. I know exactly how everyone is feeling and I may or may not be on the right track to figuring out my situation. I recently had an abnormal EEG and will be doing follow up studies, but it indicates a general term called focal cerebral dysfunction, meaning there's a problem but they don't know why, though it can cause many of the problems we experience. Has anyone else had an EEG? For me at least this could explain why grains are an issue and why cutting them out (replaced with fat) has had major improvement for me since it is similar to a ketogenic diet that is known to decrease/stop seizure activity. Perhaps I've been unknowingly preventing some seizures by this diet change? Or maybe I just have seizures from the massive amounts of metronidazole I was on. Or maybe the 3 fainting spells I've had over the past 10 years were actually seizures (3 occured before these cognitive issues developed)? Or maybe I'm just someone who randomly has seizures now. HOWEVER, I still don't understand why my cognitive and fatigue issues suddenly improve once I pass gas or have a BM. One would assume seizure activity doesn't work that way, but there are lots that we don't know about the body. Though it is known that the gut and brain are connected and for some reason diet changes improve those with epilepsy (ketogenic diet) and some parents say their children with autism too.
> 
> Was anyone else on antibiotics/antiparasitics or any drugs before your symptoms started? I just wonder if we should do our own kind of "study" in terms of comparing our own microbiomes. About a year ago I signed up for both uBiome and American Gut and got my intestinal microbiome from both and would be willing to share it with whoever else wants to do the same. Maybe we all have some rare bacteria or perhaps a known bacteria in too great a quantity that could be causing this. I just entered a physician assistant program and now have to go off this diet so they can accurate measure my brain functions, so I'm a bit scared of feeling a zombie again and then that having a negative impact on my school. A big part of me is hoping that with a better understanding of health and through personal experience with this disorder that I can somehow help figure out what's going on. And I hope it isn't just wishful thinking
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Results from my EEG below. I had a normal MRI.
> 
> .
> 
> IMPRESSION: This study is abnormal due to presence of bilateral frontocentral epileptiform discharges.
> 
> CLINICAL CORRELATION: These findings suggest focal cerebral dysfunction over frontocentral regions with possible epileptogenic potential. Long‐term EEG monitoring is recommended to catch the patient's events to rule out seizures.


Hmm interesting. I've done a couple EKG's but never done an EEG. I can tell you what foods bother me specifically: dairy and grass-family grains (short list: wheat, corn, oats, sugarcane, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, barley). The good news is there are plenty of alternatives available (for dairy substitutions there's soy, nut milk, etc., and for grain subs there's flash-baked cassava, nut flours, arrowroot, tapioca, coconut, chickpea, buckwheat, quinoa, etc.), so it's not a death sentence, it simply means (1) learning how to cook, (2) using the Internet to find edible recipes, and (3) a higher food bill due to specialty ingredients. Fortunately between Amazon & Whole Foods, I can still have stuff like cookies & ice cream and feel just fine. Note: I would not rule out food allergies until you have proven otherwise, as I had zero idea that there was any correlation between what I ate & how I felt. It is crystal-clear to me know what impact specific foods have in my life. It is a LOT of work to truly identify it, especially if everyone here shares one of the more difficult ones like say corn, which is in everything, which is why I was constantly battling this set of symptoms.

I'd be curious to see what the EEG results would be on a "clean" day vs. a day when you're getting hit hard. I have never fainted and have never had a seizure in my life, however. But exactly what you said - I don't understand why my cognitive function & fatigue levels magically improve upon passing gas or having a bowel movement. It makes no sense. I'd be willing to sign up for uBiome & American Gut - I've spent more on visiting useless doctors who don't care, you know? Which kit did you go with? Also, I had several kidney surgeries as a kid & was on heavy doses of antibiotics when I was young. From what I've read online, this is pretty well known to kill gut flora, which creates digestive food allergies. Supposedly they can be regrown through prebiotics, probiotics, and diets like GAPS & whatnot, although I haven't had much luck since things like cabbage (especially fermented) kill my stomach.

So, I dunno. All I know is that (1) I suffer from exactly what is described in this thread, (2) no other set of symptoms have rung as true to my condition as the ones in this thread, (3) I can completely avoid it through careful dietary choices, and (4) it is completely triggered by specific foods. If anyone has any questions about diagnosing food allergies, please ask away. What I would recommend is going on an elimination diet, with an additional focus on corn - corn is a hidden ingredient in just about everything off the shelf though, and is very difficult to remove, even in a strict elimination diet.


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## doces

I just tested positive for SIBO, which explains a lot. I've seen some discussion here on that. From what I understand, the anitibiotic only works for a couple months & then your body adapts, so you have to stick with strict dietary management. Is that the most current information?


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## doces

Elisabeth35372 said:


> I also seem to not be able to absorb Vitamin D because of the SIBO. I also get big headaches from Vitamin D supplements, which has led me to realize that I am low in magnesium. If I supplement magnesium, I get bone aches, which has led me to realize that I am low in calcium. Currently, I am using a patch that has Vitamin D, magnesium and calcium, but I'm not sure if it's doing anything.


Yes, I did a bone density scan recently & it appears [edit: confirmed] that I have osteoporosis (note that I'm 30, not 90 haha); I'm waiting on the results from the additional tests to confirm. Apparently I am not absorbing Vitamin D, most likely due to SIBO. One thing to note with your headaches - I cannot tolerate dairy or grains on SIBO, and Vitamin D is made from corn, and corn gives me headaches, so that may be the root cause for you. There are a couple vendors that do corn-free Vitamin D, I believe - I can look them up if you're still having issues.


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## rohit_tripathi

Have anybody tried homeopathy for SIBO...i have same problem from last five years...last year i tried homeopathy treatment and it helps alot but this year problem is agian started...now again i am thinking to make faith on homeopathy..i don't know i have SIBO or not but symptoms are same..


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## doces

rohit_tripathi said:


> Have anybody tried homeopathy for SIBO...i have same problem from last five years...last year i tried homeopathy treatment and it helps alot but this year problem is agian started...now again i am thinking to make faith on homeopathy..i don't know i have SIBO or not but symptoms are same..


Have you been officially tested for SIBO? If you don't have insurance, you can buy an at-home kit & send it off for evaluation. I wouldn't pursue treatment until you have confirmed you have the condition.


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## Elisabeth35372

Hello everyone,

I pray and hope that everyone is doing better. I'd like to tell you what I've been doing and maybe it will help some of you. Also, thank you to everyone who responded to me. Let's keep this conversation going and, hopefully, we can all get better and through this. I'm going to write my personal e-mail in case we would like to correspond directly: [email protected]

So, what I have done is to go on the Fast Tract Digestion Diet for SIBO. This has helped a lot! My head pressure and dead brain is much better. When it kicks up again, I take a Gas-X or two and that helps. However, the other day I went off the diet and had a pint of Haagen Daz Vanilla Ice Cream. Bad choice! The head pressure, dead brain are back--along with a killer migraine. I get migraines quite a bit and they can be with or without head pressure, but I still think it's related to this whole situation. This morning I don't have the migraine so bad, but I still have a lot of the head pressure. And, the Gas-X is not helping this time, so quite concerned that I'm into a new phase. Also, I have found that the Fast Tract Digestion Diet is EXTREMELY low in carbs (which is why it helps--mainly the author limits Fermentable Potential Foods--there's info on-line (author Norman Robillard, the IBS book has the SIBO section). But, when I went so low carb, I started to have muscle atrophy, so I had to add more carbs back, and hence may be why I'm having troubles again.

I'm not sure if I mentioned that I believe I have Adrenal Fatigue as well. I honestly think that this is what started everything. So, this is my theory (simplified, of course): Adrenal Fatigue caused digestive problems (and a whole slew of other problems including such high adrenaline (norephinephrine/panic attacks) that I could hardly stand it). Menopause magnified all of these problems. The whole stroke-like thing intensified everything. The hospital stay with the misdiagnosis and wrong meds propelled me to a point of no return. At that point, my whole system shut down which stopped my stomach acid which lead to SIBO/Histamine intolerance, which lead to Vitamin deficiencies, which lead to Dysautonomia. So, what to do? I am back on the Fast Tract Digestion Diet, but I do need to have more carbs, hence I'll have more problems. I am trying to increase my Vitamin D, Vitamin C, etc., but I get reactions to all of these. Eventually I have to treat the SIBO, but I get a reaction to the "cure".

As I do these, however, I have to look at how this whole thing started which is the Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue is a complicated all-encompassing illness where the adrenal glands have been overtaxed continually and/or suddenly which causes an imbalance in the Sympathetic (adrenaline/norepinephrine, ephinephrine) and Parasympathetic System (serotonin, GABA) (when it gets really bad, it can cause Dysautonomia, too).. I am looking at how my stress level, pretty much all my life, has made my body shut down which has lead to all these current situations. I feel that the more I can calm my body, the better my digestion will work. When proper digestion stops, foods ferment, food allergies start that you never had before or did have that weren't much of a problem, gas starts--even if you can't feel it--nutritional deficiencies develop, etc. The brain/body craves balance and a state of calmness, which I really haven't had for years. If one doesn't give it that state of calmness,then all hell breaks loose and it's a domino effect--first one thing, then the next and on and on! Does anyone else feel that possibly Adrenal Fatigue might have started their problem? Maybe we can work together.

Thank you to all who have made so many suggestions about allergies, nutritional deficiencies, getting rid of the gas and more. I've been dealing with this issue for four years now and I've come to the conclusion that it didn't just start one day. I think there was a build-up over many years. Just like if you have a heart attack which seems to happen suddenly, it's usually been a long-time coming which has brought you to that point of crisis. In my case, at least, I have been examining my whole life (food, stress, emotions, fear, pain, childhood, health habits. rejoicing of my sensitive nature and realizing that it's a gift, not a weakness) to see how I have come to this point. I have suffered a great deal with this, as we all have. But, I pray that I and all of you will recover fully. Sometimes, it's not a quick cure, but hopefully it will be a better life in the future.

Lots of love and hugs for all of you. Truly, Elisabeth


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## Elisabeth35372

Oh, one more aspect that helps me tremendously, in addition to the Fast Tract Digestion Diet, is to eat every three to five hours and only half a meal at a time, with nothing in between. I also try to include all three food groups in each meal: Protein, Carbs, Fats, with an emphasis on vegetables. Also, for me only cooked foods--I just can't digest anything raw. This way my system is not overwhelmed with digesting so much at once and/or digesting one type of food, as all three food groups take different digestive enzymes to digest them. Chewing 30 times also helps as saliva mixes with food and starts the digestion process in the mouth. If I overeat in one meal, even if I'm good on the diet, I'll get the head pressure and dead head. I think it's been mentioned before in previous posts that this may have something to do with serotonin and/or the vagus nerve. I have discovered that SIBO people with high methane (me--I have both high hydrogen, but especially methane--through the roof!) have a drop in serotonin after eating a meal. Also, I never have a snack after dinner because the body needs all this time for the cleansing waves. If I do have a snack after dinner, I usually wake up in the morning with head troubles. Hope this helps.


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## thomasnotting

I was doing great for several days and then ate something at work that triggered it i.e. felt fatigued and bloated e.t.c.

I controlled it by fasting and drinking a vege smoothie mixed with fruit juice instead of dinner.

I think Hsy is right on the mark with the Mast Cell Activation Disorder theory.

I had a few Sodium Cromoglicate inhalers (they stopped selling them in the USA now) that are very safe and when I took them I could feel my breath come and I felt normal and good again.

After Hsy's comment on the mast cell degranulation, I looked it up - its a histamine release that happens. Found these youtube videos of people suffering from this.











Gastrocrom (Sodium Cromoglyn) is apparently a Mast Cell Stabilizer. It is used for people having gut issues, fainting feeling, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, e.t.c

It is not over the counter though so I have no idea how to get it prescribed without having to go through a ton of testing. Allergy specialist says she wants to test my tryptase levels and then histamine levels in the gut and that she can't just give me Gastrocrom. (It is super safe so I have no idea why it is regulated)

I looked up alternatives to Sodium Cromoglyn and found something called Pycnogenol. Will order this from Costco soon.

Also bought the NasalCrom inhaler - but even though the active ingredient is the same (sodium cromoglyn), apparently its not as strong.

I 'heard' that having over production of histamine (due to mast cell degranulation or whatever) can put someone at increased risk of cancer. So guys, look into this and see if you might have this.

At the moment, I am not on any medication and have been doing great aside from the episode triggered due to lunch at work. (recap: I think I may have had SIBO too, I feel Betain HCl could have fixed this, digestive enzymes from Enzymedica helped, I am vegetarian now, able to digest things so much better, have good bowel movements (sorry TMI)....please look at my previous posts or contact me here if you have any questions on how I've gotten better. I'd be very happy to help you out. I check this forum periodicallly)

In the meantime I will look into Pycnogenol and read about my histamine issues.


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## thomasnotting

Elisabeth35372 -

Yea you are right this thing works over several years. I think my stress levels at school and college played a part in destroying my digestive system. Stress = lack of acid and enzyme production (due to fight or flight response). This means that bad flora stay in the gut and multiply whereas good flora die.

For me the following things DEFINITELY helped when I was in a bad state:

Enzymedica Digest Basic enzymes before each meal (Enzymes for stomach)

Apple Cider Vinegar (helped if I had headaches or grogginess after eating sugary stuff)

Betain HCl with Pepsin (I think the acid in this could help fight SIBO) before each meal (Acid capsules for stomach)

Please let me know if you try any of these things. I would leave it to you think about whether you want to or not.

I find that trying new things on an empty stomach work better for me.


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## Elisabeth35372

Hi Thomas and All,

I have tried Enzymes, but they seem to kick up the SIBO and the Histamine Intolerance. I've been told not to take HCl, as I take ibuprofen (Motrin) which is contraindicated as both can cause stomach rawness and the combination may lead to ulcers. However, I accidentally took it about a year ago and it, too, kicked up the SIBO/Histamine Intolerance. However, I'm wondering if what I thought was an elevation of symptoms was actually die-off. I'll have to re-evaluate this. I have not tried apple cider vinegar yet, but may soon, as I have heard in many places that it does help. Another thing I'll be trying is Digestive Bitters.

Here's a question for everyone, though. Now that my head pressure is easing a bit, I'm noticing that I have a lot of chest pressure. I always had the chest pressure, but the head pressure was so dramatic that the chest pressure was minor in comparison. However, lately along with the the chest pressure, I have a lot of heartburn and burping with almost anything I eat. I was doing some research on this and am wondering whether I have a hiatal hernia (the stomach is pushing up into the esophagus). In my research, I have found other people who have a diagnosed hiatal hernia who have chest pressure AND head pressure, brain fog, panic attacks, etc.--the stuff that we're dealing with. When the pressure affects the vagus nerve (which has been mentioned here), the pressure continues beyond the chest to the head and other places. Apparently a hiatal hernia can be caused by many reasons, but often accompanies low stomach acid, the over-use of NSAIDs, IBS, GERD and infections (SIBO/Candida), probably more because of the irritation and gas pressure that these maladies cause. There are some natural alleviations on-line. I can give links if anyone thinks that this may be their issue. Also, stress and unexpressed anger can cause this as people "swallow" their feelings. I have to say that I have had a lot of unresolved feeings, including anger, in my life going back to childhood. And, being very ill for four years with an unexplained illness has caused an unbelievable amount of stress which is just adding to an illness such as this. Backing off of it is the hardest thing I've had to do. In the early years, I researched every single minute to find my illness and cure. Now, I listen to my body. I eat what helps; I don't eat what makes it worse. I don't eat very much at a time. I meditate, breath, stay calm and try not to panic. I still have the symptoms, but the more I can believe that I will eventually get through this and that when my brain calms down, my body will start working correctly again. Menopause is what propelled me through the roof, but I have always been a person with great sensitivity to the world and extreme emotions. I always thought it was a detriment because I react to everything and the ways in which I react have made me ill. But, I've started to realize that my extreme sensitivity is really a gift and that if I don't try to turn it off or squash it down and let it flow that I can start to really live a more fulfilled life that is "me" and my body will be in a good healing flow as well. So, I'll be researching the possibility that part of my issue may be a hiatal hernia and I'd be curious if others might feel that this is part of their issue as well. Thanks to you all and all my best for recovery. Truly, Elisabeth


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## Elisabeth35372

Also, Thomas. Thank you for the mast cell information. Yes, I think I have a problem with that, although I was tested for it and it came out negative. However, I have learned that many times this test does give a false negative and that you need to be tested several times. I definitely have an extreme histamine issue (which also came out negative, by the way), but it is very obvious, so I know in my heart that that is really positive. I'm very curious to hear what you eat on your vegetarian diet. I have considered that, but all of the protein foods (legumes, nuts, seeds) are very high in histamines and are also hard for the digestive system to digest. However, I have a big problem digesting meat, so maybe even if I had some problem with the vegetarian route, it might be better than the meat route all in all. I just ate a little chicken and my body is tingling big time creating histamine and gas; I can just feel it. Do you get any gas from the legumes? I have to have low-gas foods--no legumes, broccoli, cabbage, etc. Plus, I have migraines, so I have to stay away from tyramine foods. Dairy, gluten, raw food, nightshades also do me in, and on and on it goes. I would LOVE to have an eating plan that I can digest. I'm really down to about 3 or 4 foods and those are increasingly being troublesome. But, I have to say that I'm doing better than I was years ago so something is moving in the right direction. Thomas, would you be so kind as to list a typical day's food? Thanks so much!


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## Elisabeth35372

Messages to Doces and Rohit:

Doces--thanks so much for the allergy info, corn, grains, Vitamin D. I'm using the Vitamin D patch, but I actually don't think it's doing anything (I had a Vitamin D blood test before the patch and after 6-months of the patch and my Vitamin D level actually went down!). I've read that in people with SIBO, it's almost impossible to get the Vitamin D up until the SIBO is eradicated. I thought that the patch would work, but apparently not. I also have a pure liquid Vitamin D (no corn), but I get headaches from it, and again I'm not sure it will be able to get into my system with the SIBO. I tried lying out in the sun, but got migraines. Also, the heat made my head pressure much worse. I found that people that get headaches/migraines from taking Vitamin D are low in Magnesium, so was taking that, but it sent my blood pressure so low (70s/40s). So, my doctor gave me Magnesium/Potassium which is not supposed to affect blood pressure and I will be trying soon. Also, I'm using a patch for calcium, not so sure if it's working, but hopeful (has some magnesium as well). I ran out of the patch and I feel worse, so I do think it's doing something in the magnesium/calcium area, but not in the Vitamin D area. But, let's talk about your SIBO diagnosis. I'm so sorry that you have this, too. It's a real pain in the you-know-what! What kind of SIBO were you diagnosed with? My hydrogen is high, but it's my methane that is off the chart--literally--my doctor has hardly seen one so high. Lucky me! How about you? I'm so sorry about the osteoporosis diagnosis at such a young age. I feel that I have it, too, although I'm 59. But, I think I have it because of all this hoopla that my body has been through for the past four years. I felt very strong before all this went down, but now my bones ache and I feel that they're so weak and ready to just break. They just feel very porous. I'm so depleted in nutrition since I can't eat anything (lost 70 pounds). I've been tested for many nutritional deficiencies. So, anyway, I'm pretty much a mess--my brain hurts, my body hurts, but my spirit stays hopeful. Would you like to correspond personally? Hmmm . . . maybe you wouldn't after that whole story. But, perhaps we could help each other. It's fine either way. Here's my e-mail if you would like to: [email protected]

Rohit--What kind of homeopathy have you heard helps (Doces is right; be tested for sure for SIBO first--homeopathy can be very powerful). My doctor wants me to try to eradicate the SIBO with Allicin (natural garlic). I have tried, but it makes my symptoms worse, but she said that I will not get better until I can get the SIBO out of my system. My plan is to stay on the Fast Tract Digestion program and get it to a manageable level and then try the Allicin again. I fell off the wagon the other day and had a cupcake AND a lemon bar. I felt like my brain glucose was so low that I needed something. But, it's now feeding the SIBO and has gluten and I'm really paying for it. I'm full of painful gas in my chest, head pressure, headache, completely tingly, my body gets dysfunctional, can hardly eat anything today without a reaction (I think I'm also at my histamine limit--doc says that if I eradicate the SIBO, histamine should automatically go as well). Anyway, do you have information about a homeopathic way? Thanks!


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## rohit_tripathi

Dear Elizabeth,

I have not tested for SIBO..but all sysmtoms are same as you from last 4 years (Waxing & wanning)..

I don't know that it is curable or not but i will never loose my hope.

Currently I am doing yoga & pranayam daily for one hour and taking following homeopathy remedies.

a) Sulfur

b) Five phos

c) Nux vomika

d) China

I don't know which thing is helping me yoga or homeopathy. but some symtoms are reducing like bloating & stomach pressure.

I have done the endoscopy 3years back doctor told me i have mild haitus hernia.

Can you give me advice on eating habit. every time i confused what to eat in break fast which is healthy for SIBO.

Thanks


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## doces

Update: I tested positive for SIBO (hydrogen breath test). I started Rifaximin last week (2-week course, 3 times a day, 550mg standard dosing, not the super high dosage like on the SiboInfo site). I have experienced a 100% turnaround in my life. I started feeling better after just three days on it. Again, my history is that I was fine as a kid, had a kidney surgery around age ten, was on heavy antibiotics, and was screwed-up ever since then. Over the last five or ten years, I've identified food allergies & have been living a manageable diet, although it's not easy. On this medicine, I have been able to tolerate corn, gluten, and dairy without getting ANY brain fog (or other issues). I know I was healthy as a kid, but it was too long ago to remember, so I literally do not remember feeling this good in my entire life. So far:

1. I wake up feeling happy (usually groggy & out of it, lethargic, no energy)

2. I feel good all day

3. I get energy after I eat food (this has NEVER happened before - trigger foods cause fatigue & pain, and eating clean simply feels fine, not energetic)

4. I can stay up late with no side effects

5. I haven't had to do any exercise to keep my bowels moving (no IBS!)

6. I can eat whatever I want without becoming a drooling caveman, including eating out & eating processed/packaged foods

So basically...in the span of one week, I've become completely normal. The catch is that I've read that a lot of people relapse after going to town on food, and I definitely want to avoid that, but there's next to zero data on how to actually do that - one a day? Once a week? Just one slice of pizza, not half a box? The low FODMAPS diet is recommended as a companion, and my doctor said eventually I'll go on a strong probiotic (not related to treating SIBO, which requires a special medication typically used for IBS, or a special herbal treatment - just for keeping things in balance), but from there, it's mostly seeing what foods I can tolerate & for how long. Some people come back six times a year for the 2-week Rifaximin antibiotic course, some only have to do it once every year or two. Some people have to try other medicines if they don't respond to Rifaximin.

hsy, how has your Rifaximin experience been? It's been literally life-changing for me - completely eliminated Brain Gas Syndrome, which basically governs my entire life, and I'm not even done with the second week yet! But, relapse is apparently common, so I'm anxious to hear more about your experiences with it. Technically, Rifaximin is designed to treat traveler's diarrhea; I only get IBS if I eat foods on my "no" list, so I don't have any IBS as long as I'm very careful with my diet, which I am. So despite not having active IBS due to following a strict diet, it has still helped me tremendously. The interesting thing from talking to other SIBO sufferers is that there's no consistency with food triggers - some people can eat corn straight-up, whereas a soda with corn syrup in it wrecks my day, so I don't even know how the low FODMAPS diet would affect me - there are foods on the high FODMAPS list that I do great with, and foods on the low FODMAPS diet that ruin me completely. So I'm overjoyed to have some relief (okay, a miraculous life-changing amount of relief), but worried about the long-term management since it doesn't sound like it's going to last. My GI doctor didn't have much information other than "come back in for another 2-week course of Rifaximin when you start feeling crappy again". Gee, okay.


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## rohit_tripathi

Doces...

Can i try with low dose of Rifaximin 200 mg for one week..??

..may be it will help.


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## ruinedlife

@Doces, thanks for your updates. Your findings regarding SIBO fit with my current view on this issue.

I posted in this thread a few pages back. I've made some progress in identifying what aggravates my condition. As a reminder, my symptoms are a drunken / hungover feeling whenever I eat certain things. I feel pressure in my head, and sinuses in particular. I become forgetful and my behavior changes.

What I found out was that all things pre-biotic don't suit me, and result in colon pain and lower abdominal numbness, accompanied by a throbbing sinus headache, and brain fog (can't think clearly). This includes the following:

** Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)* which are added to most probiotic formulations! It is claimed that FOS only feeds the good bacteria and not the bad bacteria, but several studies show this is not true.

FOS occurs naturally in onion, chicory, garlic, asparagus, banana, artichoke. Garlic is frequently recommended as an anti-bacterial, but it just kills me. I now understand why. Inulin is also an FOS, and is a common additive to many supplements.

Bread also contains Fructans, which fall under the FOS category.

** FODMAPs.* Read about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FODMAP

It's been known for a while that a low FODMAP diet controls IBS.

** Fermented foods*

Fermented foods are always recommended by natural health advocates, because they contain tons of good bacteria. Yet I cannot tolerate them at all. If you think about it, it should be pretty easy to understand why these are bad for people with this condition: any food that can be fermented has to be full of prebiotic content in order for the fermentation to happen (prebiotics feed the fermentation bacteria and/or yeasts, and that's how they spread during the fermentation process).

Sidenote: fermented foods also produce tons of histamine, which can cause allergy-like reactions both locally (in the digestive tract) and systemically.

** Fructose* requires much more effort to digest than glucose. In that sense it's "resistant" and persists in the digestive tract. A *huge* amount of people have fructose malabsorption, which is well documented. Some studies speculate that 50% of the population has trouble absorbing it.

* *Soluble fiber*: things that have soluble fiber are frequently mentioned as being good for digestion, but they have always made me feel absolutely terrible.

______________________________________

*Conclusion*

See a trend in what I wrote above? Prebiotic foods aggravate this condition. It is known that prebiotics feed the intestinal flora, and are actually NOT selective so they do feed the "bad" germs, and they can also contribute to an overgrowth of the "good" germs too. Bacteria produces gas when fed, and the premise of this thread revolves around intestinal gas.

Let's also think about how digestion works. Stomach acid and digestive enzymes are the main players which digest food before it gets absorbed in the small intestine. What doesn't get absorbed is "resistant starches" or prebiotics, which ends up fermenting, and makes its way to the colon, where further fermentation takes place, meaning that the bacteria and yeasts feed on these unabsorbed leftovers, resulting large amounts of digestive gas! Additionally, bad bacteria definitely eats up anything that qualifies as resistant starches / soluble fiber / prebiotics.

One other thing I noticed: there's a direct, immediate connection between my gut and my head. When I experience digestive pain and malaise, I always get a simultaneous sinus headache at the same time. This and the brain fog suggest to me that bad bacteria occurs due to the fermentation. It could also be due to the histamine produced by fermentation.

So the theory is "SIBO" plus *colon bacterial overgrowth* which doesn't seem to be a label that anyone uses.

*Solutions*

** Diet*: in this thread, the user Elisabeth35372 mentioned the Fast Tract diet. I looked it up and found that it matches with the observations that I just wrote, at least conceptually, and the goal is to eliminate fermentation. I found out from looking up this diet that Jasmine rice doesn't ferment much if at all, and gets absorbed very quickly. I've stripped down my diet and I'm in the process of trying only foods that don't get fermented. The first step was to use jasmine rice as the main "starch" in my diet. I'm still trying to figure out the rest, as the "Fast Tract" diet doesn't make sense to me in other areas (for example, ripe bananas are supposed to have low fermentation potential, but that doesn't seem to be the case for me).

So I'm still working on this area.

* *Probiotics that don't have FOS*. I've been taking Enzymedica Pro-Bio, which I really struggled to find in this country, and I don't think probiotics can be delivered via online stores without ruining the product. They are *enteric coated* so they make it down the GI tract, which is exactly what is needed. Probiotics that have FOS make me feel extremely sick, and these ones don't, so that fits in with my line of thinking. I'd say any brand should be fine, as long as there's enteric coating and no FOS.

* *Digestive enzymes*: I recently started taking digestive enzymes whenever I eat something that has prebiotics, as I haven't succeeded in totally eliminating prebiotic foods.

Hope this helps.


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## thomasnotting

Hi Guys, Elisabeth sorry I didn't get a chance to reply. I didn't actually eat anything special.

I was doing fine for a while.

But a few days after my last post I had something at work and I got messed up. Then it happened again. So there are definitely trigger foods. I believe these are high histamine foods.

So I decided to chase the mast cell activation disorder stuff that Hsy learnt at Cleveland clinic.

Dr. Theoharis Theoharides has done a lot of work on it.

Also see thelowhistaminechef.com Please check them both out

The low histamine chef is a lady who has also been through severe issues like us and she avoids a bunch of foods basically and eats a very special diet

Relief from mast cell activation disorder as I said was from Sodium Cromolyn - but this is not Over the Counter so I searched for an alternative and came across:

Quercetin

Anyway I went to look for it and came across something called

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Allergy ReLeaf (quercetin, bromelain, turmeric ,e.t.c) Just 4 or 5 ingredients. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>THIS THING WORKED LIKE MAGIC. - WORKED IN 20 -30 MINUTES.

Wanted to tell you all earlier but got super busy.

Any time I got the grogginess, brain fog attack, runny nose after eating food, I took it.

The packet even says "stabilizes mast cells"....I actually bought another quercetin allergy formula as well and returned it because it didn't work. I think this one may have been bioavailable (easier to absorb by the body)

I made myself strawberry milk shakes with nuts and seeds in the morning and it messed me up - till I realized Strawberries are a very high histamine food. I took the above tablet and was back to normal and could work at work! within 20 to 30 minutes.

I mean I would still avoid crappy food or high histamine food and not depend on the Allergy ReLeaf but its a great life saver to have.

Please check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Allergy-ReLeaf-System-Allertonic-Quercetin/dp/B001UYD426

Caution: This thing contains 500mg of Quercetin per serving.Quercetin has a lot of benefits.

However - The university of maryland noted that greater than 1 gram of Quercetin can cause kidney damage - so take care.

Many of you may have a ton of other issues like SIBO and leaky gut too which will need to be fixed independently but if you guys buy Allergy ReLeaf, I would love to hear the results.


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## Elisabeth35372

Dear Thomas,

Thank you so much! I've not been doing well lately. I had a thunderclap headache and for awhile thought I had a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak. Maybe I do; I'm not sure (no blood leak, though--I had a CAT scan). Anyway, this huge headache released--guess what?--loads of histamine in my head on top of the histamine that's always there anyway. I researched and found that the brain is surrounded by the dura which is surrounded by the menenges (sp?) which is a mast cell histamine site and when there's an injury, some people can release histamine. I've been extremely loaded with it for about 6 weeks now. This is addition to my SIBO, which I still can't seem to eradicate. However, I take inspiration from others, thank you, also, doces, who has been treating her SIBO. My doc says that if I can finally get rid of the SIBO, the histamine should go with it. However, when I try to take the Allimax that she has prescribed (extremely potent garlic), I get such a huge die-off that I feel like I'm going to have a stroke. Well, I just ordered the Releaf and will try to take that so that things can be toned down and then try the Allimax again. I think I have so much damage by now in my brain and my body from this whole ordeal. I honestly can barely function. I do stay positive that one day this can be under control. This website has been a Godsend. Much love and prayers to everyone going through this. Sometimes it's an unbearable situation. Blessings.


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## Elisabeth35372

Oh, one more thing I'd like to mention is that my doctor is pretty sure that I have Dysautonomia/POTS. Dysautonomia means that the Central Nervous System is out of balance with the excitatory neurotransmitters (epinephrine, norepinephrine, etc.) being too high and the calming neurotransmitters (serotonin, GABA, etc.) being too low. It leads to a chronic fight or fight situation with many health repercussions, including digestion. In POTS, there is too low amount of blood in the body (hypovolumia) and low blood pressure. There is not enough blood for the entire body to be continually filled. In addition, with the low blood pressure, the body cannot pump blood up to the head and there are many symptoms that can arise from this. In previous posts, people have said that their brain goes dead when they eat. When a person has Dysautonomia/POTS, the body has to decide where to send the blood. When there is food in the stomach, the body sends the blood there for digestion taking it out of where it currently is and if you have low blood volume, many times it comes out the head, causing it to feel dead--in my case, it's not just brain fog; my head feels like it can't think at all. When this whole thing first happened to me, I had just eaten a large meal. It literally felt like the blood fell out of my head and I do think that is what happened. Interestingly to note is that people with Dysautonomia usually have SIBO, too, so there is a huge relationship. I feel like all of my issues are related: SIBO/Histamine Intolerance, Dysautonomia/POTS, Adrenal Fatigue, Peripheral Neuropathy and Menopause. I also have been diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse, Stage 1, which also adds to a disturbance of the digestion and Central Nervous System (CNS). I'm wondering how many other people on this site have some of these illnesses. I also have a continual body vibration now, which I have read is a disturbance of the CNS. There are quite a few reasons for these problems, some of which are hormonal imbalances (most notably the HPA-Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal Axis). This is a complicated issue and in my brain-addled state, I hope that I'm making some sense. I just want people to ask themselves if they could possibly have any of these other issues because I do believe that all of mine are related and that they all need to be treated. I'm still hopeful that finally eradicating the SIBO will have miraculous effects in the other areas. I believe that this has gone on so long with me (4 1/2 years) that it has gotten very complicated and deeply entrenched, so I'm hoping that others realize what is happening with them much sooner than I have. The longer it goes one, the more dysfunction occurs. In addition to treating al of this, I am also beginning an Ayurvedic Lifestyle to bring my body back into balance. I am going to try Earthing, too. There is a wonderful woman who I am following named Anna Holden. I also follow the Low Histamine Chef and she is great, too. The thing I like about Anna Holden is that she treats highly sensitive people (she also has SIBO). We are the ones who seem to have these issues. We are so sensitive to the world, to stress, to food, to chemicals, to our own feelings, to others feelings, etc. and we feel disharmony on a cellular level leading to physical and mental anguish. Here is her website if anyone would like to read about her methods. Much of it is realizing that you are such a sensitive person and feel deeper pain, sadness, etc. than the "normal" person, but we also feel deeper joy and can connect with the earth in a much more profound way. Our negative experiences are more upsetting, but our positive experiences are more uplifting. The key is to embrace it all and instead of looking at our sensitivity as a horrible burden, we can choose to look at it as an incredible gift. Some of it is going back to a more simple way of life--people are really not made for this modern world and sensitive people get out of synch very easily with what's happening around us, all the noise, all the rush, all the violence, all the processed foods, all the competition, lack of nature, lack of true enjoyment and harmony. And we feel it in our bodies and our brains. Our genetics are for a more calm, natural life. Pushing ourselves with this go-go world has done much harm to us. Here is her website: www.annaholden.com. Well, maybe I've gotten a little carried away in this discussion, but I feel that these issues are definitely true for me and have added greatly to my health problems. I just wanted to put this out there to see if anyone else can relate. Truly, Elisabeth


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## thomasnotting

Hi Elisabeth,

Yea please let me know if Allergy ReLeaf helps you.

Firstly, get yourself at peace - just relax. Don't become overwhelmed or drive yourself insane - its very easy to lol!!

However at the same time, know what the major issues are - if any of them are life threatening, immediately see a doctor or the next doctor if your present one isn't helpful.

Secondly, realize that yes it is all connected - this is what is known as functional medicine or integrative medicine. Dr. Mark Hyman is a functional medicine doctor but he is super expensive. If you can, then go see an integrative or functional medicine doctor near you. They might be better able to make sense of your symptoms than you or I do. I have sent my mom to one recently for other reasons.

I believe I had SIBO too and I cured myself by trying Apple Cider Vinegar, AVOIDING sugar or sweets at all costs, avoid lentils also. Use Digestive Enzymes, Use Betain HCL with Pepsin. You also need to populate your gut with good flora (Mark Hyman tells what the right flora is)...But wait, just read Mark Hyman's blogs on IBS and maybe just watch this video too ()(http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/09/16/5-simple-steps-to-cure-ibs-without-drugs/). This was his first video I watched when I was curing my IBS, Leaky Gut syndrome stuff. Google for his blogs and house calls, he has a youtube channel too.

Yes, a bad gut severely messes up the brain. Dr. Theoharis Theoharides makes this medication called Neuroprotek for people who have Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD) (i.e. Histamine release) and brain damage due to oxidation. It is kinda expensive. But do check it out and read up on whether you need it or not. I didn't buy it because I have gotten my condition almost completely under control. I avoid meat, chicken, fish as I don't digest them well and then the mast cells go crazy. I drink zero sodium sparkling water - it helps to ease the stomach and helps with bowel movement if in the middle of the day I feel unwell due to MCAD. And if that doesn't work then I take out the Allergy ReLeaf pill. Oh and I eat lots of green and colorful veges and fruits. Fiber is so so necessary - natural suits me better. I found that flax seed powder instantly gave me an MCAD attack.

I also find eating early, regular exercise, fiber veges, and sleeping on time keeps things in control for me. If I sleep an hour later or wake up early - I get messed up. I think this is to with how long the food takes to travel down the digestive track. For me I think if its in a certain part of the digestive track, I get an MCAD attack, just an observation. I try to make a ton of observations.

You will have to work with a functional or integrative medicine doctor to slowly get things into order one by one - starting with your digestive system.

Let me know how things go! I know it will work out


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## thomasnotting

Sorry here is the link to Hyman's IBS video, you should watch it.


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## Elisabeth35372

Thank you, Thomas. That was a great video! I received the ReLeaf last night and will test soon. Anytime I test anything, I need to make sure my husband is around because I've had reactions to some things--ending up in the ER a few times. But, I will let you know and I appreciate so much your information.

My situation became much worse after I had that thunderclap headache. My theory now is that massive headache stimulated the mast cell center in the menenges of my head, thereby releasing a huge amount of histamine (in addition to all the histamine that was already in there). It's becoming more and more apparent that the SIBO and Histamine Intolerance is what is causing my problems, but that the other issues I mentioned before add to it. I am in the middle of a massive re-do of my life and my stress level and how I handle situations. I am slowly becoming more Ayurvedic--I can't do much at a time, as my Central Nervous System is almost completely destroyed, and any big more makes me even worse. I'm pretty much housebound now. I have always been an over-thinker, anxious, worrier type of person--but my brain function has always been fabulous--my best feature. To lose this part of me is devastating. I am a writer and was in the middle of a book series when this all went down and to not be able to think and to be so disabled in so many ways has rocked me to my core. Thank you for saying that it will work out. That gives me a lot of hope.

I'll let you know how the ReLeaf goes. If it helps, I can go onto trying the Allimax. I am working with an Integrative, MD. She is the one who confirmed SIBO after being ill for many years. She thinks that once the SIBO is cured, the histamine issue will also diminish and, hopefully, go away completely. I love this doctor. After seeing over a dozen of the best neurologists, internists, etc., she has been a Godsend. Even though I do have some stomach upset, most of my symptoms are neurological and cognitive (the head pressure is massive). But, a lot of the neurological and cognitive issues get better after I can calm down my stomach and diminish the gas and histamine. The more stress I feel, the more I seem to be making histamine--I can feel it happen. So, I do actually believe that it is a gut issue after all (and this took me years to realize this), and possibly a mast-cell situation, but I'm hoping that curing the SIBO will calm this down, too. After that, we can start rebuilding my health, because this has really taken a toll on me. I've developed Dysautonomia (or maybe Dysautonomia is what cased the SIBO?), Adrenal Fatigue, MIgraines, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Vitamin Deficiencies, Peripheral Neuropathy, Panic Disorder, you name it--I'm probably forgetting a few. I can only eat about 3 foods, all of which I have reactions to now. I've tried enzymes and HCl, but unfortunately, I have a reaction to those, too. I've also tried vitamin supplements to make myself healthier, but, again, a big reaction. I think it's the leaky gut. By the way, I also now have a reaction to salt; it seems to increase the histamine. I researched this and found that if a person eats too much salt (and I don't eat much--I just really do it because my blood pressure is so low)--so if it's too much for the current potassium/water ration that's in the body, guess what is released? Histamine! So, after the SIBO is taken care of, I'll need to address this issue, too. Everything seems to be related to everything else, the way a body "goes down", but I'm praying that once the "cures" take effect, those will little-by-little affect everything else and help the body to build up.

Take care, and I'm so glad you're feeling better. I so much appreciate your and everyone else's help on this site. Truly, Elisabeth


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## Elisabeth35372

I am curious to know if any of the people on this website have a Vitamin D deficiency. I do (13 ng) and have had a hard time getting it higher. I have read that people with SIBO often do have a Vitamin D deficiency due to gut dysbiosis and nutrient-absorbing problems. However, I have just read tonight that Vitamin D deficiency may be the CAUSE of gut flora problems. Vitamin D keeps things in balance and keeps fungus, etc. out and bacteria where it is supposed to be. I'm just wondering if Vitamin D is the whole answer to the starting point to balance everything out. I cannot go out in the sun because heat causes my histamine issue to go wild. Also, I have tried to take Vitamin D supplements and get a massive headache. In my research into that, I have found out that if you get a headache when you take Vitamin D, then you have a magnesium deficiency. I have tried taking magnesium and it sends my blood pressure plummeting. It also makes my joints ache. Then, I found out that if you have problems with magnesium, it could be because of another imbalance (potassium?-I can't remember now). Anyway, I decided to put the raising of my Vitamin D on hold until the SIBO is eradicated, but maybe I should give it another round. If I need a higher Vitamin D level to even start to balance my gut, I will try harder. Perhaps the ReLeaf will help lower the histamine so that I can go outside and get some normal Vitamin D. Anyway, just wondering about the Vitamin D level of all of you??? Maybe we're all low and that's the key!


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## jaumeb

Elisabeth, what are you eating? How does your diet look like?


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## Elisabeth35372

Dear jaumeb,

Unfortunately, I am hardly eating anything! It seems like everything gives me a problem. When I first started the low-histamine diet, I was able to eat quite a bit. It was very limited but doable. Then, one by one, I started reacting to everything. The main foods now that I eat are oatmeal, chicken, zucchini and butter. And I do get reactions to those, too. I find that I need to keep my weight at a minimal level and not eat too much at a time--small amounts every 3-4 hours and no eating after dinner to let the body digest and clear everything overnight. Occasionally, I try other vegetables with varying results--sometimes I don't get much of a reaction; sometimes I do. I try not to eat anything new within 4 days of eating it before. Turkey is sometimes ok, too. Every now and then, I can eat corn chips and an occasionally potato. I have recently noticed that I am now reacting to salt, too, and have researched and found that if a person eats more salt than the body can handle with its current hydration/potassium balance, the salt releases histamine, which makes a person thirsty in its attempt to rebalance. I drink so much that I do think my electrolytes are depleted. It's not just food, though, that causes me histamine issues. It seems like everything! Outside pollen, indoor pets, dust and fragrance, if I get too hot (anything over 75 degrees starts it up--showers are especially bad), stress, thinking too much, too little sleep, pain--I have a lot of headaches, but even if I bump my knee I can feel an increase, too much light, too much noise, distressing news on TV, Mother Nature distress--the list goes on. Also, while trying to find out what was wrong with me, I discovered that I have Mitral Valve Prolapse, Stage 1. This was a shock. People with this are SUPER-SENSITIVE to everything--foods, chemicals, emotions, prone to anxiety and panic attacks--and this is a biological state. Many people with this have a magnesium deficiency, so I'm trying to balance this as well. It's very complicated. Add, Adrenal Fatigue and Menopause--and you have a case for a melt-down. Plus, at the time I crashed, I was writing a book with thousands of pages--take about stressing myself to the max. Right now, I'm experimenting with an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. The more you can calm your system down, the more foods you can eat without a reaction.

Regarding the SIBO, it's a different reaction--mainly to carbs and sugars--which I rarely eat, but my body is so sensitive that it certainly knows when I do. I'm on a combination of the Low-Histamine/Fast Tract Diet, but I found that the carbs are so low in the Fast Tract Diet that my muscles were starting to atrophy, so I had to add some back in. With the SIBO reaction, I get so much unbelievable gas--my entire body and head gets filled that everything shuts down and it starts to panic. Gas-X actually helps a lot to get some of this out. I am also going to try the charcoal tablets that another kind poster suggested.

So, it depends on what your particular problem is as to what you think you can eat. My doctor thinks that for some, but not all, that SIBO and Histamine Intolerance go hand in hand. If we take care of the SIBO, the histamine should decrease. Have you tested for SIBO? If you do, make sure you test for both hydrogen and methane. I'm "lucky" in that I tested positive for both--especially methane--it is off the chart.

As Thomas mentioned, the low histamine chef is a good website. She has gone through so much with the histamine issue, if you think you have this, and she has mentioned that she has/had SIBO, too. She actually went to see Dr. Fuhrman, who is the doctor on the movie--I think it's called--Sick, Fat and Almost Dead--something like that. It's about people with histamine problems. I actually don't have the rash of histamine intolerance, but this is a good movie to watch. Anyway, she and Dr. Fuhrman worked out a diet especially for her which is helping tremendously. Here is her website: lowhistaminechef.com. She's a vegetarian as are some others on the ibs website. I found that I couldn't do it because I'm so low in protein and many vegetarian foods are high histamine, but maybe once the SIBO is taken care of, I'll be able to do this more. I'll be trying the ReLeaf as Thomas mentioned this weekend and, hopefully, my histamine load will decrease. I'm crossing my fingers.

Question for Thomas: Amazon sent me the Allergy ReLeaf System--it contains 2 bottles: 1 with AllerReLeaf Tablets and 1 with Allertonic Softgels. It says to take both. Did you take both?

Anyway, it's been a continual challenge and everyone is different. It helps to keep a food diary at first and also to look at non-food histamine stressors. If you can keep down the non-food, you'll be able to eat more types of food without going over your histamine level. And, as I mentioned, please consider getting a SIBO test because you want to know exactly what you're dealing with. There's no point on going on a SIBO diet if you don't need to because that very much limits your food choices. However, you can try it out for awhile and see if you feel better just to get an idea. But it's obvious in my case that staying on a Low- Histamine/SIBO diet is not the long-term answer. I have developed many nutritional deficiencies. However, I think we all do this to some degree because we feel that we have no choice, which is why this website is so important as we can all help each other. All my best!


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## Elisabeth35372

One more thing: this is just me. You may not be the same. You may have just one issue, say with gluten or dairy or corn or one of a number of issues. I seem to have a problem with everything--but it might be just one thing for you and you won't have to be so stringent. Try one thing at a time and see how you react. Sometimes reactions can take many days to show up. I don't want to give people the impression that they have to delete everything! I went one-by-one over the course of a few years, starting with gluten (yes, reaction), then dairy (yes, reaction), etc., but many people won't have this issue, so try things for yourself. Also, include looking at any medications that you may be taking (but, don't stop without doctor approval!), just wonder about it. In my case, I've had headaches almost all my life and I have taken Motrin on a regular basis. Well, during this I have found out that Motrin (ibuprofen) can CAUSE SIBO/Histamine Intolerance/Leaky Gut and make it worse. Unfortunately, I still need to take it as my headaches are astronomical sometimes, but eventually I hope to delete this from my system. Same with coffee--sometimes I do drink this as it seems to help with the blood vessels in my head. But, sometimes it makes it worse. And, don't forget about stress. Stress is a catalyst for much dysfunction. I feel that I've had a very stressful life--sometimes I've wanted it because it gave me energy and kept me going--but eventually, everything just seemed to break down. So, look at yourself and take it slow.


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## Elisabeth35372

Oh my gosh, I'm sorry for posting so much! I need to think of everything before I sit down to write. But, I think it's important to note that many times low-stomach acid is the beginning culprit. So look at this, too. There are helps for this. It's especially important in the digestion of protein. Unfortunately, I can't take HCl because of my history with Motrin, but I have ordered Digestive Bitters which I'm going to try. Also Apple Cider Vinegar has helped some people, as well as lemon juice. However, these are high in histamine! It goes full circle. But, as mentioned in previous posts, if you can take HCl--read precautions--and/or Enzymes, they may be a great help to you and then you will be able to digest better and be able to eat more than I have been able to. Take care!


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## jaumeb

Elisabeth, I did many of the things you mention. I did an elimination diet in which I started with a single food and then added other foods one by one. I tested low for deaminoxidase (sp?) the histamine enzime, I checked the low histamine chef website ... Looking back I did many mistakes. I have not recovered yet and I don't know the solution. But I can tell you that being in a desperate position makes it easier to make mistakes.

I am now exploring the Paul Jaminet's concept of "safe starch" and I introduced potato, African yam (not sweet) and white rice over the last month. I suspect this can be a step on the right direction. Too early to say.

My point is that overly restricting diets are not without dangers, and now I suspect that my six years on the SCD (a diet without starches) didn't help me.

Sorry if I am not explaining myself. I can't use a computer and typing on a phone doesn't help. We'll stay in touch.


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## LRHG

I'm glad to find this post but not happy to see others suffering with this.

I have brain symptoms due to gas including: fatigue, spacey feeling, shortness of breath, nervous/anxious feeling.

I do have SIBO and have a lot of burping. The SIBO was diagnosed by culture of a duodenal aspirate. One of them was prevotella which apparently is a profound gas producer

I have tried many antibiotics to treat the SIBO to no avail -rifaxamin, amoxicillin, neomycin. Herbal remedies were also tried to no avail

What did help was : bactrim (temporarily), T3 (thyroid hormone) , low dose erythomycin (for motility). I do have slightly slow motillity but not enough to cause the volume of burping that occurs everyday.

Things I'm looking at trying at now are: element diet. boulardii, reuteri and rhamanosus probiotics (these were shown to reduce prevotella in a study of bacterial vagninosis). I also think it's worth looking to see if some of us have anatomical issues causing this gas buildup

I hope we can keep this thread open and investigate some more treatments.


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## Nanobug

I am coming (very) late to the party here but would like to share my experience.

Fatigue has always been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. When I was in school (decades ago!) physical effort resulted in being "brain dead" for a few hours afterwards. I've also had diarrhea as far back as I can remember but it got much worse in my late teens. Cognitive dysfunction was through the roof, but I still managed to finish college with some effort. I was eventually diagnosed with both IBS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in my early 30's.

Fast forward a decade and I'm passing out some two hours after eating, and reliably so. Visited quite a few doctors, did a bunch of tests and, with the exception of one, they were all OK. The only test that showed a potential screw up was Genova's (Metametrix at the time) GI Effects. It showed I had a huge overgrowth of Morganella Morgani in my digestive system. This bacteria is usually present in small amounts and as such causes no problems. After a course of Cipro, the watery diarrhea was gone together with said bacteria. But all the typical CFS symptoms were still present. No more passing out, just terrible brain fog some time after meals.

A month or so ago, for whatever reason, I saw myself reading about intracranial hypertension. I had some of the symptoms but not all of them. But I was curious so I started digging deeper. I quickly found a study associating CFS with intracranial hypertension (Lumbar puncture, chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a cross-sectional study). Great, I finally had a potential explanation for my cognitive dysfunction! But what about passing out or that terrible brain fog sometime after eating?

I started researching a simple treatment for intracranial hypertension. Lumbar puncture was out of the question, thank you very much! It didn't take long to find acetazolamide as a potential treatment, as this drug inhibits the production of cerebro-spinal fluid. It is also a non-potassium preserving diuretic (bad!) and may cause metabolic acidosis (bad!) So what do I do? I order the drug!

While waiting for the drug to arrive, I continued reading about intracranial hypertension. For fun, I also decided to google "abdominal pressure intracranial pressure". My jaw dropped when I saw a bunch of results, one of them being "A proposed relationship between increased intra-abdominal, intrathoracic, and intracranial pressure". I was now waiting for the drug to arrive with a great deal of anticipation.

I took my first dosage of acetazolamide and 30 minutes later I started to feel "funny". It was as if a had a ton of bugs crawling all over me. Although unpleasant, I wasn't alarmed as by now I was quite familiar with the potential side effects. After four or five days on the drug, I realized that I was no longer experiencing that terrible postprandial brain fog. Maybe just a little but nothing compared to what I experienced before.

I've been on acetazolamide for a couple of weeks now and the good effect persists. I'm taking the lowest dosage available so I have enough for a couple more months. Before then, though, I plan to go to a neurologist with my findings to make my insurance company pay for the drug!

PS. If you decide to go this route, please talk to your doctor first. Acetazolamide is potentially dangerous and may kill you. You've been warned!


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## LRHG

That's extremely interesting Nanobug. But do you thnk the solution in the long run is to relieve the abdominal pressure - and - do you have intrabdominal pressure ?



Nanobug said:


> PS. If you decide to go this route, please talk to your doctor first. Acetazolamide is potentially dangerous and may kill you. You've been warned!


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## Nanobug

LRHG said:


> That's extremely interesting Nanobug. But do you thnk the solution in the long run is to relieve the abdominal pressure - and - do you have intrabdominal pressure ?


I most definitely have increased intra-abdominal pressure. There are situations when my abdomen is so distended that it gets hard as a rock. When my life partner was pregnant, she never had such a pronounced belly. Is it excessive amounts of gas? Is it edema? I don't know for sure but I lean towards edema given that I don't pass all that much gas. It also appears to be related to my gastritis: the worse it is, the biggest the distension. And a few hours after I eat and food gets out of my stomach, things improve dramatically. If it is edema, it is possible that the diuretic action of acetazolamide is helping as well. It is on my TODO list to try just a simple diuretic and see what happens.

Just yesterday, I found out that I have a mild case of hypervitaminosis A. I don't supplement with any kind of pre-formed vitamin A so I am at a loss to explain the result. The funny thing is that hypervitaminosis A is strongly associated with intracranial hypertension (Serum vitamin A concentration is elevated in idiopathic intracranial hypertension).


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## ruinedlife

Nanobug, you are definitely on to something!

• The brain fog always coincides with a feeling of abdominal pressure which is NOT just gas. Even physical movements which trigger my abdominal muscles seem to cause "internal" symptoms (digestive) for me! Doctors tell me it's impossible, but, pardon the details, if I do a wrong move while exercising (I feel a lower abdominal sprain), I can wind up constipated for days, with a nervous/twitchy feeling when I try to go.

• My problems worsened 10x since I took Accutane, which is isotretinoin, a synthetic form of Vitamin A. In fact, Accutane's regular dosing is an overdose of Vitamin A.

• I developed intracranial hypertension after Accutane, which was managed with diuretics and steroids.

The only thing that doesn't fit is that I feel I already had the condition prior to taking Accutane, and it was terrible. I was allergic to various things. I remember when I went to school, I felt like my sinuses were irritated and swollen and it was affecting my brain somehow. I would struggle to find words after eating certain (most!) foods and I was too young to realize that I needed to do an elimination diet.

It's now been 10 years post-Accutane. Ever since I took Accutane, the problem flared up.

So we know that Vitamin A amplifies this phenomenon. But what is the phenomenon? That's unfortunately a mystery still. I'd say maybe 90% of foods cause symptoms for me now after Accutane. It was probably around 50-60% of foods prior to Accutane. What could this be?


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## sun_arvind

Dear Sir

I was undergoing mind fogginess, eye irritation etc.....

All the symptoms refers to Gas in your stomach. It pressurizes one of the nerve leading to brain.

Best medicine with no side effects is "TRIPHALA " , its ayurvedic tablets which has no side effects. Dont waste your time in scan, allopathic drugs etc. This is available in India for just 3usd. I had same trouble, after taking this i am relaxed and no issues at all.

"TRIPHALA" Is made out of 3 herbal fruits. Daily take 2 tablet in the morning and 2 in the night. This relives entire gas from your stomach and regularise bowel moment. Sure this TRIPHALA will help you come out of brain foggy, Nothing wriong in trying where there is no side effects.

BEST OF LUCK

in search engine type " TRIPHALA" benefits.


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## sun_arvind

Dear Sir

Dont worry. You will be releived of your pain soon. GOD IS THERE. You have tried so many scans , medicines etc.

Nothing seems to work. Ayurveda is practised in INDIA for the past 10,000 years. It has no side effects, Immediate relief you get.

I was undergoing mind fogginess, eye irritation etc.....

All the symptoms refers to Gas in your stomach. It pressurizes one of the nerve leading to brain.

Best medicine with no side effects is "TRIPHALA " , its ayurvedic tablets which has no side effects. Dont waste your time in scan, allopathic drugs etc. This is available in India for just 3usd. I had same trouble, after taking this i am relaxed and no issues at all.

"TRIPHALA" Is made out of 3 herbal fruits. Daily take 2 tablet in the morning and 2 in the night. This relives entire gas from your stomach and regularise bowel moment. Sure this TRIPHALA will help you come out of brain foggy, Nothing wriong in trying where there is no side effects.

BEST OF LUCK

in search engine type " TRIPHALA" benefits.


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