[R-S]

I just got the chance to watch the video, I am a little confused now- the handout says 1/4 tsp in 8oz (Around 230ml)- the video says 1/4 in around 125ml? Just to make sure I am doing right, could you let me know which one to follow? I have been doing in 230ml for two days. Happy to start over if needed.

Thank you!

[R-S]

I am doing the lactulose test at a local lab, unsure of what brand they use exactly, according to siboinfo.com the lactulose is the most accurate of all and that is the available one thankfully.

It seems the most similar instructions are the same, no spices, fruits or vegetables and not to take any herbs or supplements at least 24 hours prior, so I am assuming the safest thing is to avoid everything but plain chicken/beef for 24 hours prior and then the 12 hour fast and hopefully all goes well!

Thank you so much!

[R-S]

Thank you so much!

My question is if there is an alternative option I can follow other than having to go on the elemental diet?

[R-S]

Hi Bernadette.

Today I’m experiencing a flare up, I am not sure why, abdominal discomfort, tingling, and cramping, burning sensation, constipation, sensitivity to even water, the pain is intense, naturally this state sends me into more anxiety and panic, nothing in my routine or diet has changed, been sticking to the VPFC, so I’m confused about what could be the trigger this but will observe.

Could you please advise the safest, gentlest approach for food, hydration, and digestion during these flare-ups? I am sticking to Slippery Elm twice a day now, confused why I am constipated today too (I had coconut milk yesterday and some gluten free rice puff cereal- could be the cause) but the pain is too much today and I also don’t want to end up not eating, so I had just some chicken, cooked carrots, some quinoa, cucumber, keeping it very gentle, unable to tolerate much.

I have also noticed that my stool has been somewhat greenish lately as well, sorry for the TMI, just trying to give a full current picture, when the flare up comes it just sends me into full confusion on what to eat and how to ease it.

I am going to include a summary of what I ate the last three days just in case:

4/9:

[R-S]

Got it. Could the baking soda challenge sometimes amplify digestive symptoms in sensitive people? I’ve noticed elevated discomfort since starting it- is that possible?

[R-S]

Firstly, thank you for always laying things out in such a way that allows a person to feel less overwhelmed.

The truth is I just want answers and relief, and I feel after extensive research over the past few months, including the excellent information and programs from B Better, in my humble opinion, things that relate to me and what I feel is happening with me are functional in nature. Again, these are just my assumptions. I believe the root cause is my prolonged use of medications combined with withdrawal stress, which amplifies all symptoms and drives the imbalance.

The chronic stress of withdrawal and the possible food poisoning triggered this cascade. I could be wrong with the following but here it goes:

• Low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) → delayed digestion, belching, nausea, discomfort after meals

• IBS-like gut sensitivity → bloating, abdominal discomfort, hypersensitivity to food

• Gut dysbiosis / SIBO → bacterial balance contributing to gas, burping, and digestive discomfort

• Histamine / mast cell activation → dizziness, itching, heightened sensory sensitivity (especially smells), food reactions

• Digestive enzyme insufficiency → impaired protein/fat breakdown, post-meal discomfort

• Delayed gastric emptying / motility issues → immediate burping and fullness with and without meals

• Autonomic / neurological involvement → lightheadedness, heightened stress response, low BP

• Stress-related fluctuations → symptom intensity worsening the gut-brain dysfunction

Based on labs and imaging there is no evidence of urgent structural or systemic disease. That said, I am considering an endoscopy and colonoscopy purely for peace of mind, to confirm nothing serious is being missed and to remove lingering uncertainty. This would allow me to focus fully on the functional approach.

My baking soda results:

• Sept 17: belch at 3 min

• Sept 18: small belch at 3 min, big one at 4 min

• Sept 19: with 200 ml water → belched within seconds, then again a few seconds later, then nothing (I will continue another two days)

Given that I’ve been following this dietary plan for a couple of months now (increasingly strict over time), I feel ready to start targeting the root cause of things. I would greatly appreciate your guidance on:

• A treatment plan addressing these issues, which should be prioritized first? For example, should I begin with supporting low stomach acid (HCL) or wait until other aspects are addressed?

• Interventions for symptom relief, I have Iberogast on the way but it may take weeks to arrive. In the meantime, I’m considering Dr Mercola digestive bitters, would this be appropriate?

Alongside this, I am also working on nervous system regulation strategies to support the gut-brain connection.

Thank you for your continued support and expertise. I just need help kickstarting a treatment plan to shift things in the right direction.

All the best,

R

[R-S]

Ah! That’s good to know. I will follow the -how to test for low stomach acid handout- for five days and update then? Thank you so much.

[R-S]

The site also puts this information (in attached image)- it really causes so much confusion on how to go on and fix this especially looking for relief with so much information. How true is this? Am I making it worst by taking these?

IMG_2324.jpg 404 KB Image File - Click to view

Options

• Copy Download Link

[R-S]

Thank you for the amazing information.

I’ve been reviewing the elemental diet and the whole website regarding everything SIBO, and honestly, it feels quite overwhelming for me in my current state. Finding a practitioner to guide me through it is also challenging, and on top of that, I won’t be able to access the mentioned products/ ingredients delivered to my location nor are they available locally either, the ready ones are quite expensive and also again unfortunately shipping issues, I saw that they have a combination of herbal antimicrobials that I could potentially try would love your input on this? I could access getting those through iHerb.

I’m wondering if it might be possible to explore other options that could still help me manage my symptoms effectively. I want to stay hopeful and give myself a chance, especially since the last couple of days have felt “somewhat” calmer, the elemental diet feels too difficult for me to commit to right now for multiple reasons- I am still exploring options on getting the items, however also reading the website with all the information, also states it could cause digestive distress and since I am navigating more than one thing, I am not sure how to go on about it. The website is so rich in information yet very overhwleming in the amount of suggested supplements and protocols to take and follow, it gets quite confusing. I also just understood there are different types of SIBO, and I don’t actually know what type I am, as thankfully now the diarrhea has subsided and I have normal bowel movement, and I haven’t been able to access a breath test to clarify that. So right now, the amount of information and the steps to start feel overwhelming, even though I want to move forward.

I would really appreciate your feedback on what alternatives might be suitable and how I could go about this in a way that’s realistic for me. I’m eager to find a path forward that allows me to manage my symptoms without feeling completely overwhelmed and realistic for me.

Thank you again and again

[R-S]

Thank you so much for your kind words! Over the last few months I’ve done everything but an endoscopy and nothing structural (thankfully) came up. That’s what’s mainly driving me crazy.

It has been over three months of me struggling with gut issues this intense like never before. The only things that doctors have said are IBS/ SIBO- first it was IBS-D and thankfully the diarrhea is done however my abdomen is still not well, and since then I’ve lost over 15+ kgs and I can’t find answers. I was functioning through my withdrawals as normal and then I recall exactly what happened after eating watermelon for around a week (a lot of it) also had sauerkraut daily for around two weeks- then I had a falafel sandwich- then nothing has been the same, spent over a month in bed with stomach pain and diarrhea and couldn’t eat anything at all and the pain was constant for too long and overstimulating me and that’s why I keep saying something from my gut issues causing me to be in this much distress and in return lead me to be in a constant heightened state- I was told I got a virus or food poisoning (rota or else who knows)- I’ve tested and nothing came up- I’ve even done the calprotectin- I’ve done stool analysis tests- everything- and still my gut issues are not getting any better. I have cut gluten dairy and sugar and everything for months now but still. I can’t find answers. I take a few good days or else and then something backfires. I can’t find answers and that’s why I’m here. Still searching for the why and the root of this or what it is that’s going on.

sorry I went on a rant but truly it’s been around three months now of this intense exhausting gut situations that has affected everything in me.

[R-S]

Sorry one more question, when nausea/ discomfort is this high along with the obvious anxiety, am I supposed to continue eating regardless? Is that even good for me? It confuses me because a part of me doesn’t want to eat at all but another part wants to eat in hopes to calm it down. And I tried to look through B better for some information- does IBS/SIBO also play a role in muscle aches?

[R-S]

Hello,

I wanted to give an update on my gut symptoms over the last three days. Would love some guidance on best next steps.

7/9

* Woke up with palpitations, some bowel movement, pain out of control

* 8:30am: Slippery elm

* 9:50am: Ate chicken with rice and steamed carrots and cucumber, drizzle of olive oil, pinch of salt – pain calmer but still shaky, anxious, weak

* 11:20am: Rescue Remedy drops

* 12:30pm: Pain started again – took slippery elm and Rescue Remedy again

* 1:15pm: Ate chicken breast with rice, carrots, zucchini – some ache on and off, slightly vomited in mouth shortly after eating

* 4:10pm: Cucumber with salt and olive oil

* 5:30pm: Sudden sharp pain in abdomen – took slippery elm 5:40pm

* 5:50pm: Bowel movement

* 6:10pm: Duloxetine

* 7:10pm: Chicken cooked in olive oil with turmeric, dried basil, dried oregano; side of steamed carrot and zucchini with 2 tbsp rice

* 8:30pm: Dizzy with itching, intense severe panic attack (~1 hour) – took L-theanine 9:20pm

* 10:55pm: Slippery elm; abdomen still upset

* 11:10pm: Bowel movement

8/9

* 7:30am: 500ml sole water

* 8:15am: Slippery elm; elevated anxiety this morning

* 9:00am: Chicken with carrots and zucchini; drop of Rescue Remedy 9:25am; little L-theanine 9:55am

* 12:00pm: BP drop- had some cucumber with salt and olive oil

* 12:45pm: Chicken with rice, carrots, zucchini – lots of anxiety around eating, jolts, dizziness

* 2:00pm: Slippery elm; Rescue Remedy pastille

* 3:00pm: Feeling sick, want to vomit – tiny bit L-theanine 3:40pm

* 4:40pm: Finished eating chicken with carrots, zucchini, rice; slivers of L-theanine

* 5:30pm: Pain started (pinching) – took slippery elm 5:40pm

* 6:20pm: Duloxetine

* 8:00pm: Abdominal ache

* 8:45pm: Chicken with steamed carrots, zucchini, 1 tbsp rice

* 10:05pm: Abdominal pain

* 10:20pm: Slippery elm

* 10:40pm: Quarter L-theanine

9/9

* 5:20am: Woke up intense lower abdominal pain

* 6:40am: 500ml sole water; normal bowel movement 6:45am

* 7:15am: Finished sole water

* 7:25-7:45am: Uncomfortable; tingling and prickling all over, burning electricity-like sensation in chest/back, prickling in head; choking sensation, throat tightness; tiny abdominal ache

* 8:05am: Ate half chicken breast with 1 tbsp rice, steamed carrots, zucchini, cucumber

* 8:50am: Tired, muscle ache, some abdominal discomfort; felt stressed – took quarter L-theanine 9:20am

* ~12:00pm: Lower abdominal pain – slippery elm 12:00pm

* 1:15-1:30pm: Ate chicken with steamed carrots and 2 tbsp rice – pain remained, intense palpitations 1:55pm

* 2:05pm: Rescue Remedy drop

* 2:45pm: BP dropped; still feeling unwell

* 3:20pm: Still dizzy, about to be sick, uncomfortable, sour taste back of mouth, belching, heartburn

* 3:30pm: Warm water with ginger

* 4:00pm: Still dizzy, slightly itching, stressed and muscle aches intensified – took quarter L-theanine 4:12pm

* 4:00pm+: Abdomen off, nausea intense, heartburn

* 5:10pm: Took Slippery elm- nausea still intense feeling like nausea is in throat intensely and very uncomfortable, muscle aches still on a high

* I would like to add that all the chicken is cooked fresh in olive oil, only eating breast, also only spicing with minimal amount of dried oregano and dried basil and some salt.The carrots and zuchinni are steamed and I am going for a walk right after eating every meal.

I am also doing a lot of nervous system work during the day, I just feel the dominant symptoms have remained very high in my abdomen for a long time and hoping for any relief or gudance.

The intensity of my abdominal symptoms is truly getting to my head. Palpitations, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, and anxiety are very high, feeling something stuck in throat or like my abdomen is in my chest, and they are unpredictable despite following diet and remedies. Is this normal? I just want to know that I’m not loosing my mind over an imagined feeling and the discomfort of gut issues that are truly impacting my wellbeing a lot.

Could you please advise what next steps, adjustments, or treatments you could recommend me doing? Do I continue with the safe food, do I adjust anything? Just want to know that this is normal, feeling extremely distressed by the sensation in chest and throat and truly looking for relief, could this last this long? Any additional tips I can do? I watched the IBS/SIBO protocol to educate better and did the fillable handouts for myself as well.

Thank you so so much for your guidance again and again.

[R-S]

Yes, absolutely makes sense!

There’s so much out there, it’s very confusing, goal for me is to stop searching and reading in too many places, thankful for this platform and everything it has and you to keep me in check!

Thank you! 😃

[R-S]

I wanted to check with you regarding Dr. Mercola’s Organic Digestive Bitters Extract that I found, I’ve researched and not sure how true if some are high fodmap and high in histamine so thought I’d ask that they’re safe for me?

Also, Iberogast isn’t possible to order right now, waiting till someone comes and can bring it with them, so I am trying to figure out the easiest immediate access for when things get like this, options or alternatives I could safely use when these intense abdominal flare-ups happen, ideally something low FODMAP, low histamine, and safe for my current state. Even the digestive bitters handout, the majority of them came up as high histamine or histamine liberating/ or unsuitable for low fodmap. If I stick to ginger is that good enough? Sorry having an overwhelming day, stomach upset/low BP and doing hot water bottle and steeped ginger in water and trying to just order the right thing and not ending up with more things I can’t tolerate.

Thank you so much for your guidance 🙏

[R-S]

Thank you for your detailed feedback 🙏

For the coconut oil + honey, I had started taking it in the daytime the last few days because I felt weak/shaky and thought it helped stabilize me, but I can keep it just for bedtime as you suggested.

I haven’t had access to Iberogast yet trying to sort out getting it, I did find Dr. Mercola’s alcohol-free Digestive Bitters and ordering those which would need at least five days to arrive and might not arrive due to liquid delivery restriction- any capsule or powder form available in case. I also researched the natural bitters list you shared, but most of them came up as unsuitable for me (high FODMAP or histamine-liberating). The only one I feel somewhat safe with right now is ginger, which I’ve been steeping in warm water (not making much of a difference, please let me know if there’s a better way to have it? I did try chewing a little yesterday just to extract the juice directly for any relief). I’m unsure if artichoke would be safe in my case too? The chamomile as well, sometimes it doesn’t make me feel good, please let me know if you know any different, can’t always trust the sources I am researching.

Food-wise, I’ll stop the kale chips (I just baked fresh kale with olive oil/salt), and I also don’t care to keep the rice puff cereal. For now, I’ve gone back to the “safe base” of chicken, rice, carrots, cucumber, and slippery elm. Eggs could also play a role as I asked about them before and then stopped for a while and then decided to try them again, just got tired of having chicken/meat rice with carrots and zucchini, especially for breakfast. The grapes I was having 4-5 only.

The coconut milk/drink:

1- Bio Organic coconut drink (gluten-free)

Ingredients: spring water, coconut-based preparation* (9.4%) (water, coconut*), rice starch*, sea salt, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin, natural coconut flavor*. *— organic.

Pacific foods organic coconut milk unsweetened

Ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: WATER, COCONUT CREAM*, CONTAINS 1% OR LESS OF: COCONUT WATER CONCENTRATE*, GELLAN GUM, GUAR GUM*, NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM CITRATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN D2, XANTHAN GUM.

I also got (still haven’t used) canned coconut milk by coco life, ingredients: Ingredients: Organic 25% Coconut Water, Organic Guar Gum**

The nervous system hacks that you suggested I have been doing aggressively for the last 24 hours and lots and lots of nervous system work intensely, my gosh it’s so amazing to see how much my anxiety and panic are directly affected by my gut health (in general and even more so lately).

The pain has been very intense and overwhelming, I even woke up with the same abdominal pain this morning, which has been hard to cope with, I took Slippery Elm directly too and slowly sipping the sole water, I didn’t have the full 500ml today upon waking because my abdomen is just in so much aching—the pain has been under left breast towards back, middle right under breast line and lower abdomen and lower left abdomen. My BP has been on the lower end the last two days as well, is the sole water safe to continue with regardless? Thankfully had some bowel movement today and also had some steamed carrots with rice and chicken and cucumber a while ago, but still shaky and wondering if it’s blood sugar?

And for this: while keeping to the “safe base” of chicken, zucchini, carrots, cucumber, rice, slippery elm for a few days, can I change the chicken to steak (not too thick, the smashed one) or beef patty (only safe spices) or minced meat, and can I possibly also have okra and green beans too? Just so I am not repeating the exact same meal thrice a day as that is what got me to start testing new things because it’s so overwhelmingly boring, but I am happy to stick to the safest just thought I would ask, and in regards to having fruits, can I have dragon fruit at least? and the pumpkin seeds? or no? Just trying to calm the visible shakiness and dizziness that’s too much, just feeling very weak.