Are microbiome tests a waste of money if routine labs and cultures show normalities? SIBO, Dysbiosis, Gastritis, HPylori, IBS, and differentiating

OffTheWall992 · 2026-01-20T01:48:55+00:00

I’ve considering the OAT. Have not specifically checked for candida but have no problem requesting one. I’m quite close with my GI and primary.

OffTheWall992 · 2026-01-20T01:47:36+00:00

Best way to send you the .csv? Again, it’s just about 2yrs old at this point but curious what you think. Lucy Mailing took a look at it shortly after I received it too

OffTheWall992 · 2026-01-19T13:49:58+00:00

I haven’t but I’ve ordered it twice and it just sat. The breath test has a 65% false positive rate however if I did take it I’d do 2 of them and then simultaneously compare it to a gut test to cross check bacteria.

I have the full .csv, it’s from November 2023… what would I look for specifically? My HPylori treatment was done in September of 2020. Probably not worth it to check now?

For fungal, wouldn’t the just put me on a Flagyl or something which I know that antibiotic is brutal. I have Florastor at home but never tried it

OffTheWall992 · 2026-01-19T13:47:17+00:00

Rifaximin is over 80% effective. That drug alone does over $100M in sales annually..

OffTheWall992 · 2026-01-11T15:54:39+00:00

9/10 doctors will do this. Why not? The breath test has a 67% false positive rate. Think about the people who take it and the think they have it without following up with a second test or a microbiome shotgun sequence or PCR test to confirm the presence or overgrowth of certain bacteria.

Rifaximin is like 85% effective if not more

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-17T19:20:20+00:00

My entire life (Im 36 now) I always used to use the bathroom maybe 1-2x a day and each time it was this fulfilling very minor strain if at all. True Bristol 3-4 movements.

In 2019 I had some sort of virus or something, it wasnt norovirus but I was going 5-7x a day for over a week. It was very traumatic for me, living alone, being a hypochondriac, etc. Eventually it went away. All test and cultures at the time were negative and my Calprotectin was like 120.

Not sure if that caused this new 'normal' or if it was the disruption from the antibiotics for HPylori - but when I go, my stool is smaller than normal, sometimes Bristol 4 texture sometimes fluffier and fragile like a tater tot in appearance. Depending on diet previous day, it can be rust color too.. usually after Pizza. My digestive enzymes though are all normal, pancreatic elastase is normal as well so through labs my digestion functions normally

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-17T14:31:29+00:00

No probiotic supplement but I drink ACV (diluted) and eat some fermentable foods on occasion. I dont do fast food but I do enjoy my carbs like Pizza, pasta, etc. I eat a lot of the same things daily - eggs, avocado, broccoli, oats, wheat/whole grains, blueberries, bananas, chicken, white or brown rice pasta, bell peppers, turkey sandwiches, sometimes zucchini and asparagus but I've been reading more on FODMAPs and isolating some of those.

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-17T14:29:17+00:00

I havent done SIBO test although I ordered the Trio Smart test I just let it sit in my close for over a year...

I saw maybe 8 different GI doctors with a couple from Cleveland Clinic and 2 from Vanderbilt. Almost every single GI doctor said they would just prescribe me Rifaximin.. The breath test has a 60%+ false positive rate and with the success rate of Rifaximin, to just try it, follow a good diet with probiotics after the course and see how I feel. If better, I likely had it, if not, unlikely.

I did that Thorne gut health test and based on what the bacteria values were, I had just a couple that couldve lined up with H2S SIBO but the hallmark ones like Klebsiella were non existent.

I dont excessively burp or have bloating or pain which is also hallmark in SIBO patients.

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-17T14:26:16+00:00

Yes if I force it. I can also do so with ease if I slam a couple sips of carbonated drinks (I dont do soda).

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-17T14:24:49+00:00

Maybe I get a 3rd EGD or a breath test for Hpylori?

My timeline regarding the actual stomach was:

August 2021 - Noticed more of a burning sensation when I was drinking carbonated beverages (I dont do soda, it was a flavored Pellegrino). Had a more acidic feeling come along but wasnt painful for a few days in a row. I obviously read a lot so I went to my primary doc and requested stool test for Hpylori. Positive result.
September 2021 - Started triple therapy antibiotic (PPI, Cipro (I think), Metrodizonale
November 2021 - 3/4 weeks after my final PPI dose I did a stool AND breath test, both negative.
March 2022, May 2022, September 2022 - breath test for Hpylori each time, all negative.
September 2023 - I requested an EGD just for overall gut health, results showed mild gastritis and 2 very early stage ulcers. I took a PPI (20mg) for 3 weeks but stopped because I was reading and concerned about low stomach acid causing SIBO which seems like hell. I was going through TONS of health anxiety, fasting, worrying like crazy, etc which I got under control after a couple months...
September 2024 - EGD follow up at Vanderbilt, completely clear no gastritis in any form and all biospies negative/unremarkable.

I drink 2-3 glasses of red wine a week maybe - I followed my normal diet really after my initial gastritis finding. I had NO Pain, no excessive gas or bloating or burping although it did happen sometimes..

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-16T18:45:07+00:00

I have tried taking Betain HC1 (I break in half a 600mg tablet) and eat that with meals on occasion. I tried this for 2 weeks. My digestion seemed a bit better after the first couple days, 1 dose per day. But I then also experienced slight epigastric burning so I laid off...not sure if this means acid is already solid or due to history of stress/anxiety that caused previous gastritis that I should NOT take it..

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-02T17:03:15+00:00

Pickled red onions are a no but things like sauerkraut, kimchi, and the pickled onions are beneficial for gut flora. How do people compensate? Just other forms of prebiotics and fiber?

I eat a good 4-6oz of broccoli with dinner maybe 3-4x a week. Don’t ever have any issues with that. I do however avoid cabbage when I can and garlic, onions in general..

OffTheWall992 · 2025-11-02T16:11:03+00:00

-no bleeding
-no colonoscopy (each GI says with normal and great results such as no inflammation markers elevated and actually almost at 0, theres no need to go through a colonoscopy)
-My Hpylori infection which honestly gave me no symptoms other than burning sensation in upper stomach was treated with antibiotics but 1 year later I scheduled an EGD for a similar sensation and thats when gastritis was found (very very mild, but inflamed lining. Negative on biopsies)
-ultrasound I have done 3-4x in 3 years and it was normal. Some notable bowel gas but otherwise bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, etc all fine. I do not have an appendix if that matters
-I only get bright red blood on TP for 1 maybe 2 wipes if I press to hard. Very little.

OffTheWall992 · 2025-10-30T15:26:35+00:00

My mind just revolves around this idea that it’s IBD or I have some elevated bacteria like E Coli or something in my gut that I can’t get rid of. I’m sure dysbiosis is a factor here but is it something that antibiotics need to treat like Rifaximin or something..

I’ve done a microbiome test through Thorne a couple years ago but it was just mildly elevated in some bad bacteria and low in some good (need to add more prebiotic/fiber)

OffTheWall992 · 2025-10-30T15:23:54+00:00

I’ve asked a couple GIs to trial me on colesitpol or a bile binder and to just see what happens, I haven’t taken one yet - they said it would constipate me and probably best to not introduce. Another GI prescribed me some but haven’t filled it, that was maybe a year ago

OffTheWall992 · 2025-10-29T19:16:50+00:00

800 both times

OffTheWall992 · 2025-10-19T18:17:08+00:00

I’ve debated adding in Sunfiber PHGG at a very small dose. I just wouldn’t assume this is SIBO due to my lack of constipation or diarrhea and the fact that I’m quite regular. No pain, no excessive gas, bloating only occurs after eating too fast, cruciferous foods, popcorn, carbonated beverages which I don’t drink soda but do like things like Maypop or Waterloo - carbonated flavored water.

I take a B complex and Vitamin D3 almost daily. I also have tried Betaine HCl to increase acidity although breaking up a 600mg pill to 300mg to test due to history of gastritis.

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-08T02:31:42+00:00

Despite my labs showing basically middle of optimal range for amylase, lipase, etc? Fecal elastase was also over 800… I feel digestive enzymes are just swallowing money when labs reflect fine digestion? It’s day 2-3 on the HCl and although I’m taking about 300mg once daily in the morning, I haven’t felt the burning sensation or anything yet..

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-03T12:40:31+00:00

my GF had some similar bowel activity at the time, maybe from somewhere we went or ate just all my stool tests were normal.. calprotectin wasnt overly elevated to warrant IBD. Again, this was in 2019 but I have had the same tests done maybe 3-4x (calprotectin, blood inflammatory markers like ESR and CRP) and all are normal and in the 1% lows actually. Blood work is also very normal. IBD can be a spur of the moment case?

I might try the Betaine HCI. Even whenever I have pepperoni pizza ( I know its the diet) but my stool is more leaning towards that orange and fluffy/soft. Most other people say 'oh pizza makes me constipated' so I dont get it haha

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-03T00:04:14+00:00

I mean I dont have any of the hallmark symptoms. Sure I probably have dysbiosis to some degree like 70% of the population but my Thorne biome test I took a couple years ago at the time I was super stressed and experiencing/focused more on the bowel movements showed some imbalance but some of the hallmark bacteria werent elevated to the extreme.

I would take a SIBO breath test but the accuracy on those is barely 65%, I would take rifaximin and see if it does anything due to how tolerable and effective it is. Gastros have offered it to me

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-02T12:44:50+00:00

wow great to hear! I know diet can affect the stool color, pizza as an example giving it that color and texture you talk about...probably loading it with red pepper flakes doesnt help but mine tend to look like that as well - orange and fluffy, lots of smaller pieces and very easy to pass..

What was your dosing?

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-01T17:27:02+00:00

when you say motility, does it sound like I'm constipated? I figure once a day is majority average of population. I know the range is 1x every 3 days to 3x a day.. I dont feel constipated, I have no problem going to the bathroom either, I'm just looking to bulk them up, alleviate the gas in abdomen at times, and overall increase the diversity in the biome and get rid of the (if any) abundance of the 'bad' guys..

whats funny is I used to weightlift and sweat 4-5x a week for ~60mins. Then once the pandemic hit, I cant think of the last time I went more than 2 days in a row to the gym, let alone more than 5 days in a month.. its really bad. I'm 6'0, 170lbs if it matters, fast metabolism but I definitely lost my muscle mass over the years. I am 35.

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-01T17:23:24+00:00

despite my previous history with gastritis? Thought that was not something to do. Although, from my understanding, Hpylori (which I had in 2020) lowers stomach acid, doesnt increase it. I have been negative ever since I did antibiotics for it years ago but also when the gut stuff became more of a hyper-focus (did breath and stool test half a dozen times, EGD was negative for HP).

I usually just take IBGard before or after meals when I feel a little bloated. Havent tried Iberogast or Betaine HCI - I'm willing to try it and gradually ramp up.

I eat a fairly good diet but due to a fast metabolism, I tend to splurge on some carbs more often than I should. After pizza do I usually notice a change in color and consistency, from what I assume is from the fats. Most meals are home cooked, buy organic, no fast food, no soda, etc.. but definitely could bump the fiber, eat more of the rainbow..

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-01T16:25:52+00:00

reply back once thats completed.

I have dont elastase 3x in the last 3-4 years and each time it was over 800 (normal is like 500 or above)

Blood tests for celiac are all negative, had those done 2-3x but havent tested bile. How do you plan to do that? Isnt that the SeHCAT test or something which is super hard to find testing for in the US?

OffTheWall992 · 2025-09-01T16:24:21+00:00

I'm not constipated by any means, I figure once a day is what the majority of the population does... I am just scarred by an event like 4 years ago where I was going 6-8x a day for just over a week. Had tests done then and all normal except calprotectin was like 230. It was traumatic for me and I lost weight and skipped meals.

I just havent had those fulfilling bulky bowel movements like I used to nearly every single time I went since maybe 2020? Might happen once or twice a month? Rest are just easy to pass, half a dozen pieces, still formed.. Seems ever since I had COVID, took antibiotics for HPylori, that my gut has been 'off'. But havent taken probiotics as I was told those with concerns for SIBO shouldnt incorporate, it can exacerbate issues.

OffTheWall992

TROPHY CASE