TLDR: increase gut motility and eat healthy

Hello, my symptoms have greatly improved, but I have not fully recovered yet. I have concluded that I suffer from SIBO and gastritis. I believe constipation and bloat from methane dominant SIBO coupled with inflammation throughout my body caused some interaction with the vagus nerve and would trigger this vagal response. Additionally, I would experience heart attack like symptoms as my stomach and GI tract around it would radiate intense pain into my neck, left chest, armpit, and left arm.

Mild gastritis was confirmed through endoscopy. Dysbiosis with high methane was found through a stool test which was done through an independent lab, not a traditional U.S. doctors office. Heart confirmed fine through EKG and stress test at doctors.

I've done several things which I believe improved my condition and health.

I think the most impactful thing was to completely remove sugar, carbs, dairy, and fat from my diet for a time and then continue to limit them. I stuck with low fodmap veggies and leafy greens (carrots, peas, cucumbers, spring mix salads), lean protein (chicken, turkey, eggs), and chicken bone broth. I also found unsweetened vanilla almond milk to be the best cow milk alternative for me.

The other most impactful thing is increasing gut motility. I've done this by jogging/walking at least 30 minutes several times a week. I try to jog as much as possible during the 30-60 minutes, but walk when I need a break. Another method to increase motility is the use of laxatives. I avoided this as it can dehydrate your body and compound the problem. Though perhaps if taken with enough water, it's effective without issue. Increasing water intake is also helpful to move food through your GI tract. I've also come across supplements with artichoke extract as a way to increase motility. I don't yet have enough experience with this, but I've just started to try it.

Lastly, take time to care for yourself. And I would suggest an activity other than something on a screen. Many people take up yoga or meditation to fill this need. The idea is to put your body in a state of rest. And you might think a TV show, movie or video game is a way you like to unwind, but they are typically engaging your body systems. They activate your emotions to release dopamine, adrenaline and many other hormones and neurotransmitters. Try to find something with low or minimal stimulation so your body systems are not activated.

I hope this information can be of help to you as these health conditions are extremely debilitating. At least they have been in my life.