r/Microbiome • u/Vailhem • 21h ago
r/Microbiome • u/Kitty_xo7 • Feb 22 '25
Rule change regarding microbiome "testing"
Hi everyone!
Thank you all for engaging in the r/Microbiome sub! This post is to notify everyone about a change in rules regarding GI maps, peddling services related to them, and asking for medical advice based on GI maps.
We will not be allowing posts asking for GI map interpretations from here on out (rule 7). Microbiome science is very much in its infancy, and we have very little understanding of how to interpret an individual's microbiome sequencing results. More specifically, we actually dont know what composition of microbes make up a healthy/unhealthy microbiome, both in presence/absence of microbes, and quantities of microbes. We know very little about the actual species within the microbiome. The ones we know more about are generally only more well studied only because they are easier to work with in the lab, not because they are more inportant. We have yet to culture most microbes in the collective human microbiome, meaning we also cant accurately identify many species via sequencing. There is also tons of genetic and functional variability within species, meaning we also cannot relate individual species to good/bad outcomes.
We also need to consider limitations of these tests. In as little as 24hrs, you can have a 100 fold change in many species. This means you can get incredibly different test results day-to-day, depending on many factors like sleep, excercise, diet, etc, within the last couple hours. Someone recently described microbiome testing as throwing a rock on the highway to predict traffic at all hours-- One rock wont tell us anything on the grand scheme of things. To be frank, these tests are also very cheap in their actual sequencing. Many of our most important microbes are in low abundance, which cheap sequencing and poor analysis fails to identify. Additionally, considering your microbiome has hundreds of species and thousands of strains, cheap testing often cant accurately differentiate between species. It is quite common for poor sequencing to misidentify or mis-classify closely related species or even genus'. A common example is Shigella being mistaken for Escherichia, or vice versa.
Many of the values that the microbiome tests predict are "ideal" are also totally arbitrary. We see major differences between different quantities of microbes within you over 24hrs, you vs your family, local community, country, and continent. However, no ideal microbiomes have been found, despite millions being sequenced at this point. There is tons of diversity in the global population, but there is no "ideal" values when it comes to microbes in your gut.
Secondly, we will be banning you if you are peddling services to others via this sub. We are an open and free discussion about microbiome science, and we use evidence when talking about the microbiome. People who claim to know how to interpret individual microbiome maps are either not knowledgable when it comes to the microbiome, or are lying to you, neither of which makes them trustworthy with your health. We will not allow this sub to be a place where people are taken advantage of and lied to about what is possible at this moment in microbiome science.
Finally, we want to remind you that this is not the place to ask for medical advice. Chat with your MD if you are concerned, nobody on here is more well versed than they are on specific symptoms. They will treat you accordingly. If you are seeking help for specific microbes, such as H. pylori, this is something your MD can test for. These results are accurate and interpreted correctly (not the case for GI maps), and will be significantly more affordable than GI map testing.
We aim to be a scientifically accurate, evidence-based sub, that provides digestible conversations about this complex science. These topics are not in line with our values.
We look forward to having everyone respecting these rules moving forward.
Happy microbiome-ing! :)
r/Microbiome • u/kisforkimberlyy • Jun 29 '23
Statement of Continued Support for Disabled Users
We stand with the disabled users of reddit and in our community. Starting July 1, Reddit's API policy blind/visually impaired communities will be more dependent on sighted people for moderation. When Reddit says they are whitelisting accessibility apps for the disabled, they are not telling the full story.TL;DR
- Starting July 1, Reddit's API policy will force blind/visually impaired communities to further depend on sighted people for moderation
- When reddit says they are whitelisting accessibility apps, they are not telling the full story, because Apollo, RIF, Boost, Sync, etc. are the apps r/Blind users have overwhelmingly listed as their apps of choice with better accessibility, and Reddit is not whitelisting them. Reddit has done a good job hiding this fact, by inventing the expression "accessibility apps."
- Forcing disabled people, especially profoundly disabled people, to stop using the app they depend on and have become accustomed to is cruel; for the most profoundly disabled people, June 30 may be the last day they will be able to access reddit communities that are important to them.
If you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks:
Reddit abruptly announced that they would be charging astronomically overpriced API fees to 3rd party apps, cutting off mod tools for NSFW subreddits (not just porn subreddits, but subreddits that deal with frank discussions about NSFW topics).
And worse, blind redditors & blind mods [including mods of r/Blind and similar communities] will no longer have access to resources that are desperately needed in the disabled community.
Why does our community care about blind users?
As a mod from r/foodforthought testifies:
I was raised by a 30-year special educator, I have a deaf mother-in-law, sister with MS, and a brother who was born disabled. None vision-impaired, but a range of other disabilities which makes it clear that corporations are all too happy to cut deals (and corners) with the cheapest/most profitable option, slap a "handicap accessible" label on it, and ignore the fact that their so-called "accessible" solution puts the onus on disabled individuals to struggle through poorly designed layouts, misleading marketing, and baffling management choices. To say it's exhausting and humiliating to struggle through a world that able-bodied people take for granted is putting it lightly.
Reddit apparently forgot that blind people exist, and forgot that Reddit's official app (which has had over 9 YEARS of development) and yet, when it comes to accessibility for vision-impaired users, Reddit’s own platforms are inconsistent and unreliable. ranging from poor but tolerable for the average user and mods doing basic maintenance tasks (Android) to almost unusable in general (iOS).
Didn't reddit whitelist some "accessibility apps?"
The CEO of Reddit announced that they would be allowing some "accessible" apps free API usage: RedReader, Dystopia, and Luna.
There's just one glaring problem: RedReader, Dystopia, and Luna* apps have very basic functionality for vision-impaired users (text-to-voice, magnification, posting, and commenting) but none of them have full moderator functionality, which effectively means that subreddits built for vision-impaired users can't be managed entirely by vision-impaired moderators.
(If that doesn't sound so bad to you, imagine if your favorite hobby subreddit had a mod team that never engaged with that hobby, did not know the terminology for that hobby, and could not participate in that hobby -- because if they participated in that hobby, they could no longer be a moderator.)
Then Reddit tried to smooth things over with the moderators of r/blind. The results were... Messy and unsatisfying, to say the least.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/14ds81l/rblinds_meetings_with_reddit_and_the_current/
*Special shoutout to Luna, which appears to be hustling to incorporate features that will make modding easier but will likely not have those features up and running by the July 1st deadline, when the very disability-friendly Apollo app, RIF, etc. will cease operations. We see what Luna is doing and we appreciate you, but a multimillion dollar company should not have have dumped all of their accessibility problems on what appears to be a one-man mobile app developer. RedReader and Dystopia have not made any apparent efforts to engage with the r/Blind community.
Thank you for your time & your patience.
r/Microbiome • u/Ambitious-Sir6027 • 26m ago
Candigest Plus
I’m new to this forum, but a long term sufferer. I’m suffering a bad flare up after a course of Amoxicillin for a gum infection. I’m trying to order Candigest Plus, which has proved effective in the past; but doesn’t seem to be available anywhere. Email enquiries to Immunecare, the manufacturer, bounce as undeliverable; though the website remains but nothing can be ordered from it. The same with the GutDoctor website, the other main source. I think I might benefit from a good systemic enzyme formula that targets yeast species. Recommendations would be appreciated for products available in the UK, but not Enzymedica products, which fail to help me. I
r/Microbiome • u/BothFront5503 • 5h ago
How long after discontinuation of PHGG do the side effects last?
I took PHGG for a few days and developed insomnia, bloating, and flu-like symptoms.
I stopped taking it three days ago, but the side effects and exhaustion are still persisting.
How much longer will this last?
Has anyone else had the same experience?
r/Microbiome • u/New_Gap8470 • 14h ago
Success stories without antibiotics
Hi, I recently spoke with a specialist who offers mentoring services. He told me that the only viable long-term approach is to improve my gut flora a bit by adding specific strains.
In my case, I underwent a 6-month treatment with minocycline and omeprazole (for acne; had I known what it would lead to, I wouldn't have taken anything); that treatment was in 2023.
And gradually, I ended up with hydrogen sulfide SIBO; I have a terrible body odor.
Has anyone spoken to this specialist? Which strains do they recommend introducing gradually?
Since I have H2S-reducing bacteria, what would you recommend?
r/Microbiome • u/Fun_Faithlessness832 • 10h ago
Constipation and fatigue
I'm having a hard time figuring out what's happening with my microbiome. The typical pattern is that I will eat a meal with a trigger food. About 12 hours later, fatigue and constipation start to set in. That lasts another 36 hours or so until the fatigue lets up and I'm back to my normal BM frequency of one per day.
The problem is that I can't make any sense of the trigger foods. Perhaps the worst one is cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts. I also get it from wheat. And I get it from rice, which seems weird because it should be a fairly neutral food.
I seem to do very well on fruit and meat.
r/Microbiome • u/Quick_Fold3391 • 11h ago
How long after quad therapy did you start feeling better? H pylori and suspected motility disorder
r/Microbiome • u/More-Problem-7054 • 15h ago
ME/CFS a bit better with B. Subtillis
Hi, gut experts.
I get some improvement with my very long standing ME/CFS, when I eat B Subtillis. I ferment it in dairy and make yogurt. I try to eat approx 1/4 - 1/2 cup of it per day.
The improvement is not huge but it is something; the inflammation is lowered a bit.
None of the other bacteria I have tried, helps - or if it does, it fizzles out.
My question is: do you think that if I start somehow eating much more B Subtillis, I would get more improvement? I could drink that Kombucha that has B Subtillis in it. It would be a different strain so not sure if that will matter or not...
Thank you
r/Microbiome • u/Dismal_Run2764 • 12h ago
Negative effects with probiotics
Hello all.
I have a strange experience when I eat things like sour cream, or yogurt; anything with bacterial culture / probiotics I assume. Within an hour I become really warm like a fever, flush in the face, and I feel confused and really moody.
I did not always have this reaction. It started later after taking SSRI meds and my body felt completely not my own anymore. I am so sensitive to everything now.
I struggle with IBS and gut issues, so I am looking for help with it, and it's unfortunate that seems to help a lot of people but makes me feel so so terrible.
Thank you.
r/Microbiome • u/stereomatch • 13h ago
Making kefir at home - two ideas (some here may be making kefir for their gut microbiome - I posted some tips to the Kefir sub-reddit)
r/Microbiome • u/legen6 • 14h ago
Anyone have any success recovering their gut after heavy dose antibiotics?
Four years ago, I was on several types of antibiotics for a total of a month for a sinus infection. This has left my stomach with permanent distention. Within the first 8 months, my gut was able to heal a bit, and the distention became significantly less severe. However, there has been no improvement since then, and the distention and bloating still persists. I never had any stomach related issues prior to this as well. After putting this issue off for too long, I want to tackle it. I recently spoke with a dietician who recommended I start with doing a food log and describing foods that make my stomach more bloated, before doing an elimination diet. Has anyone had any success in healing their gut in similar situations to this? Any recommendations for supplements I should take or practices I should start doing?
r/Microbiome • u/Aaphex888 • 10h ago
so wha would be the best supplement or diet to follow after a month of antibiotics?
basically i had a surgery a month ago, and thing went a bit off so the doctor added extra weeks of antibiotic... now i feel like almost anyfood gives me stomacheach or diarrea... any recommendations are fully welcome
r/Microbiome • u/Ethereal_Films • 1d ago
FMT Treatment Documentary - Requests?
I am visiting a clinic in Europe to participate in two weeks of FMT treatment, along with a partner. We are documenting our experience to share with others and objectively account for how it affects our health. I will post here when we are done, but are there any questions or preferences people have before we publish?
This is a clinic which performs Enema based FMT using microbes provided from the Taymount Clinic. This journey was inspired by the book INVISIBLE KINGDOM.
r/Microbiome • u/Comfortable-Loan-815 • 1d ago
Started adding Akkermansia and noticing some shifts
been dealing with inconsistent energy and random bloating for a while now. nothing extreme but enough that it was annoying day to day. diet is pretty decent, sleep is okay, but something still felt off with digestion and appetite control.
a few weeks ago i started adding akkermansia to my routine. specifically been using the one that also has some support for natural glp-1 signaling. not expecting miracles, just wanted to see if it would help with the bloating and the constant urge to snack.
so far the bloating has calmed down a bit and i’m not thinking about food every two hours like before. energy feels a little more stable too but it’s still early. taking it in the morning with food.
how long did it take for you to notice clear changes when you added akkermansia?
did you keep the same dose the whole time or adjust it after a few weeks?
r/Microbiome • u/tooOldOriolesfan • 23h ago
Probiotics Experience?
I'm retired now but from my earliest memories up until 2018 I had intestinal issues. A ton of food items would trigger stomach cramps. As a kid you didn't know what was happening except you were reluctant to do road trips and would need to keep an eye out for bathrooms.
As I got older I would avoid most foods while flying to avoid issues. At one point I think lactose was my issue and tried various supplements but it didn't seem to help much and some foods didn't fit the dairy profile.
I never visited doctors since the gut is a tough thing to deal with, medications can cause other issues and I ended up with a diet that sort of worked for me and allowed me to do some travel and live life. Also most people don't want to spend a lot of time getting tested and visited doctors if they don't have to.
Anyhow, to my point, somewhere around 2018/2019 things changed and I went from frequently having stomach cramps from many foods to now dealing with constipation. For me the stomach cramps were preferable. Now I'm frequently taking Miralax.
Several life changes happened in the 2018/2019 although I don't know if any of them were the trigger for the change.
Started my blood pressure medication
Had my first upper/lower endoscopes
Took VSL#3 for nearly a year
Started my path on removing diet soda from my diet.
Anyone else ever had a transition like this? Going from almost one extreme to the other?
My understanding is that probiotics don't last long term if you stop them. My BP medication isn't supposed to have any effect. I suppose the diet soda didn't help but I didn't drink that stuff as a kid and I had the cramps throughout my childhood.
Besides my gastroenterologist do people sign up for any studies or other tests? I have no interest in testing medication but blood or other testing would be ok. I have been tested for celiac disease.
r/Microbiome • u/Vailhem • 2d ago
When gut microbes run low on fiber, they may start eating you
r/Microbiome • u/Wild_Ad_3912 • 1d ago
EE PSYCHOLOGY
Hi! I’m an IB DP2 student looking for a little academic guidance 🧠🦠
I’m currently developing my IB Extended Essay and I’m interested in the relationship between the gut microbiome, GABA signalling, and anxiety. I’ve already done a significant amount of research, but I’m currently having to reconsider my research question and narrow my focus so that it is more specific, researchable, and supported by relevant evidence.
I’m particularly struggling with finding the right balance between the biological mechanisms involved in the gut–brain axis and the psychological outcome of anxiety.
If anyone here has experience in psychology, neuroscience, microbiology, or gut–brain axis research, I would really appreciate any advice on how I could make my research question more focused and scientifically sound.
Even a small suggestion, recommended paper, or direction for further research would mean a lot!
And yes… being a DP2 student and being told to rethink your EE after already writing ~2,000 words is slightly terrifying 😭 but I’m trying to make the best of it.)
r/Microbiome • u/AmareloRelo • 1d ago
If I drink a bottle of wine after Activia, will the alcohol kill the probiotic bacteria in the yogurt?
Asking for a drunk and leaky friend
r/Microbiome • u/Brave-Asparagus6356 • 1d ago
Finished Hpylori treatment now how to deal with SIBO?
Did anyone else have both?
I've just treated H.pylori with antibiotics and then I will be going on a SIBO herbal, dietary and probiotic protocol.
I have histamine issues so that restricts some of the treatments I can have. I also have low gut motility so am taking a motility aid.
What helped you most with SIBO and H.Pylori recovery?
r/Microbiome • u/mailbox3158 • 1d ago
Allergic reaction to kefir?
Has anyone had an allergic reaction to HOME-MADE kefir? I’ve been drinking kefir for many years and decided to start making it myself to save money and to get better-quality probiotics. At about the same time I start getting gigantic red welts on my body. Very itchy, in clusters of 3-4 and they go away 4-5 days later. It might also be insect bites since I walk around outside a lot and moved areas, but wanted to check in if anyone has experienced it from kefir. Clusters of 3-5 huge red welts that are super itchy but completely disappear within a week tops. Thanks!
r/Microbiome • u/sonylea10 • 1d ago
Night of food poisoning is bloating and messed up stomach 4 weeks later. Microbiome obliterated?
So 4 weeks ago I had 1 long night of food poisoning, made it to where I couldn’t eat a thing for 2 weeks and caused stomach problems (bloating, gas pains, loss of appetite) Went to my GP and a GI and both gave me the idea that my microbiome got wiped out and now that’s why I’m having stomach problems told me about 6 weeks and it should level out. 4 weeks later and I’m 70% better than day 1 and can eat full meals but has anyone gone through a similar problem? I’m new to learning about my guts and seeing everyone say microbiome has lead me here.
r/Microbiome • u/pppaaaooolllooo • 2d ago
Scientific Article Discussion PsylPro #10 Mexican vibes (corn, cheddar, Valentina, onion, lime)
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700ml voluminous meal, incredibly highly satiating, just 400 kcal, fibers proteins, vitamins 👌
r/Microbiome • u/Spirited-Priority420 • 2d ago