**DISCLAIMER: This post shares my personal journey with my health. I am not a doctor and this isn’t medical advice—just an inside look at what I went through and the steps I took to find healing in hopes it can point you in the right direction. Everyone's body is unique, and what worked for me may not work for you or may not be appropriate for your needs. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance and treatment.
I’ve shared my journey a lot across my social media platforms while simultaneously navigating the ups and downs of it all. After three long years of living in a nightmare without a diagnosis, I’m finally approaching a year symptom-free. I recently posted a reel on Instagram celebrating this milestone, and it sparked a flood of questions from others facing similar struggles. I wanted to create a permanent space to share my story, hoping to help anyone find answers more quickly than I did and to remind you that you’re not alone in this frustrating and isolating experience of figuring out what’s wrong with your health.
The Backstory
For three years of my life I searched for answers trying to figure out what was happening to me. I felt drained all the time, waking up feeling like I hadn’t slept at all. My stomach was in shambles, with bloating and pain that felt random yet so damn persistent. And my rashes? They were by far the worst part of all of it—itchy, inflamed, and SO uncomfortable. To add to this laundry list, my hair started falling out, which only piled on the stress and anxiety.
I am not even going to go into detail on the amount of times I felt like nobody was listening to me throughout this process. Even with visual symptoms to go along with the way I was feeling I was brushed off so many times by doctors or given a bandaid to temporarily alleviate my situation. It felt like nobody wanted to figure out the underlying issue, but rather just check off their own individual boxes and send me on my way. I truly started to think I was going insane at times, but I kept reminding myself that I knew how I felt and that it wasn't normal to feel that way...so I refused to give up. If this entire experience has taught me anything it's how important it is to advocate for your health because YOU know your body better than anybody else, always remember that.
Anyways for about a year I tried to figure out what was going on with me on my own. It was alot of "eliminating this" and "trying that" to see if anything helped, but nothing did. I ended up going to see a dermatologist because my skin just kept getting worse and worse. Initially she prescribed steroid creams to treat my rashes, but after several rounds of various topical steroids failed to provide relief, and the rashes returned as soon as I stopped using them, she realized something else was going on. My dermatologist decided to do a contact patch allergy test and this was the first time I started seeing some helpful results. The patch test showed that I had a few contact allergies, one of which I suspect was contributing to my hair loss because of an itchy, irritated scalp.
While cutting out these allergens helped significantly, especially with my scalp, it didn’t resolve everything. The rashes just kept coming back and continued to get worse each time. She recommended I see an allergist for an allergy panel test to see if there were any food or environmental allergies that might be causing my issues. This involved a skin prick test that focused on inhaled and ingested allergens, but unfortunately, it led to another dead end. My dermatologist decided it was time to do a skin punch biopsy on the rash to see if we could get any answers that way / rule out anything more serious. This was kind of a last ditch effort that she was trying to avoid since it involves leaving a permanent scar. The results showed elevated eosinophils, which are essentially white blood cells that indicate inflammation, signaling that my body was still reacting to something, but we still didn’t know what that was.
I will say that my dermatologist was definitely one of the few doctors I went to during this prrocess who I always felt was actually listening to me. She was always there to support me, responding instantly to my messages through my health portal and getting me in right away whenever the pain in my skin became unbearable. It was so comforting to have someone who I could always reach out to during this process. The point being is that if you feel like your doctor isn't doing as much as they can or not listneing, please go get a second opinion from somebody else.
After doing some research on my own, I decided to take an at-home food sensitivity test from Everly to see if it could help explain what I was going through. The results came back showing that I was sensitive to several foods to varying degrees. I cut all of them out of my diet and then slowly reintroduced them to figure out my biggest triggers. Gluten ended up being the worst offender. I really thought that with all this new information about my contact allergies and gluten intolerance, I’d start feeling better. But I still just kept getting worse.
In the midst of all of this my white blood cell count kept dropping. It went from a 6.8 to 3.5, officially registering as "abnormal" so I went to go see a hematologist as a precaution. He ended up ruling out anything serious, but suggested I might be dealing with some autoimmune issues. I also saw a GI doctor who kind of just brushed me off and told me to focus on digestion since I was severely constipated. It felt extremely dismissive and I remember feeling so frustrated.
After hearing so many people suggest I see a naturopath, I finally booked an appointment. At my first appointment she sat down with me and consumed every ounce of information I was telling her from start to finish. She didn't look at what I was going through from a singular angle, but rather looked at the picture as a whole to try and connect all the dots. After hearing everything I had been going through she immediately had me take a GI Map test which analyzes the gut microbiome for imbalances and blood work to check for some other things. My GI map came back completely abnormal and based on my results she was fairly positive I might have SIBO because some of my bacterial levels were 7x higher than what they should have been. The test also indicated that my body makes gluten antibodies which basically meant that my gluten sensitity was more heightend. To confirm whether or not I had SIBO she had me do a hydrogen breath test which showed that I not only had SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), but also IMO (Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth).
SIBO and IMO are gut disorders where excessive bacteria or methane-producing organisms disrupt digestion by fermenting food in the small intestine. This leads to intense bloating, severe constipation (especially with IMO which was my case), and nutrient deficiencies, because the bacteria consumes vital nutrients. Beyond digestive hell, the toxin overload and gut imbalance can trigger chronic skin issues, like inflamed rashes, cystic acne, and persistent redness, making these conditions feel absolutely debilitating both internally and externally. As scary as it was to hear these results I cried the happiest tears to finally get an answer as to what was going on with me. She also ran a mycotoxin test as a precaution to check for mold exposure and luckily that came back normal.
PART I: My Treatment Plan: SIBO/IMO
My naturopath explained that there is still a lot of gray area around these conditions and that SIBO and IMO can be extremely tricky to treat. Both conditions require a combination of dietary changes, antibiotics or antimicrobials, and sometimes even motility support to manage symptoms and prevent relapses. Antibiotics or herbal antimicrobials can help, but they don’t always clear everything out on the first round, and overgrowths tend to come back if the underlying causes (like slow gut motility or imbalances) aren’t addressed.
On top of that, each person’s gut responds SO differently, so what works for one might not work for another. Some people need specific diets, like low-FODMAP or SIBO-specific food plans, to reduce fermentation, while others might need extra help with digestion. It’s a process of trial and error, and it often takes time and patience to find what actually works long-term.
Ultimately she said that I had three treatment options: traditional antibiotics, herbal antibiotics, or the elemental diet. However she advised against traditional antibiotics because she said that they kill both good and bad bacteria resulting in potentially doing more harm than good. The elemental diet was the one she strongly suggested I do since it is the most effective option, but it was also the most extreme. Desperate to not feel like this anymore I agreed.
Below is a breakdown of my exact treatment plan, however, I need to be very clear that this is not a one size fits all kind of treatment and what worked for me might not be the best option for you. You should speak with your doctor and schedule an appointment with a naturopath who can create an individualized treatment plan based on your specific situation. Regarding the gut health maintenance supplements and vitamins in PART II, these are more general recommendations that are definitely worth adding to your routine so long as you don’t have any underlying health conditions that would make them unsuitable for you. It's always reccomended to check with your doctor before taking anything new either way.
Diet Adjustments: I followed a low-FODMAP diet for months. This diet eliminates high-FODMAP foods and then you slowly start reintroducing them to see which ones are best tolerated. I personally cut out gluten and dairy entirely during this process (both are high-FODMAP), which was a game-changer with my strong gluten sensitivity. I also kept sugar and refined carbs low to avoid feeding any overgrowth. Treatment or no treatment this is great way to try and tackle your symptomns on your own.
First Attempt at Treatment: Elemental Diet
As mentioned above, this is known to be one of the most effective approaches for SIBO at 80% effective, but it's also one of the most extreme.
Why? Because for two weeks I was only allowed to consume this pre-digested formula in place of regular food/drinks. So for every single meal for 14 days I had to drink the same exact forumla and if I am being brutally honest it tasted disgusting. Mixing it with ice like a smoothie helped, but not much.
What forumla did I use? The exact brand of formula I used was called Elemental Heal- Whey Free. I ordered both the peach/chocolate flavors to mix things up, but the peach was untolerable in my opinion.
How does it work? The formula is made up of the simplest forms of proteins, fats, and carbs, so there’s nothing complex for the gut to break down, and they’re designed to "starve out" the bacteria by giving them nothing to feed on.
Results? Unfortunately, it ultimately didn’t get rid of my SIBO/IMO and when I retook the hydrogen breath test it still came back abnormal. This absolutely devastated me because I thought for sure this was going to be the end. My naturopath basically assured me as shitty as it is there is still hope. Regardless I do also think that it helped alot, because it gave my digestive system a complete break from complex foods.
Second Attempt at Treatment: Herbal Approach (ultimately ended up doing this treatment 2x for two weeks each)
Diet Adjustment: Resumed a low-FODMAP diet during the entirety of this treamtent.
Main Treatment Supplemnet:
Allicillin: There are several different types of herbal antibiotic routes that you can take, but my naturopath reccomended Allicillin for my particular situation.
What is that? Allicillin is derived from garlic and has antimicrobial properties that are effective against harmful bacteria in the gut. It targets both bacteria (SIBO) and methane-producing organisms (IMO), reducing overgrowth without wiping out all the beneficial bacteria as harsher antibiotics might. It's also less likely to disrupt the gut’s overall balance, making it a gentler option that some people tolerate better.
Dosage? I took 2 capsules, 3x per day before meals.
Results? The first round of treatment didn't really feel like it worked, but by the second round and incorpating all the supplements in my routine I started noticing a huge difference. I technically never redid my hydrogen breath test to officially confirm my SIBO/IMO are gone, but I have been symptom free for almost a year now so I truly didnt feel the need to take the test again.
Supplements for Support:
Ginger Root: I took this for digestive support, helping ease bloating and discomfort. This was gentle enough for regular use, I was told to take two capsules before bed.
Activated Charcoal: I used this only as needed in case I was experncing any "die off" symptomns from the treatment as it helps absorb them.
Similase GFCF: I took 3 capsules with meals. This digestive enzyme helps break down proteins, carbs, and fats, including gluten which reduces strain on the digestive system.
PART II: Maintaining Gut Health
Focusing on maintaining your gut health afterwards is so important to prevent relapse. I'm not sure of the validity behind the statement I am about to make, but if you ask me I don't think you ever truly "get rid" of SIBO and IMO completely. I think it's something you need to be very mindful of for the rest of your life and to be honest I'm okay with that as long as I'm no longer living in the hell I was previously. I have learned to listen to my body and adjust my diet/supplements accordingly based on how I’m feeling. It’s an ongoing process, but it's been almost a year of being symptom free.
Below is a snapshot of all my supplements/vitamins and you can click here to shop them all on amazon. PS..MROSUGARED will get you 25% off the Mary Ruth's Liquid multivitamin only*
These are all the things I implement into my routine now to maintain my gut health:
MotilPro: I still take MotilPro in the morning when I need a little extra motility support, but I only take 1 per day now...I was taking 3. It helps maintain regular movement and avoid a relapse.
Magnesium: I take magnesium in the morning because it personally keeps me awake, whereas most people use it to help them sleep. This helps support regularity and motility for me throughout the day.
Mary Ruth’s Liquid Multivitamin (peach mango flavor): If you're not already taking a daily multivitamin then you probably should be. I take a shot of this multivitamin daily and couldnt .recocommend it enough. It taste good and is packed with essential vitamins and minerals that promote overall health, boost energy levels, and support immune function. It’s a great way to fill any nutritional gaps in your diet. Here is a link to this product, MROSugared will also get you 25% off.
Similase GFCF: I use this as needed. For example, if I know I’m going to eat gluten (which is rare, but sometimes ya just crave certain things) or if I am going out to eat I take 2 capsules with my food to support digestion and break down any gluten. This has been an absolute game changer for me. FYI, I am not celiac and this will not help somebody who is celiac when it comes to gluten!!
Atrantil: This is helpful for managing any bloating and discomfort. I only use as needed.
Ginger Root: I took this for digestive support, helping ease bloating and discomfort. I only use this as needed and do not take daily.
Celery Juice: I started drinking celery juice in December 2023 and I truly think this has been an integral part of my healing. Celery juice contains several nutrients and has anti-inflammatory properties that promote digestion and reduce bloating. I shared the recipe I follow on my instagram, click here for the recipe.
Other Tips
I highly reccomend downloading the Yuka and Think Dirty apps on your phone becasue they allow you to search for certain ingriedents in products/food more easily to see if they are harmeful or if your allergens are in them. I also always suggest that people avoid the word "fragrance" in your products as much as you can because it's basically a term that often conceals a mixture of chemicals because they are considered a "trade secret" basically allowing companies to keep what the actual ingredients are hidden. This makes it hard to know exactly what ingredients are in the product and whether they might trigger allergies, sensitivities, or other reactions.
I hope sharing all of this resonates with anyone facing similar struggles and helps you get the answers that you're looking for. You are your own best advocate for your health, so don't take no for an answer because we know our bodies best. Everybody's path is unique, so finding what works for you is so important. If you have any questions my DMs are always open to talk, you got this!
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PS... for those that are new here my name is Stephanie and I am a Connecticut based content creator and influencer. My platforms were created with two simple premises in mind— what to wear and where to wear it. I focus primarily on fashion and travel content, but I also share a ton of my everyday life and all the things that make me well, me.
Sugared Stilettos (@sugaredstilettos) is where you will find all of the outfit inspo and styling tips.
Sugared Travels (@sugaredtravels) is home to all things food, things to do, and travel tips/guides.
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