After three months on SCD, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet outlined in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, I called it a day and switched back to low-FODMAPs. Why? Because once things settled down after the so-called two- to three-month flare, my symptoms returned with a vengeance. To be honest, I’d never had such severe issues for such prolonged periods of time as those I experienced over the past three months. And I knew for sure I’d been more stable on low-FODMAPs alone, so that’s what I went back to. Within days I already felt a bit better – gut-wise as well as energy-wise.
One week ago I had a glucose version of the hydrogen breath test to check for SIBO, as the hospital I went to doesn’t do the lactulose one. The issue with these tests is that neither is conclusive. Mine was negative, meaning I either don’t have SIBO, or if I do, it’s not detectable via the glucose test. I’m now waiting for an appointment with the gut specialist at a different hospital and doing my best until then. I’m not saying I’ve given up hope of finding the greater issue behind my symptoms. I keep coming back to the initial comment that sparked this journey for me: the low-FODMAP diet isn’t a forever diet. But it is a welcome pit stop until I get some answers.