Why is my gut such a mess?
Not a diagnosis: a head start. These are the three drivers most worth checking first, based on what the evidence says gets missed most often.
IBS is a starting point
It is a description, not an explanation. The question is what is driving yours.
Rule out the impostors
Coeliac, SIBO and inflammatory disease all wear the IBS mask. Each has a test.
Food diary beats guessing
Two honest weeks of food + symptom tracking finds more than elimination roulette.
Coeliac screen, faecal calprotectin, H. pylori
1. Start a two-minute note so the pattern becomes visible.
2. Take the test list above with you so you can explain the pattern clearly.
3. Read the evidence: Your Gut Microbiome Is as Unique as Your Fingerprint - and It Controls More Than You Think · Your Gut Is Talking to Your Brain: The Autism-Microbiome Connection That Changes Everything · Is It IBS or SIBO? Symptom Checklist & Comparison (UK).
Education, not diagnosis, and never a replacement for your GP or pharmacist. Reference ranges and guidance vary; sudden, severe or worsening symptoms need 111, or 999 in an emergency. By Hussain Sharifi · independent, affiliate-free health research.