Hi everyone,

I’m new here and looking for guidance.

From March to May 2025, I took fluoxetine (Prozac) 60 mg daily. I stopped abruptly (cold turkey). A few weeks after stopping, I developed severe abdominal pain and later tested positive for methane SIBO (IMO).

My current understanding is that fluoxetine withdrawal may have disrupted my gut motility—especially the MMC (migrating motor complex)—and that this slowed motility led to IMO. Even after treatment attempts, it feels like my gut/enteric “nerve” function hasn’t returned, and I keep relapsing with ongoing abdominal pain.

What would you recommend as the next step?
Should I consider reinstating fluoxetine (even at a very small dose) and tapering slowly, or is there a better approach for this kind of situation?

Any advice or similar experiences would really help. Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum!

 

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SIBO and gut issues are certainly something I have seen regularly on this forum and on SA which was another large forum that is closing down now.

 

Symptoms from withdrawal improving and then "relapsing" as they improve very slowly over time is quite a common phenomenon as well.

 

Are you have any other symptoms other than the gut issues? My person feeling would be that if the answer is not really, that you might want to consider dietary changes and other non-drug treatments over reinstatement as this carries its own risks.

 

Have you observed any changes in your symptoms over the last 8ish months? You've mentioned "relapsing", have you noticed anything about the frequency or intensity of these relapses? Were the gut symptoms constant initially before beginning to improve (with relapses between)?

Yeah — about 1–2 weeks after stopping, I started feeling like my digestion wasn’t working properly, and I didn’t have any other issues besides the gut problems.

I think my gut nerves related to the MMC (migrating motor complex), which is important in SIBO, have gotten worse — I even suspect they may have been damaged.

In September, I did a 3-week fast, and during that time it felt like the methane-producing microbes were basically wiped out, so I felt much better. But when I didn’t take any medication to strengthen the MMC (a prokinetic / motility regulator), about three weeks later my slow gut motility came back and the methane overgrowth relapsed.

I always manage my diet, but my intestines are so slow that whatever I eat feels like it just sits there and stagnates. That’s why I also get a lot of gas and bloating.

Even when I try eradication treatments that are supposed to help SIBO (like antibiotics), they don’t seem to work for me at all unless I’m also taking a motility-promoting medication.

I’m 19 years old, and this is really hard for me. I’m 183 cm tall and weigh 58 kg

I’m wondering whether this kind of gut-nerve issue can recover, what I should do to help it recover, and how long it might take. Every day feels like hell... 

Hey @godforgiveme

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Sorry to hear about your problems recently.

 

As Luke has said SIBO is discussed on SA a fair bit.

 

ADs do mess with our gut health for sure.  I agree with Luke in my opinion reinstating isn't really an option for you. You are quite far out now and you didn't take it for long so dependance may well have been lower as a result. Obviously this totally your decision. 

 

Time. Its the best healer.

 

With our guts my view is to be holistic. Good food plenty of liquid and exercise. There are other things you can research which I have no experience on. Like specific diets that may be worth looking into. My basic approach is that our bodies know what to do. We must simply not get in the way and give them the things they need. Nutrition etc.  Balanced diet and so on.

 

Your nervous system is likely sensitive now. So Antibiotics for example you may not tolerate well. Take them if you need but Id avoid where possible. Antibiotics certainly mess up your gut biome too. So that won't help matters IMO.

 

Just to reiterate. We are not doctors and are just sharing our peer thoughts with a fellow sufferer.

 

Chippy

It is quite difficult for us to advise on specific medical conditions such as SIBO.

 

What we can say is that gut issues are common in withdrawal and they can improve in time.

 

In the meantime, I'd be seeking specialist advice on SIBO/gut health, both from traditional clinicians but also more holistic providers and see what they say. The fact that you did a fast and felt better is probably a clue to go on.

Hello @godforgiveme, welcome to the forum. I’m very sorry about your suffering. I cannot give you any advice, but I’m sure there will be a solution for you. You are very young and the Gut is renewing itself a lot. just to encourage you. 
The fasting can be a good hint, but of course, not a solution for you. You’re obviously already very very thin. Have you had a sophisticated and differentiating analysis of your micro biome? I just talked to a specialist about it and might be an idea…

sending prayers your direction.

nemina 
 

21 hours ago, godforgiveme said:

Hi everyone,

I’m new here and looking for guidance.

From March to May 2025, I took fluoxetine (Prozac) 60 mg daily. I stopped abruptly (cold turkey). A few weeks after stopping, I developed severe abdominal pain and later tested positive for methane SIBO (IMO).

My current understanding is that fluoxetine withdrawal may have disrupted my gut motility—especially the MMC (migrating motor complex)—and that this slowed motility led to IMO. Even after treatment attempts, it feels like my gut/enteric “nerve” function hasn’t returned, and I keep relapsing with ongoing abdominal pain.

What would you recommend as the next step?
Should I consider reinstating fluoxetine (even at a very small dose) and tapering slowly, or is there a better approach for this kind of situation?

Any advice or similar experiences would really help. Thanks in advance.

Hi @godforgiveme warm Greetings,

So very sorry for the gut issues you experiencing, I definitely relate.

It is known that SSRIs and SNRIs can cause IBS as well as a host of other gastro problems, but does the body know how to heal from the damage? The medical community is definitely useless in answering this question, so all that remains is to hope.

I want to believe that as the body cleanses itself, it will know how to resolve these issues over time, but maybe I am naive here, I don't know..

If you find something helpful I would love to hear and if I happen to come across something that works for me, I will certainly let you know.

As for restarting, it hasn't worked for me in the past, made things worse actually and since the medication is almost certainly the cause, it's not something I recommend, but that's just me.

Sorry to not have any helpful advice or solutions, just know you're not alone in this.

Really hope it gets better for you SOON.