Patient story

I thought I was recovering from my heart stopping — then my digestion completely changed

@gutpattern-115b24e7BronzeContributorShared July 2026

Current status

Still struggling
  1. Still struggling
  2. Somewhat resolved
  3. Mostly resolved
  4. Fully resolved
In their words

The story

Edited Jul 30, 12:35 PM

I had a sudden cardiac arrest on 3/25/24 and I haven’t been the same since. I was down for 25 minutes and received CPR that whole time until the paramedics arrived and shocked me four times. I’ve spent the last two years trying to figure out how to feel more normal. I think there was damage to my Vagus nerve and also my heart function and also possibly medications. I now have serious gastrointestinal problems. I’ve had an upper EGD and a colonoscopy. The endoscopy shows I have a hiatal hernia. Colonoscopy was normal. Had a CDI Breath, test, and symptoms confirm SIBO. If i eat and have urgent diarrhea. I’m not hungry most of the time. I have major food intolerances (dairy, gluten, high fodmap,) and get a lot of bloating in my upper abdomen and shortness of breath.

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What they were dealing with

Symptoms

severeseveresevereFood intolerancessevereLoss of appetitemoderateShortness of breathmoderate
What the workup showed

Tests & diagnoses

hiatal herniaColonoscopy performed.SIBO
Every treatment, and what happened

Treatments

Each treatment this contributor tried, in the order that mattered, with their own reported result. The ones marked with a trophy are the treatments they credit as decisive.

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Important

This is one person's reported experience aggregated by GutPattern, not clinical advice, a treatment protocol, or a diagnosis. What helped one contributor can do nothing — or harm — for someone with a different underlying cause. Sudden, severe, bloody, feverish, or worsening symptoms belong with medical care. Always discuss care decisions with a qualified clinician.