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Clinician handoff

Gut

Designed for a 60-second scan in primary care. Use this to explain why this theory fits, what would weaken it, and which tests are most worth discussing.

Why this still fits

I want to evaluate whether digestive triggers are contributing to my brain fog and how to separate broad gut involvement from SIBO, food sensitivity, reflux, anxiety, or medication effects.

What would weaken it

  • -Does the fog consistently follow meals with bloating, reflux, bowel changes, or abdominal pain?
  • -Is this broader gut-pattern brain fog, or is there a stronger case for SIBO, food sensitivity, or medication side effects?
  • -Do symptoms improve more with meal composition changes than with sleep or posture changes?

Key points to communicate

  • Please document what findings would confirm this cause versus lower confidence.
  • I want an evidence-first workup with clear follow-up criteria.
  • Please note which competing causes should be checked in parallel if results are inconclusive.
  • Please separate metabolic, sleep, autonomic, and medication overlap before narrowing to one cause.

Tests and measurements to discuss

Need the fuller context? Use the test explainers for the measurement itself, or jump back to the tests section on the Gut page to see how the tests fit the whole pattern.

What this helps clarify: Screens for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

Range context

Negative for H₂/CH₄ rise

How to use the result

Save the result with date and symptoms from the same week.

What this helps clarify: Patient-facing celiac serology explainer route focused on the test wording users actually bring from clinician visits.

Range context

Serology context

How to use the result

Save the result with date and symptoms from the same week.

What this helps clarify: Identify fog-causing meds: benzos, anticholinergics, etc.

Range context

Pharmacist consultation

How to use the result

Save the result with date and symptoms from the same week.

Gut Health Investigation

Calprotectin >50 = gut inflammation. Zonulin elevation = intestinal permeability. Low pancreatic elastase = poor digestion. These guide targeted intervention.

What this helps clarify: Calprotectin >50 = gut inflammation.

A1c + fasting glucose context review

Average metrics can miss clinically relevant variability patterns.

What this helps clarify: This route is for the situation where HbA1c and fasting glucose do not fully explain a strong post-meal or fasting crash pattern.

Range context

Interpret with timing pattern

How to use the result

If the averages are normal but the crashes are repeatable, ask what test would better capture variability.

Peer-reviewed references

  1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019
  2. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00031-18
  3. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018
  4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6973648/