Journal Gut health

The tests came back normal. So why do you still feel unwell?

“Normal” results rule out a lot. They don’t always explain how you feel. Here’s what else might be going on, and where to start.

By Clare · · 6 min read

If you’ve been through blood tests, scans or a scope and come away with “everything looks normal”, you might feel relieved and frustrated in the same breath. Relieved, because serious things have been ruled out. Frustrated, because you still feel exactly the same.

I know that feeling well. For years it was my normal, too.

Normal rules things out. It doesn’t always explain.

Medical tests are very good at finding disease: inflammation you can see, infection, damage, deficiencies below a set line. That matters, and it’s always the right first step. But a lot of digestive symptoms are about how your gut is working, not what it looks like. IBS, for example, is diagnosed partly by ruling other things out. A clear result tells you what it isn’t. It rarely tells you what to do next.

A clear result tells you what it isn’t. It rarely tells you what to do next.

What else might be going on

  • Meal rhythm. Long gaps, grazing, or coffee on an empty stomach can leave your energy and your digestion on a rollercoaster.
  • Stress. Your gut has its own nervous system, and it listens closely to your brain. Busy, anxious weeks change how quickly food moves through and how sensitive your gut feels.
  • Fibre. Too little keeps things sluggish; too much, too fast, can make bloating worse. It’s about the right amount and the right kinds, for you.
  • Sleep. Poor sleep affects appetite, cravings, energy and gut sensitivity the next day.
  • Your personal triggers. Not a list of “bad foods”, but the patterns that are specific to you, and that are worth finding carefully rather than guessing at.
  • The whole picture. Past antibiotics, medication, hormones, eating on the go: they all play a part.

Three small things

Where to start this week

  1. Keep a simple diary for seven days.

    What you ate, when, how you felt afterwards, and how you slept and how stressed you were. Patterns show up faster than you’d think.

  2. Eat at regular times, sitting down.

    Aim for three meals, roughly the same times each day, and give each one twenty minutes.

  3. Choose one reliable, soothing meal.

    Something simple and warm you know agrees with you, for the days when everything feels hard.

You’re not imagining it

Feeling unwell with “normal” results is common, and it’s real. The good news is that there’s usually a lot you can do. If you’d like help making sense of your own picture, a free 20-minute call is a gentle place to start.

This article is general information, not personal medical advice.

Written by

Clare

Nutritional therapist and gut-health coach. For years I lived with IBS, low thyroid and an unhappy gut; now I help women build the tool bag I wish I’d had.

Read my story

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