What you’re describing sounds very distressing, especially because it’s clearly affecting your diet and quality of life. Even when initial tests like colonoscopy, coeliac screening, and SeHCAT come back normal, symptoms like fat intolerance, urgent diarrhea, and food-triggered bad breath can still have several possible explanations.
One possibility is a form of functional gut disorder, such as IBS with strong food sensitivities, where standard tests don’t show structural disease but digestion is still highly reactive. Another angle worth re-checking is bile acid malabsorption, pancreatic enzyme insufficiency, or even SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)—these are sometimes missed or need specific breath/stool tests to detect properly. The “bad breath after eating” feeling can also come from fermentation issues in the gut rather than an actual mouth or throat problem.
Since you’ve already been discharged, it may help to go back to your GP with a very specific request rather than general concern. You could ask:
- “Could we re-evaluate for SIBO or do a hydrogen/methane breath test?”
- “Is pancreatic function (faecal elastase) worth checking?”
- “Could this still be bile acid-related despite previous testing?”
In terms of diet, your current safe foods are very restrictive, so it might be worth asking for a referral to a specialist dietitian to avoid nutritional deficiencies while investigations continue.
If symptoms are worsening or weight loss, anemia, or fatigue appear, don’t hesitate to push for a second gastro opinion. Sometimes persistence is needed even when first-line tests are normal.