... I can't tolerate a very low carb diet or keto, which would help tremendously. Second, I can't tolerate higher doses of antibiotic herbs to kill off the bacterial overgrowth, without getting more flu-like flares consistently.
@Matthew_2
"low carb" is a confusing term because it means different things to different ppl...
>30g carbs per day is hardcore... I do this if I want to lose weight, and I still can't tolerate it all the time, so I do 1-2 days w more carbs, like 75-100g carbs per day... (this is called "carb cycling" although I discovered it by trial and error
You generally have to go >50g per day to be in ketosis (a metabolic state where you use ketones instead of glucose for primary energy source... ppl like it b/c their energy is more stable & consistent, and some ppl lose brain fog. of course, it has a positive benefit to digestive probs too b/c you're starving the bad bacteria).. NOTE about ketosis: As your body adjusts to ketosis, you'll feel lousy, which is called the keto flu... It lasts from a few days to a week usually... increase in fatigue and brain fog and, generally, a feeling of malaise...
75-100g carbs per day is still considered "low carb" but on the high end of low carb...
Re low starch / low carb guidelines, I like the SCD ("specific carbohydrate diet")... It was developed to treat serious intestinal problems, and is like a forerunner of FODMAPS (low fermentation diet, which leads to less bacteria)... FODMAPS excludes onions & garlic, but SCD allows these... These small differences make it easier for me to follow SCD..
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/listing/
Also, if you're hungry, try adding more healthy fats, like olive oil... Avocado oil is good, too, but it's high in histamines, which a lot of CFSers have a problem with.. I can't tolerate too much..