Dealing with SIBO: Any advice?
in Health ·
SIBO - Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
It’s confirmed via a breath test after drinking a lactulose solution.
The gas produced by the bacteria passes through the small intestine into the bloodstream and is eventually exhaled through the lungs.
A breath test can come back positive for:
Hydrogen
Methane
Hydrogen methane Hydrogen-sulfide (as far as I know, there isn't a test for this specific gas available here in the States)
or a combination of the above.
SIBO is actually the underlying cause for 70-80% of IBS cases.
It’s mostly caused by impaired motility—basically, the gut slows down significantly following food poisoning.
Antibodies like Anti-CdtB and Anti-Vinculin start appearing, which attack the intestinal nerves, though there isn't a test for that locally.
The lines of defense are:
- Antibiotics like XIFAXAN (around $500, insurance won't cover it)
- Herbal antibiotics
- Elemental diet—consuming liquid nutrition to starve the bacteria
- FODMAP diet—this only helps manage symptoms, doesn't fix the cause
- Speeding up digestion, e.g., Iberogast
- Keeping a 5-hour gap between meals; no snacking in between
Reddit is an excellent resource for info.
This guy explained exactly what most people with SIBO go through:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53f1gsRUxvY
Google Dr. Mark Pimentel; he's been researching SIBO in the USA for years.
I'm dealing with this mess myself. Symptoms started in late 2020, but I didn't get a diagnosis until December 2021 after bouncing between doctors who kept telling me "nothing is wrong, you're imagining it." The real issue is that SIBO causes symptoms that aren't even related to digestion.
Took XIFAXAN in January 2022, but saw zero improvement. In a few days, I'm trying again following my doctor's advice—don't stick to restrictive diets while taking the antibiotics.
It’s confirmed via a breath test after drinking a lactulose solution.
The gas produced by the bacteria passes through the small intestine into the bloodstream and is eventually exhaled through the lungs.
A breath test can come back positive for:
Hydrogen
Methane
Hydrogen methane Hydrogen-sulfide (as far as I know, there isn't a test for this specific gas available here in the States)
or a combination of the above.
SIBO is actually the underlying cause for 70-80% of IBS cases.
It’s mostly caused by impaired motility—basically, the gut slows down significantly following food poisoning.
Antibodies like Anti-CdtB and Anti-Vinculin start appearing, which attack the intestinal nerves, though there isn't a test for that locally.
The lines of defense are:
- Antibiotics like XIFAXAN (around $500, insurance won't cover it)
- Herbal antibiotics
- Elemental diet—consuming liquid nutrition to starve the bacteria
- FODMAP diet—this only helps manage symptoms, doesn't fix the cause
- Speeding up digestion, e.g., Iberogast
- Keeping a 5-hour gap between meals; no snacking in between
Reddit is an excellent resource for info.
This guy explained exactly what most people with SIBO go through:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53f1gsRUxvY
Google Dr. Mark Pimentel; he's been researching SIBO in the USA for years.
I'm dealing with this mess myself. Symptoms started in late 2020, but I didn't get a diagnosis until December 2021 after bouncing between doctors who kept telling me "nothing is wrong, you're imagining it." The real issue is that SIBO causes symptoms that aren't even related to digestion.
Took XIFAXAN in January 2022, but saw zero improvement. In a few days, I'm trying again following my doctor's advice—don't stick to restrictive diets while taking the antibiotics.