Sibo Joint Pain

[tmoxon]

Just wondering whether anyone can advise what Sibo joint pain is like please ? I have a phone call with my GP on Friday and was going to ask about SIBO.

I am experiencing constant burping all of the time, some stomach pain but now have pain in both elbows, its like a stinging pain and they are also sensitive to the touch.

Thanks for any help

[Narwhal10]

Hi tmoxon,We are all different. I take a lots of supplements. I now get fatigued joint pain - aching and my range of movement lessens. BUT we all perceive things differently so, if it’s stabbing, piercing, throbbing for you then that’s what it is.

Give it a pain score out of 10.

Whether you need to apply hot or cold compresses.

Take pain killers, bind them or just need rest.

Also, please don’t be afraid to describe your bowel movements and stools to your GP if you wish to get tested for SIBO. Photos reinforce what is normal and not.

All the best

[tmoxon in reply to Narwhal10]

Thank you Narwhal10 I have to say I have never thought of taking photos of bowel movements . Its not something I would relish but it is a good idea. I appreciate you mentioning that we all perceive pain differently, I know we all get different symptoms with all of these conditions and no person is the same.

[Narwhal10 in reply to tmoxon]

Good luck for today. Let us know how you get on. Just another thought - your abdo pain. The GI tract is 25 ft long (I believe - don’t quote) so give the GP a better idea I.e. it is consistently in the same place. whether it’s lower left, above belly button etc.

My super pain is lower right quadrant where the small intestine joins the large bowel (the ileocaecal valve). 😊

[tmoxon in reply to Narwhal10]

Thank you Narwhal10 I will let you know, I didn't get the chance to write back to Mise yesterday due to feeling poorly. To be honest the bad pain in my stomach hasnt been there for a while, when I get it it does feel like its in the centre of my body

[Narwhal10 in reply to tmoxon]

Gastro problems can floor you and we all understand. Take good care 😊

[tmoxon in reply to Narwhal10]

Hi Narwhal10 just to let you know ive spoken to the gp and he is doing 3 stool samples and some blood tests ( not sure what blood tests are, but i did ask whether my platelet blood tests that ive had in the past and that are always over the normal level could indicate infection, so maybe he is testing that again.

[Narwhal10 in reply to tmoxon]

Hi, Hope you are ok. Well, it is a start, they have listened and are investigating. You can always ask phlebotomist what bloods they are taking or just get print outs when the results come through. 😊

[tmoxon in reply to Narwhal10]

Thanks I will take the advice and push for the tests if I can, thanks again for your help

[Narwhal10 in reply to tmoxon]

You are more than welcome. I hope you are feeling better. I totally understand about being ill, trying to educate yourself and knowing what to eat.

My knowledge of SIBO is limited but it’s a journey. Always happy to help. 😊

[Hidden]

Hi, for SIBO, my experience was that GP had never heard of it before (nor the NHS dietician). The gastro was entirely sketchy in knowledge as well and I had to prompt her to it as a possibility and then push for the test. Don't expect them to know anything about it, or have ever heard of it, so go armed with information. If they still are dismissive, you can have your own test done privately (£250) but will need doctor to prescribe dual antibiotic. Even after I had the private test done (owing to lockdown NHS appointments cancelled) GP would not prescribe the antibiotics as knew nothing about SIBO and had to have gastro appointment just to get the antibiotics. I don't know how much difference it has made overall, but for disgestive 'symptoms' - I use to also burp a lot, etc, and that has gone. It has also made a big difference to general 'digestive transit' (I am choosing my words politely.........). The biggie was the joint pain flare up and I still get that, but to slightly less extent if I eat the wrong foods, so don't know if that means SIBO not entirely resolved (did have follow up test that seemed to show it had). My pain points are hands (particularly thumb joints, one of which has damage), left shoulder, right hip (which is damaged) and left knee and right jaw (which I have never had xray'd but suspect damage). Also kicks of nerve pain in hands, and sometimes feet. It always flares up GI pain. It settles a bit with an anti-histamine and resolves within a couple of days (quicker than glutening which for me also kicks off joint pains). It's a stinging burning pain but no increased senstivity to touch. I've had to also look at histamine intolerance as another adiditional explanation for the pain flare up, but SIBO can kick off histamine intolerance, so I don't know if the SIBO is now resolved but my body has learned to now be intolerant to a lot of new foods as a result. I can tolerate some sugar now, which I couldn't before, but not high intensity sugars. It just gets very very confusing generally and it feels like firefighting rather than winning any wars. SIBO will cause bigger issues in gut permeability, so push on with the testing and be firm with you doctor on having it done. You can either be hydrogen or methane dominant SIBO and the methane one (which I had) can be more tricky with stronger antibiotic combination needed. As I always add, these days, check out histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome as they answer a lot of the weird symptoms but also both can be underpinned by SIBO.

[tmoxon]

Hi Mise thanks for the in-depth reply, I was going to write back yesterday but I was ill again so ended up in bed with a migraine.

From what you have said about your experience I think my appointment may be a waste of time

I am also thinking I might have a histamine intolerance after listening to a Liz Earle podcast, every few weeks I get ill with a headache which lasts about 4 days, sometimes on the first day I am being sick and have the runs at the same time. I take Sumatriptan to get rid of the headache.

Have you found that antihistamines make a difference, if so, do you have to take them all of the time or just when you feel you have been affected?

I am easily confused sometimes and feel overwhelmed with all of this at times

[Hidden in reply to tmoxon]

Hi tmoxon. Sorry you're under the weather. It's a rollercoaster of up and downs really. I think whatever tests your GP is offering, take them, but push for the SIBO also. Don't wait for them to suggest it as it will never happen. Histamine interolerance is an interesting one, and I think it tends to be underpinned by something else, like SIBO or candida overgrowth, or similar, but I stumbled on it by realising anti-histamine takes sting out of joint and GI pain. It doesn't solve the problem, but definitely takes the edge off. I went through phase of just taking one when I needed it, but then moved on, for about a month or so of just taking one every day to level down the histamine. Now back to one just whenever. The proper approach is apparently to take 2 per day - type 1 antihistamine (shop over counter ones) and type 2 (which tend to only be on prescription). Hormones apparently not good for histamine intolerance either, so can cause fluctuations of histamine reaction. I think histamine intolerance is, again, a symptom of underlying issues like SIBO, hormone fluctuation, environmental triggers, etc., but I have not seen anything to say ongoing use of anti-histamines is dangerous, but worth doing research. Worth also looking at the Mast Cell Activation Syndrome group on Facebook - a lot of worthy info in that (MCAS UK Support). A classic for histamine intolerance is heart palpitations which I was getting loads of. I suspected they were food related, and when I cut out high histamine foods they went, but they are also (confusingly) associated with SIBO, so the antibiotics could have solved most of the issue. Good test is to follow low histamine diet for a few weeks, and take anti-histamines also, and see what happens.

[tmoxon in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Mise I get so tired and run down at times that its not always easy to follow a new way of eating. I tried to go on a keto diet a few weeks ago but ended up failing when a family member had a birthday. All of the high histamine foods are what we would normally class as healthy as well which doesnt make it easier does it? I believe kefir and yoghurt ( which I had been eating to try to resolve the stomach issues) , spinach, avocado and greens etc are all high histamine foods. it just gets so confusing, thanks for your help, take care

[Hidden in reply to tmoxon]

No worries. Keep well.