I was told that IBS could really be Sibo. Your Thoughts?

[surfjen]

If anyone out there that does not know what sibo stands for it is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. I guess the bad bacteria when it gets in our small intestine will cause havoc. So anyways I was told that IBS could really be Sibo. Does anyone out there have any experience with this?

I did the Sibo test that measures how much methane and hydrogen your gut is producing that indicates whether it is sibo or not.

The thing that stresses me out is my gastrologist says it is not sibo but my MD thinks it might be. When two docs dont agree I am pulling my hair out of my head. I want to know what it is exactly..

jen

[dotty423]

How do you do a test for SIBO? I have heard of it and often wondered if it could be related to bacteria in the gut. I certainly produce a lot of methane!!!!!!!

[surfjen in reply to dotty423]

I got a kit from the doctor to take home....

[nedds]

hi. How awkward to have doctors agreeing. I took it into my own hands & bought a test online from biolab & did it at home, am awaiting the results. It involved a very restricted diet (pretty much meat and white rice) the day before and just water overnight for 14 hours before starting. Then drink a lactulose solution and collect breath samples over the next 3 hours.

[surfjen in reply to nedds]

curious to know your results

[nedds in reply to surfjen]

Thanks surfjen. Just heard my SIBO result was positive & like you I want to find out whether the antibiotics route will help (low fodmaps have helped me a lot but not got rid of the constant wind problems). I am dreading taking the SIBO result to my GP or gastroenterologist as neither had even heard od Fodmaps so I suspect they will not know anything about SIBO either.

[surfjen in reply to nedds]

siboinfo.com/elemental-form...

check out link above- this lady allison supposely specializes in sibo... I am a bit of a skeptic right now since I got my gastro telling me it is not sibo...and he is having me do the fodmap... maybe helping a little but not signifigantly.. I also heard the sibo test could give a false positive.. and yet I am not convinced..

Then I have another doc a MD/Holistic doc telling me he thinks it is sibo and so I did the test and came up positive. so I did the antibiotics for 10 days.. it did relieve some bloating but not eliminate the symptoms entirely.. sometimes you have to do a like two rounds of this antiobiotic protocol to get relieve.. then from what I hear it is diet and the herbal protocol after the antiobiotic that you follow for up possibly for a year to resolve the issue..

I am currently still trying the fodmap and going to re-test for sibo and also get another opinion from another gastro doc

[nedds in reply to surfjen]

Thanks. I am convinced by the positive result, everything seems to fit! I'm happy to stay on a restricted diet for an extended period as I have adapted to low fodmaps.anyway. I will probably go the private route to get antibiotics and advice as I've had an awful time getting nhs to take note of anything like this & really doubt I'd get anything useful from them. Good luck with your fodmaps, re-test and further appt.

[surfjen in reply to nedds]

keep in touch...good luck too

[nedds in reply to surfjen]

I'm guessing you are in the U.S as I have now seen a private gastroenterologist here in UK, who completely refused the antibiotics just like the NHS. I am going to follow the herbal route with a nutritionist, plus strict low fodmaps and very low carbs of any kind as these feed the bacteria. Cutting carbs especially sugar seems to be helping already. Fingers crossed!

[Wonderwall3 in reply to nedds]

That is ridiculous! "A Gastroenterologist who has never heard of FODMAPs?! Ask to be referred to a Gastro dietician for enlightenment!

[denvajade]

Hi I did a fabulous cleanse with garlic and parsley tablets and probiotics every day for a month.

[surfjen in reply to denvajade]

so it sounds like it helped you a great deal. yes?

[denvajade in reply to surfjen]

yes it was a great help.

[surfjen in reply to denvajade]

what did your diet consist of? Did you still eat some carbs?

[surfjen in reply to surfjen]

two questions how strict was your diet? did you still eat some carbs? also how much of each of those herbs and probiotics where you taking?

[denvajade in reply to surfjen]

hi, I took the recommended dose of garlic tabs 2 per day, 1 probiotic per day for 30 days. After about 4 days the bowel motions were explosive!!! to much info! raw veges or juiced veges just gassed me up so i had porridge for breakfast, homemade vege soup with slice bread for lunch, veges with fish for dinner but no meat or chicken as it is slow to digest, also cut out any extra fat and sugars, no fruit or fruit juice. let me know how you go.x

[surfjen in reply to denvajade]

thank you for that info....

[denvajade in reply to surfjen]

you are welcome, keep us in touch with what happens.

[Bibabunny in reply to denvajade]

Where did you find out about the cleanse and how did it work?

[new2IBS in reply to denvajade]

garlic didn't upset anything given it is a major FODMAP?

[surfjen]

If I have it think I will first do the round of antibiotics first along with diet...just to get a huge jump start

of course I will need to take a lot of probiotics to counteract the antibiotic... not sure if this is my issue since I have two docs saying two different things .. one says I think it is sibo and the other thinks it is ibs... so for now I am trying the fodmap and so far not getting better

[denvajade in reply to surfjen]

Hi there I did the garlic and parsley tablets with the probiotics and got amazing results, now I have an enzyme tablet before each meal ! Worth a try.

[denvajade]

Hi I was told I had IBS but new it was more than that with a 9month preggy looking stomach, an online doctor suggested it was SIBO, and told me about the cleanse, better if you stop meat for a few days to allow a flush thru, I had a great response re clear out. wishing you well.

[new2IBS in reply to denvajade]

I have the "pregnant belly" too

Do I need to stop eating veges, do you think? I am basically living on a diet of carrots, green beans, salad leaves/kale and as protein eggs/tuna/fish as well as nuts/seeds some gojis and coconut oil. That is the full range of food I eat. Oh. plus coffee :/

I can't stand the thought of giving up even more veges than I have already for ten weeks of FODMAP

[Hidden]

I have written a post on this, including the most common symptoms of SIBO and Candida that may help you: sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/...

It's good to get professional medical advice, but also to trust your own intuition. You live with your body every day. Doctors only get to see you for a short time. Tests are a good indicator, but not 100% reliable.

If it is not SIBO, it could be Candida. I had Candida for years without realizing it.

Hope this helps you,

Alison

[301246]

I was tested positive for sibo 4 years ago with the breath test. Result was positive for hydrogen but as I'm constipated it should have read methane. Therefore no treatment was offered. However I saw the gastro last week and have been given an antibiotic which I'm to use with a probiotic. My private nutritionist says I also have a leaky gut. Lots of daily pain,constipation and trapped wind.