Hi,
Yes but not special foods first time around, definitely not certain foods that cause a reaction with SIBO. Like cabbage,. lettuce, peas and a range of other ordinary foods. I'm living on bread and water due to other health problems but even bread is a no no as is milk, I seem to recall sugar is also on the no list, I use Stevia. I think from my experience SIBO can be twice as bad as severe IBS problems. It really cuts up the stomach with severe abdominal pain. The excess gas is not a problem for me, may be for others around me!
My diet is very restrictive anyway so there is little I can cut out if I wish to continue to survive. I was enjoying my greens but they are now once a week and little amounts at that. I find I can get by with a slice of shaved ham each day on wholemeal bread but am limited to no more than 4 slices of bread per day with 6 cups of tea.
I use skinny milk with most of the goodness removed, so it looks like shoe whitener! My wife got me onto it and I hated it, now I find "real" milk is unpalatable to me! During the week I might have a meal of grilled chicken or fish, very small portions, with carrot and peas if I'm feeling good and throw in a small sweet potato for good measure. Everything I eat is of very small portions, too much and it sends me back into SIBO. For me it is essentially the overflow from the stomach which is not digesting food quick enough before it gets into the lower intestine.
Life is not fun with food for me but I do what I have to and my Gastrologist agrees with me, if I can tolerate it eat it. I love raw onion and still manage it in small amounts, one onion over 2 days, once a week. Onion has some beneficial effects besides being a prebiotic and a digestive. If you have a severe case of IBS don't just rock up and take probiotics, you will cause more damage than good. There is a specific regime in taking probiotics when your IBS is really severe, if not followed you can make the gut flora worse and compound the problem.
Cheers