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Have you successfully treated SIBO?

Digestive Health | Last Active: Sep 6 1:30pm | Replies (50)

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I don't believe diet was a factor for me. At least 15 years prior, I started eating only organic, was gluten free and really didn't indulge much in "junk food" (or alcohol). Aside from severe workplace stress (and recovering from childhood PTSD), my SIBO is due to impaired motility stemming from withdrawal from an SNRI; this particular SNRI was the subject of many lawsuits due to a sometimes deadly withdrawal syndrome.
Most of the neurotransmitters reside in the gut and various forms of 5-HT (serotonin) are responsible for aspects of gut functionality (including motility). It's interesting to note a Gastroenterologist I saw when I was first diagnosed (by a Naturopath) told me that a significant number of his patients suffer gastrointestinal issues while either on antidepressants or from withdrawal. In any case...
I've benefitted a bit from protocols and recommendations by Dr Siebecker, (leading SIBO physician and researcher); Dr Pimentel, and others; based on their websites, podcasts, papers, etc. I worked with a Naturopath initially and then a Functional Nutritionist years back. Only over the last 6 months or so was the motility issue broached when I started seeing a Gastroenterology specialist (for symptoms that seemed atypical of SIBO but I suspect are related).
It's quite unfortunate if not tragic for some of us, that most of "mainstream" medicine is not informed about the latest SIBO research (done by Dr Pimentel and his team at Cedars Sinai); I've gotten (bad) advice ranging from take laxatives and PPIs and probiotic strains known to feed methane SIBO. They advertised "SIBO Practitioner" but are sorely ignorant about not only the complexities/types but the actual research on this condition.

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Replies to "I don't believe diet was a factor for me. At least 15 years prior, I started..."

I couldn't agree more with what you are saying about the medical community, though I do think food is a part of things for me. I'm seeing a physician in Pimental's practice currently. I've also read the others you mention and consulted with Lindeman's clinic (assistants). I also have a naturopath in addition to my "western" GP. I never took antidepressants (very short trial very long ago and way before SIBO). Have you found magnesium and liposomal vitamin C helpful for the constipation? The push toward PPIs etc is rampant. How are you doing now and what are your major protocols if any?

Dr. Pimentel's research is not specifically focused on IMO/ SIBO. His book, published a year or two ago, discusses a wider range of GI ailments. That said, he may be in the best position to identify a "silver bullet" treatment protocol. Treatment is difficult because there are varying causes for different individuals and everyone's gut flora are different. There are thousands of strains of bacteria. It's worth noting that most strains are not intrinsically "bad" or "good" but have metastasized in the wrong location- the small intestine. (Notice my use of "most").

If you have IMO, you also have SIBO, because the methanogens that comprise IMO need the hydrogen produced by SIBO to survive. You may well be able to dispel IMO, which tends to stay gone; often supplements containing garlic can make that happen (I used Allimax). But SIBO is a tougher customer, and you need to identify and, hopefully, deal with the underlying cause to vanquish it completely.