Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)

Take a look at this Diet which has helped me extremely
I have taken a mixture of Rifaximin and Neomycin for three weeks which seems to help alleviate symptoms...
There are herbal protocols you can also follow ... In the States no 1 seems to be Dr. Allison Siebecker from Portland.
I use raw ginger to help me with nausea....
It is so harsh and wish you wife well...
Priobiotics is great just fine the right ones and eating priobiotic foods are great but make sure it is aligned with any intolerances...the bacterial LOVE carbs, lactose and starch...
SMILES

I tested positive on a breath test for Bacterial Overgrowth one year ago! hI have been on the FODMAP diet for a few monts but I still have belching, nausea and wind. He also indicated that I had mild Pancreatic Inefficiency(EPI) and I have been taking Crean now for 4 months at dinner time which has improved the EPI. About 4 weeks ago my Gastro Doc put me on a 14 day Xifaxon regimin but i did not get much of an improvement.

My blood work all looks fine with good kidney function but i still have stomach discomfort it seems no matter what I eat. I

An example of my daily diet is: One 8 oz glass of water with my cardio meds - Amlodipine 10mg, Losartan 100mg. Triamin/NCTZ 37.5mg and Metaprolol 12mg follwed by Tea and toast with honey in the morning. For lunch i may have rice cerial or porridge with Lactaid milk or i may have a tuna sandwwich. For dinner I may have some fish usually baked in foil with a table spoon of olive oil and one half of a baked potato. I seldom dring any alcohol to see if that would help but it does not! I generally drink Gator aid and water!

I weight 198 lbs and my height is 69 inches. I am good health at 80 years and excercise daily in the pool and/or play tennis 3/4 times per week! However the SIBO issue is not getting better and I would like some advice from anyone expeiencing similar health issues please!

Welcome to Connect, @scotsman1.
I moved your message to this existing discussion in the Digestive group so that you could meet others who are living with and talking about SIBO. I encourage you to click VIEW & REPLY in this email notification and read through the past messages of this discussion thread, where you'll hear about the experiences of @saucy @doron @lighthouseceliac @jacque6977 @decosmo @lizbee78 @melaniewa and others. Many of them have talked about diet, including the FODMAP diet and specific carbohydrate diet (SCD).

You may also be interested in this discussion:
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/exocreine-pancreatic-insuffencyepi/

Long standing history ofGI symptoms, nausea, epigastric & abdominal pain & bloating, no appetite, wgt loss and general fatigue, resulting in not leaving the house. Had every diagnostic test and symptomatic medication available, all negative results, since 2008.
Finally figured out that my symptoms worsened following abdominal surgery ( Da Vinci & laporoscopy ) with symptoms matching abdominal adhesions. Now trying to find surgeon to to do laporoscopic exploratory abdominal, since adhesions match all symptoms.
Any thoughts?
JC, RN

Thank you!

I am brand new to this and I can relate to all of this. In 2014 I had surgery for compressed celiac and superior mesentery arteries. During surgery they found it was due to my diaphragm 'smushing' it. Called it MALS. Difficult surgery/recovery. Symptoms went away and then in 4 months the pain was back. Tests showed arteries narrowed again. I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was in remission, however the surgery and following stresses brought it back. I continued to have pain, at this time my dad suddenly passed, (devastating to me), I was POA and had my mom with beginning dementia. I finally went to a natural pathic doc. She diagnosed the SIBO right away with breath test. Problem-couldn't afford medicine. Took almost a year to get some. Took Xifixam, helped a bit, but 2 days off at most, all symptoms back. Also having 'artery' pain, hard to distinguish now which pain is for what. Tests showed I had to have another surgery for arteries, however I was not physically strong enough for another open surgery. I also was caring for my mom and that would not work. We decided to put 2 stents in. Much easier surgery!!! Still continue having pain. Did get a GI dr. I had ulcer, and another breath test, positive for SIbo, tried other antibiotics and finally xifaxim again. Same results. Was going to go back for endoscopy and see about SIbo and my mom suddenly passed from a stroke. It was hard to get appts with my GI, so switched docs, this one, kept saying pain is from artery and can't get rid of sibo due to low blood flow. I said well what about my sibo, and he gave me some other antibiotic, didn't work. My surgeon says not from arteries, so I got another great GI doc. did another sibo test, positive did round of Xifaxim, same results, then she wanted me to take another round, but this was much later. Doing all my research, you do meds, then retest right away to check levels again and so forth. I moved and she was leaving practice so no point in wasting expensive meds with no one to follow up and she wanted me to go to mayo. I was already referred for vascular, but no insurance at that time so I couldn't go . I am now at Mayo, doing testing. I don't know how much my dr. believes in sibo. She did make me feel like since I always had stomach issues, this was just stress. My stomach issue previously were nothing like this. I had the breath test but it was 2 hours only and glucose. Not going to tell results accurately. All studies show test must be at least 3 hours. Gases don't hit large intestine until 2nd hour and then colon. Also it must be lactulose. My test came back negative, and clinical correlation whatever that means. I emailed the dr. and explained how glucose doesn't hit the last 12-15 feet of small intestine let alone the rest. She did not comment on it. If I had known that, I wouldn't even have done it , waste of time and money.
I am sure most of you know the feeling, tired of being your own doctor. I have done so much research, My friends and husband say I should be an MD by now. But you know when you are sick everyday, afraid to eat, and then you finally get a diagnosis, but no one can help you, you do what you can to try to feel better and learn more.
I can tell you that sometimes ginger tea, but real ginger, helps nausea. I also have a prescription for promethazine, but can make you sleepy. A non sleepy one is Zofran.
A great website is DR. Allison Siebecker. She is an expert on sibo. I get all types of info. I recently watched a live sibo event, they called summit, which was amazing. There were drs, nutritionists, life coaches, it was great. I learned a lot.
Another thing I didn't mention is that scar tissue from surgery can also lead to sibo, if in abdominal area. All of this began after my surgery in 2014. Also have your dr. check for vitamin insufficiencies. There is malabsorption from the sibo. Herbal meds as well as the antibiotics work well together.
There are many different underlying reasons for Sibo, sometimes you may never know, but you have to get rid of the bacteria, and then heal your gut. Now if I can get someone to help me with that, that would help!!
Thanks for listening.
If anyone received good help at Mayo for sibo, please let me know. I would appreciate it.

A while back (before pancreas surgery, a stroke and open heart surgery) I was told I had Candida, treated it naturally with diet not sure if it went away and from what I have read and understand, it can be a precursor to SIBO ( I feel I found this information on Dr Allison's website...I'm wondering if that isn't the root cause of my SIBO???
My GI Dr -who is NOT big fan of alternative medications tested me for SIBO, it was positive...he gave me the SIBO diet by Dr Allison Siebeckerr. I went on her website and researched more, made an appt with my Naturopathic Dr and have been following diet and am now taking alternative antibiotics (I had 2 or 3 rounds of regular antibiotics and no luck). I am trying hard to follow the diet and I feel much better. If I have any sugar or gluten... I don't feel well at all...and just about everything has hidden sugar or high fructose corn syrup, I have even had to make my own ketchup! But I have to say that I feel much better...I don't feel the diet change is all that bad...something I could live with if I needed to...It's just been a little more difficult to follow over the summer...

I also did the candida diet at first, didn't help, and did gluten free. I have an appointment with a nutritionist to help me with the fodmap. It's hard and like you said sugar and high fructose corn syrup is in everything!!!! I also have a breath test for fructose coming up. I really feel it's all from the sibo. Did you ever do the Xifaxam with the alternative meds together? I think my son has SIBO as well. I am going with him on Friday to a naturopathic. She was at the sibo summit with dr. Allison. The first visit is 1 1/2 hours. That is encouraging.

My fructose test was negative but finally after surgery and meds didn't work went off all fructose including fruit and it was truly a miracle! Within 2 days I was off meds, A1C was normal after being high for 40 years. Foot cramps went away, weight came off! Check out my previous posts. Fiber is also difficult for me to digest so now eat whole organic proteins and most vegetables. It's boring. But feel great for the first time in years so it's worth it!

Hello @galy and @jmmb,

I'd like to extend my welcome to Connect; we're so glad you've joined this group.

I see that @saucy has shared some insights (thank you), and I encourage you to read through the past messages of this discussion thread, where you’ll hear about the experiences of @doron @lighthouseceliac @jacque6977 @decosmo @lizbee78 @melaniewa @janovr @azdrew @haighsue and others. Many of them have talked about diet, including the FODMAP diet and specific carbohydrate diet (SCD).

Since diet plays a significant role, I'd also encourage you to view this conversation, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/leaky-gut-constipation-and-gluten-free/ and I'm tagging @alina151 @jacquelinek1956 @clemlaa who have shared their experiences with SIBO.

Although it focuses on IBD, you may be interested in reading this clinical update by one of the Mayo Clinic gastroenterologists:
"Small intestine bacterial overgrowth is common in Crohn's disease patients who have undergone ileocecal resection or have strictures, fistulas or reduced intestinal motility. Ileal resection and Crohn's disease itself also prevent bile acids from being reabsorbed completely into the enterohepatic circulation, with resulting secretory effects in the colon. Mayo Medical Laboratories recently developed an assay for bile acid in the feces. Until now, a diagnosis of bile acid diarrhea has been provisional and treatment has been empiric." http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/clinical-updates/digestive-diseases/management-of-refractory-ibd-starts-with-excluding-patients-who-dont-have-it

@jmmb, you mentioned MALS, so I'd like to ask one of our mentors, @kariulrich if she may have some insight as well?
@galy, I read your message in another discussion thread, and just wanted to let you know that I truly admire your positivity. Have you had a chance to visit the Lung Health group, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/lung-conditions/ on Connect?