SIBO…did it ever go away?

@weathergirl15
My SIBO ended up being methane dominant or what they now call Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO). For that they treated me with Rifaxamin and Neomycin which is another antibiotic. I took both prescriptions at the same time.

@weathergirl15

No, I don't; I'm sorry.

@weathergirl15

The only thing that slightly works to manage my condition with SIBO is to not swallow anything (even my own saliva).

I'm 79 year old female diagnosed 1.5 years ago with SIBO.
Its a motility and sensitive gut lining issue. I'm wondering if taking Devrom, Butyrate and peptic-care will help my sensitive gut. I've also stopped multi vitamins that have binders. I have to be careful with what I eat - items with sulfur. Its the bloating I cannot get rid of. I have to take dicyclomine 20mg for pain but need to stop taking that because I think it interferes with the motility.

I have been dealing with SIBO for many years although I didn't know that for many years. I have tried antibiotics but they did not help. The medical world has been of little help. My gastroenterologist just recommends another colonoscopy ... the only thing that has helped me is the low fodmap diet. It is quite restrictive but I do manage to find enough to eat. I would like to consult with a nutritionist that specalizes in SIBO but my insurance won't cover it. So I guess I'm just stuck with managing it through diet.
Has anyone tried the enzymes ? Are they safe? Do they work?

@hallward
I'd also like to know about the SIBO enzymes and if they help or not. I read an article that said that the best enzymes for SIBO are bacillus coagulus, bacillus subtilis, and bacillus clausii and was just about ready to buy a brand called 3Biome that's supposed to be the best but then read in the reviews that it was only helpful for people with SIBO-caused diarrhea, that if you ever had constipation it's not for you. Well I do suffer from constipation a lot, so there goes another hope.

So if anybody has heard of any other enzymes that would work, much appreciated.

I know what you mean when you say, “there goes another hope.”
It really does seem like you’re on your own here…. not much help from the medical world. There is a medical practice called Oshi Health that specializes in digestive issues including SIBO but my insurance company won’t cover it. Maybe yours would.

@hallward

Thanks very much for the info about Oshi. I just checked and my insurance doesn't cover it either. Oh, well, I'll keep checking and maybe they will some day.

@hallward I agree with you that the medical world at this point doesn't have much to offer to those of us who suffer from SIBO, its related conditions, and side-effects. Given all that they still don't understand and our very individual physiognomies and genetic make-up, I feel that all we can do is tinker and try things. In the end, we may never be cured and may just have to settle for having something that we can live with as best we can.

I have been messed up since summer 2024. A case of food poisoning in May was probably the culprit. I had a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. The endoscopy revealed that my brush membrane was damaged and that I had developed ASID (Acquired Sucrase Isomaltase Enzymatic deficiency. That is, my body can no longer properly digest these forms of sugar). My symptoms at this point were constipation and also dyssynergic defecation. My stools veered from loose to hard and were often orange in color. I also felt generally unwell and blood tests indicated very low iron (though not quite anemia). This, I believe, caused me to start having multiple tormenting instances of a form of restless leg syndrome centered in my lower spine. I had a special MRI and it indicated pelvic dysfunction. Because of all the bowel stuff I also developed very bad hemorrhoids. In December 2025 I took the breath test and was finally diagnosed with methane type SIBO, which confirmed what I already pretty much knew.

To cut to the chase, where am I now, a year and a half later? I'm on a special restrictive diet guided by ASID diet guidelines (available online). It has some similarities with FODMAP but is different. Basically, I avoid sugar of ALL types, including almost all fruit (except berries, kiwis, and prunes). It's annoying but can be done, though it would be impossible, I think, for vegetarians. I've gotten rid of all supplements and even, when possible, medications that might cause constipation. I did pelvic floor physical therapy and it gave me some useful insights. I elevate my feet on a stool when defecating. I try, as much as possible, to ONLY poop once every morning after coffee and breakfast. I take miralax and a senna laxative daily and try to drink a lot of water. I eat a few olives and a little plain, sugar-free Greek yoghurt for probiotics every day. If I haven't pooped at all for 2 days straight I up the dose of the laxative but it's good for the hemorrhoids to have a break for a couple of days anyway. I just did a 2-week course of Rifaximin (Xifaxan) and we'll see what the long-term results are, if any. Already I have less gas, less dyssyneric defecation, and my poops have become brown again.

But you'll need to tinker to figure out what works for you. I lost 20 lbs from not eating sugar. (The only plus from all this!) I'm at the point where I can live more or less normally but if I have an early appointment somewhere I get up 3 hours earlier to ensure I'll be in condition to leave the house. And because of the hemorrhoids I need to wear a sanitary pad at least a few times every week. And, yes, people think I'm crazy because of the restrictive diet. But this might be as good as it gets.

Your story is all too familiar. We are pretty much left to figuring this
out on our own. I also have figured out a way to manage SIBO. It’s not
great and there are many limitations but it seems to be the best option for
the moment.
Good luck to you.