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Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)
My wife, after years of suffering from debilitating nausea and fatigue, has finally been diagnosed with SIBO as confirmed by a hydrogen breath test. It is estimated the bacteria has had at least two years to grow and may be well established. She has started on Xifaxan, at $35 per pill, but it is estimated that elimination of the SIBO may take up to six months. Her day now starts with her waking up with nausea and when she has a cup of tea and toast in the morning she gets sick within fifteen minutes thereafter. Her sickness is accompanied by violent belching, and at times she regurgitates liquid vile. The only drug she has for nausea is Zofran which does nothing for her. Are there any other SIBO sufferers that are experiencing the same symptoms, and what are you taking to reduce the nausea?
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Please find out what foods is causing this. I had it, it's a food insensitivity. Will have to do the work and eliminate foods till you find which ones are causing the bacterial overgrowth. Meds are temporary and cause many side effects. You will get use to a limited diet because you'll feel so much better it won't be worth the few minutes of pleasure. You'll find all kinds of ailments you have will go away!
But people with a condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO have bacteria that are supposed to live in the colon (aka the large intestine) trapped in the small intestine.
“It’s normal to have bacteria in your small intestine, but in SIBO two things happen,” explains Eamonn Quigley, MD, chief of gastroenterology and hepatology and professor of medicine at Houston Methodist Hospital. “You have more bacteria and you have bacteria that would normally be found in the colon. The small intestine begins to function a lot like a colon.SIBO is usually caused by a movement problem in the small intestine. “Every two hours, your small bowel initiates something called a ‘housekeeper wave,’ which sweeps through the small bowel and dumps everything, including excessive amounts of bacteria, residual food, digestive enzymes, and bowel secretions,” explains Dr. Rezaie.
But if something impairs the wave, the small intestine can’t expel the bacteria.There’s no evidence that your diet or drinking normal amounts of alcohol increase your risk.
Clearing up the overgrowth usually requires antibiotics, however. And because recurrences are common, you may need repeat courses of the meds.
Probiotics will likely make SIBO worse, says Dr. Rezaie. “SIBO is not about ‘good’ bacteria or ‘bad’ bacteria.” Rather, it’s about bacteria that are usually in your colon living in the small intestine. “Topping it off with a blast of bacteria from probiotics is not going to help anything,” he says.
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1 ReactionFor me fruit and high fiber foods don't digest but instead ferment in my uper intestine and cause gases and bacteria overgrowth.
My gastroenterologist thought I had SIBO.
If I remember correctly.. years ago... she took a biopsy:
Took an antibiotic: OK, then
symptoms continued with itchy skin(dermatitis herpetiformis).
Follow up much later at the only out patient hospital that did breath testing for celiac disease.
I cannot eat wheat!
To date, no study aimed to clinically evaluate the use of probiotics in patients with celiac disease has met its primary outcome. Patients with untreated celiac disease administered Bifidobacterium infantis did not have an improvement in intestinal permeability compared to patients with untreated celiac disease who received placebo. Patients with celiac disease with persistent symptoms despite a gluten-free diet treated with VSL #3 were found to have a fecal microbiota (distribution of microbes in the stool, which is thought to be fairly representative of that of the intestine) that was not significantly different than patients treated with placebo.
Finally, the possibility of probiotics aiding in gluten digestion seems slim given the recent failure of a mixture of two gluten-targeting enzymes to significantly alter the intestinal healing process in patients with celiac disease in a phase 3 study.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I've done the food elimination diet, the gastroparesis diet, SIBO diet, etc... My gut just doesn't move so that's an issue in itself. I eat a VERY limited diet right now. The foods that are supposed to be helpful are no better for me than the ones they say are worse for my condition. I do appreciate all insights and advice as I'm always learning and I know it may help others who read this thread! Hope you are well...
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1 ReactionI have been all over this forum after doctors told me I had this or that. I was starting to think I was crazy. Then one of my tests showed gastroparesis. Now my new gastro from down state has ruled out everything but now she has zeroed in on SIBO as well as BAM.
Between these two things my symptom list is long. One of my more annoying symptoms is this dang inner vibration that seems to be my stomach not working properly. My hair falls out, I have burning diarrhea then constipation. The Vagus nerve gets irritated setting off anxiety. Weird sweating episodes, light headedness, wright loss, dry skin. Insomnia and incredible fatigue. Low b12, low vitamin D. However they can't figure out my high calcium.
It has been absolutely awful. Doc should be prescribing antibiotics this coming week.
@bumble81, I'm so glad that you and your doctor finally got things figured out as you said, and that you have a diagnosis of SIBO that is possible causing bile acid malabsorption (BAM).
You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion group called "Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)" I did this so you can connect with others like @astaingegerdm @sita @jackiem95 @thull and others. Click VIEW & REPLY to read through past posts.
@bumble81, you mentioned that you'll be prescribed antibiotics. When will you start and for how long? Did your doctor talk to you about pro-biotics?
I found a technology from Ireland that has been a life changer in drilling down into what my specific food offenders are http://www.FoodMarble.com 40 million Americans have some form of this,you did a beautiful job describing the disease and lack of solutions. Also a new company that provides meal(very tasty) for us people is modify health.com
Best of luck
Anyone else tried this food marble thing, and how did it work for you ?