Blood and Stool Test Results - is this legit?
After struggling for months with IBS and taking Xifaxan for SIBO (to the tune of $700 even after insurance), going low FODMAP, etc. I have given up and entered into a program with a functional physician and registered dietitian specializing in IBS. Results of the blood and stool tests the DO ordered (which I know are somewhat controversial in themselves) showed overgrowth of Candida and H Pylori and the doc wants to treat these with various supplements as well as a wheat and sugar free diet during treatment (I’ve been going wheat/gluten free for a few months now.) I’m willing to try anything since my symptoms are all over the place and haven’t completely resolved after the antibiotic and/or the low FODMAP regimen but the skeptical side of me wonders if this is hype? Any input is welcome. TIA.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.
@marlenec You pose a very interesting question. The two organisms found in your stool are different in nature, how serious they may be and whether treatment is required.
H(eliobacter) Pylori bacteria is one of the causes of stomach ulcers. The danger of untreated H Pylori is that it can eventually cause cancer. Since you are having gastrointestinal issues, were you tested by the doctors for it? There are breath and stool tests for it. Treatment is a course of two or more antibiotics, followed by retesting to make sure it was successful. Xifaxan, which you have already taken, is not shown to be effective against H Pylori. I am not sure whether there is an effective wholistic/supplement treatment that can eliminate this bacteria. Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about it:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20356177
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by a yeast. The existence of candida in your stool is not in itself alarming, and whether treatment is required can be somewhat controversial. There is some evidence that a good probiotic may help reduce or eliminate the candida in your system.
https://ibsguthealthclinic.co.uk/candida-in-the-stool/#
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3163673/
The next question is whether this doctor is planning to go with a totally alternative approach, and can show you hard data that confirms it can kill H Pylori? And hard data that shows eliminating what is vaguely referred to by many as "candida overgrowth" will improve your symptoms? Or are they open to a combination of accepted antibiotics for H Pylori and supplements/diet to try to get you on the right path?
Now you have some starting points to do a little research, I hope someone else can add to this conversation.
Sue
All good questions, thanks! I did have a breath test in June that was positive for SIBO as I’d indicated, prompting the GI to prescribe Xifaxan and Neomycin but he agreed that inshiuodnt take the latter since I have tinnitus. I was tested by the functional doc with blood and stool tests and results showed Candida overgrowth and H Pylori as well as Ecoli. At this point he has prescribed various supplements as well as a probiotic (I already take Florastor but he actually suggested a different and cheaper one) and an anti Candida diet. To be honest as I’ve said the Low FODMAP doesn’t seem to have given me consistent improvement and since my symptoms are all over the place - frequent BM’s but sometimes constipation, pain, and most consistently bloating I’m thinking that there’s something that hasn’t been addressed so that’s why I’m willing to try his protocol. Since he mentioned that he’d like to treat with OTC things I am assuming he would prescribe antibiotics if he felt that was a better route. But I have a GI MD as well so figure I can always return to traditional medicine.
I have suffered from IBS-D for over forty years. The only way that traditional gastro diagnoses either H Pylori or Celiac disease is to take a biopsy during an endoscopy. You haven't mentioned if you have had that or not. In all the years I have had gastro issues and all the colonoscopies and endoscopies and stool samples and breath tests everything has come back normal. Very frustrating.
I had H Pylori and got rid of it with antibiotics. I wouldn’t mess around with other treatments because this can cause stomach cancer.