1. < Digestive Health

Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)

Posted by jacque6977 @jacque6977, Feb 22, 2017

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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julier123 | @julier123 | Jul 3, 2017
In reply to @jacquelinek1956 "CAN ANYONE TELL ME "WHAT TO EAT???" I am so tied of hearing "eat this, no..." + (show)
@jacquelinek1956

CAN ANYONE TELL ME "WHAT TO EAT???" I am so tied of hearing "eat this, no don't, eat that, OH no that bad for you".....no one seems to know what diet to follow. The FODMAP diet is a joke!! Half the stuff on there I can eat due to my re-flux and the other half is horrible! I know to avoid sugar (SIBO) and acid foods (re-flux), so what's left?? I am going to try the gluten free for now UNLESS someone clues me in on another way to go....so frustrated!!!

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My Gastrointestinal Doc suggested the SIBO Diet...google it...had helped me tremendously!

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julier123 | @julier123 | Jul 3, 2017
In reply to @rubyric "CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE..." + (show)
@rubyric

CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS. ITS THE SIBO BREATH TEST, I CAN'T FIND ANYONE WHO HAS THE KIT LESS THAN $200. I AM DISABLED AND CANT AFFORD THAT MUCH. I REALLY THINK THIS TEST WILL HELP ME! ANY SUGGESTIONS??

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I have BCBS...My Dr had it...I believe some Naturopathic Doctors have it

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julier123 | @julier123 | Jul 3, 2017
In reply to @rubyric "CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE..." + (show)
@rubyric

CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS. ITS THE SIBO BREATH TEST, I CAN'T FIND ANYONE WHO HAS THE KIT LESS THAN $200. I AM DISABLED AND CANT AFFORD THAT MUCH. I REALLY THINK THIS TEST WILL HELP ME! ANY SUGGESTIONS??

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Insurance covered the test...don't k ow about naturopathic dr though

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Rubyric | @rubyric | Jul 3, 2017
In reply to @rubyric "CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE..." + (show)
@rubyric

CAN ANYONE HELP!! I'VE HAD EVERY TEST, (SOME TWICE) I HAVE ONE TEST THAT MIGHT GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS. ITS THE SIBO BREATH TEST, I CAN'T FIND ANYONE WHO HAS THE KIT LESS THAN $200. I AM DISABLED AND CANT AFFORD THAT MUCH. I REALLY THINK THIS TEST WILL HELP ME! ANY SUGGESTIONS??

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I have a G I doctor. Seems like if he ordered the test, he could provide the test kit!

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GailBL, Alumni Mentor | @gailb | Jul 3, 2017
In reply to @jacque6977 "Xifaxan must have worked because a positive SIBO diagnosis upon retesting showed a negative SIBO diagnosis." + (show)
@jacque6977

Xifaxan must have worked because a positive SIBO diagnosis upon retesting showed a negative SIBO diagnosis.

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Try eating Fage Greek Yogurt, plain Total or 2%. It is very good tasting. If you want it sweetened a little, add a packet of Splenda or fruit if that is in your diet. It's real yogurt, has the probiotic strains, and not junk like Activia.

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Aithnie | @aithnie | Jul 4, 2017
In reply to @jacque6977 "Today, even though very sick, my wife went to her gastro doctor to seek some relief..." + (show)
@jacque6977

Today, even though very sick, my wife went to her gastro doctor to seek some relief from her daily nausea and fatigue I took along my breath test lab report that showed "Presence of Bacterial Overgrowth is Supported". The doctor, who has been trying for four years to find a cause, got upset when I referred to the lab report showing SIBO. He said that if I was going to use a outside lab for a diagnosis, he no longer wanted my wife as a patient, and beside that, he didn't believe SIBO was her problem even thought the lab report showed SIBO to be present. The medical profession had spent four yeas at a Medicare billed cost of over $250,000 trying to diagnosis her nausea and he couldn't accept the fact that in two weeks at a cost of $170 I was able to at least come up with a possible diagnosis. It should be mentioned that in December I requested the doctor perform a gastro emptying study. The study showed a 21 minute dump, and though it raised no red flags with the doctor, it did with me. This meant food was passing thru the stomach without the benefit of the stomach acid to aid the digestion and would now required the small intestine to do both its work and the work of the stomach. Following the Mayo Clinic web site, the next step would be to perform a hydrogen breath test. When I asked the doctor to do the test he said the practice did not do the test because they could not find a local lab. I went on line, found a lab, got the kit and my wife performed the test at home. Five days later I had the test results back.The problem is the doctor will not accept the suggestion as to what I think her problem might be, even though I had researched chronic nausea on at least twenty medical web sites. His final comments were that he was not able to diagnosis her nausea, he didn't believe it was SIBO despite the lab report, she should go to the Mayo Clinic and he no longer wanted her as a patient. He also refused to re prescribe any of her current drugs. So I now have a sick wife who has lost seven pounds in the last month with no relief in sight. I am now in the process of finding another gastro practice who will accept a reject from a competing practice. As an aside, two months ago, on one of my wife's frequent ER visits, as usual all of the ER test results were normal and the doctor said he saw she was sick but he couldn't admit her because she had no diagnosis. I happened to have the breath test printout with me and told him what I thought her problem might be. He said the results looked valid and he asked ME what I wanted him to do. I said prescribe Xifaxan, 550mg, 3/day for 14 days. He did and I was able to put her on a 14 day anti-bacteria, 14 day probiotic regiment for two cycles. Since the doctor has refused to refill the script, and progress toward treating the SIBO has come to a stop. So, since I was the one asking for a gastric emptying test, the one who obtained the breath test and the one who prescribed the medication, my WebMD degree has served me well. If I could only write the drug scripts I wouldn't have to experience the two hour wait in the doctor's office.

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Have you checked out siboinfo.com? It's very informative.

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Duckcarver | @duckcarver61 | Aug 1, 2017
In reply to @lizbee78 "I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic this past November with SIBO, small bowel damage, and..." + (show)
@lizbee78

I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic this past November with SIBO, small bowel damage, and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. After 25 years of suffering I am finally feeling well. The Mayo put me through a round of 3 different antibiotics to kill the bacteria. I was told to begin taking Align Probiotic daily. Probiotics are very important in keeping the bad bacteria from taking over. I include probiotic rich foods in my diet daily in addition to the Align, such as Kefir, yogurt, Kombucha, supplemented juice blends. I no longer really need anti-nausea medicine, but I used to take Promethazine, which I found to work better than Zofran. I also found that a simple Gas-X chewable would often help with belching and bloating. SIBO creates an excessive amount of gas. I hope this helps, and that your wife feels better soon!

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What treatment did you receive?

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Duckcarver | @duckcarver61 | Aug 1, 2017

I didn't see Dr. Acosta Cardenas name on the current list of GI MDs, can anyone recommend another Doctor for SIBO, in Rochester?

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ginpene | @ginpene05 | Aug 1, 2017
In reply to @lizbee78 "I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic this past November with SIBO, small bowel damage, and..." + (show)
@lizbee78

I was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic this past November with SIBO, small bowel damage, and Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency. After 25 years of suffering I am finally feeling well. The Mayo put me through a round of 3 different antibiotics to kill the bacteria. I was told to begin taking Align Probiotic daily. Probiotics are very important in keeping the bad bacteria from taking over. I include probiotic rich foods in my diet daily in addition to the Align, such as Kefir, yogurt, Kombucha, supplemented juice blends. I no longer really need anti-nausea medicine, but I used to take Promethazine, which I found to work better than Zofran. I also found that a simple Gas-X chewable would often help with belching and bloating. SIBO creates an excessive amount of gas. I hope this helps, and that your wife feels better soon!

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This came to the wrong person.

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ChucksMom | @chucksmom | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @jacque6977 "All tests for Celiac disease, H Pylori, Endoscopy exams, tyroid studies and even the removal of..." + (show)
@jacque6977

All tests for Celiac disease, H Pylori, Endoscopy exams, tyroid studies and even the removal of her gall bladder have all been negative. As for grain, she has been too sick to eat anything beyond a piece of toast. My theory is that the bacteria has had over two years to grow and has probably migrated into the walls of her small intestine. This could be a six month regiment of drugs and probiotics, but my question is how to stem the chronic nausea during that six month period. A doctors appointment next Tuesday will see if he agrees with me and comes up with a cure for the nausea.

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My GI doc prescribed CVL#3, refridgerated. You can get it in powder form, ( more expensive). Seem to be doing a little better with my belly problems.

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