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?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

HERE'S A TIP: Flagyl can be used as an effective antibiotic against SIBO at a tiny fraction of the cost of Xifaxan. Xifaxan: $900 one week supply at CVS. Flagyl: $22 one week supply at CVS. I've used them both and both work.

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There is an error in my posting 2 postings above. I used the term "VALVE" in talking about acid secretion and malabsorption and I can't edit the posting. It's actually the vagus nerve which regulates acid secretion.

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I'm of the opinion it is going to be extremely difficult for any doctor on the planet to recognize and properly diagnose this condition. That is not a slam against doctors either. So why is that? Because the doctor does not have your body that's why. You have to know precisely what is happening in the body with this ailment at the time it is happening. Only the patient can do that. For instance, you go to the doctor and say you're bloated. Is it bloating or is it really swelling? Is it bloating and swelling at the same time? Only the patient can determine that. For a long time I thought I was bloated when it was really swelling or vice versa and both. Your hypochlorhydria/achlorhydria is going to come from Candida not SIBO. Your bloating along with diarrhea is going to come from hypochlorhydria/achlorhydria. Your swelling is going to come from gastritis. Both swelling and bloating can run concurrently. That is very confusing in having diagnose. That's a pretty tall order for any doctor to get that exactly right. Is a doctor even going to consider hypochlorhydria? None of the gastroenterologists I visited did. Even after I told them I was not digesting my food and I could identify what I ate in the toilet undigested. They'll test you and see you're anemic through the blood and they still won't make the connection to hypochlorhydria. They gave me potassium pills and sent me on my way. A doctor will do an endoscopy and see gastritis and diagnose it as such and might consider an infection. He/she will never consider Candida as the underlying cause of the infection though. They'll likely just give you some Famotidine and send you on your way to suffer unbeknowst to themselves. They won't put all the pieces together to solve the puzzle. And there are a lot of pieces. Only the person in that body can do that in my opinion. You can do it by paying real close attention to what is happening inside you.

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Hi @notanymore
I commend you on your diligence in researching the root cause of your digestive issues and finding doctors who will work with you. You are so right that patients have to be partners in finding solutions as only we live with our conditions 24/7 and can provide the pieces of the puzzle not seen in the doctor's consultation room.

Notanymore, I must caution you about telling other members what they should do and telling them they are wrong. Connect is a welcoming, safe community where we treat others with respect at all times. We are all here to learn and to share our experiences, research and bring back to the community the things that work for us.

Please review the Community Guidelines https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines

I underline in particular these points:
1. Be careful about giving out medical advice
- Sharing your own experience is fine, but don't tell other members what they should do.
- Remain respectful at all times.

2. Exercise tolerance and respect toward other participants whose views may differ from your own. Disagreements are fine, but mutual respect is a must.
- Be inclusive. Not everyone will share the same views.
- Personal attacks against members or health care providers are not acceptable. Such posts will be removed.

I must stress that no two people are the same. What might work for one person may not for another. As stated in the site's Disclaimer (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/disclaimer/) "All information shared by members on the Mayo Clinic Connect, such as messages, images, advice, URLs, and any other material, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community."

Please send me a private message using this form if you or anyone would like to discuss this further https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines

Colleen
Community Director
Mayo Clinic Connect

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I thought I would share this link for all of the Sibo-C people.... has to do with depression and constipation..... https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325129.php

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@jamorris9

I thought I would share this link for all of the Sibo-C people.... has to do with depression and constipation..... https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325129.php

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Yes, I like this scientific approach. The broad spectrum, long term, gold standard testing is important in coming to any generalised conclusion.

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Hi, I was just diagnosed with this, there is a thread, but hasn't been active since 2017, was just wondering if anyone else out there has this problem. The doctor I just saw here at Mayo doesn't seem to think much of it, I was excited to be referred to a dietician, and couldn't believe she never heard of it, I thought she was going to help me the the diet that seems to be indicated for this problem. Has anyone had any luck with this at Mayo? Is there anyone here knowledgeable about this problem?

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Hi @elle1233,

You may notice that I moved your message and combined it with this existing discussion. Although it was started by @jacque6977 in 2017, many Connect members have joined the conversation since then, and are actively talking about SIBO – the last message was posted by @haighsue, in May.
Simply click VIEW & REPLY in your email notification to find your post.

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Oh, OK. Well, hopefully someone will see it then. This is my first day here, so I'm just getting the hang of it. May is quite a while ago, and it looked like there really wasn't much activity before that, so I thought maybe I'd start a new one, hoping maybe there'd be some current people with some info.

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@elle1233

Oh, OK. Well, hopefully someone will see it then. This is my first day here, so I'm just getting the hang of it. May is quite a while ago, and it looked like there really wasn't much activity before that, so I thought maybe I'd start a new one, hoping maybe there'd be some current people with some info.

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Where can u find that discussion?

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