Sibo-What To Do Now?

[AnnaChristine18]

So after being strict paleo for almost 6 months after my celiac diagnosis with no relief, I finally found my answer I took a breath test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth today and it cmd out very, very positive. The doctor was able to tell me it was positive not even half way through the test! There's a very large amount of methane, which explains my severe bloating, gas, and constipation that's been worsening every day since going gluten free. I was so happy to have an answer I burst into tears, while simultaneously cracking up and hugging the nurse who told me it was positive (whom I'd just met that hour…) Needless to say, this was the best news I've ever heard. I finally get to have a life again! I'll get to go out, eat normal amounts of food, wear tighter clothes again without having to worry about my swollen gut showing lol. I'm pretty much ecstatic!!!(: 

 

Now my questions are….well, what do I do now? Is there anyone else who experienced this? Not getting better after going gluten free then finding out SIBO's the culprit?

My doctor prescribed me Rifaximin twice a day for 10 days and then Neomycin twice a day for another 10 days afterwards. But she also mentioned that a large amount of methane as opposed to hydrogen in the intestine is harder to treat and less common /: (with my luck) This scares me and makes me feel like I should be extra careful. Is there anything else to do to kill off the bacteria? What probiotics would be good for helping to treat sibo? I already take Acidophilus but is there one that would work better? 

WHat about diet? I know the bacteria feeds of sugar and carbs? What sort of diet it recommended when treating SIBO, if there is any? 

 

And most importantly.. did this simple fix, the antibiotic, cure your ongoing symptoms? I feel like in a way it's too good to be true. I've been living in unbearable constant pain from the time I wake up till I go to bed for so long I feel like I've grown accustomed to it! Could this really be the end?

Support is desperately needed here. Thanks everyone!

[GF Lover]

  On 6/10/2014 at 1:23 AM, AnnaChristine18 said:

So after being strict paleo for almost 6 months after my celiac diagnosis with no relief, I finally found my answer I took a breath test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth today and it cmd out very, very positive. The doctor was able to tell me it was positive not even half way through the test! There's a very large amount of methane, which explains my severe bloating, gas, and constipation that's been worsening every day since going gluten free. I was so happy to have an answer I burst into tears, while simultaneously cracking up and hugging the nurse who told me it was positive (whom I'd just met that hour…) Needless to say, this was the best news I've ever heard. I finally get to have a life again! I'll get to go out, eat normal amounts of food, wear tighter clothes again without having to worry about my swollen gut showing lol. I'm pretty much ecstatic!!!(: 

 

Now my questions are….well, what do I do now? Is there anyone else who experienced this? Not getting better after going gluten free then finding out SIBO's the culprit?

My doctor prescribed me Rifaximin twice a day for 10 days and then Neomycin twice a day for another 10 days afterwards. But she also mentioned that a large amount of methane as opposed to hydrogen in the intestine is harder to treat and less common /: (with my luck) This scares me and makes me feel like I should be extra careful. Is there anything else to do to kill off the bacteria? What probiotics would be good for helping to treat sibo? I already take Acidophilus but is there one that would work better? 

WHat about diet? I know the bacteria feeds of sugar and carbs? What sort of diet it recommended when treating SIBO, if there is any? 

 

And most importantly.. did this simple fix, the antibiotic, cure your ongoing symptoms? I feel like in a way it's too good to be true. I've been living in unbearable constant pain from the time I wake up till I go to bed for so long I feel like I've grown accustomed to it! Could this really be the end?

Support is desperately needed here. Thanks everyone!

 

Hi Anna.

 

I don't know about additional measure you can take, however, this issue has been discussed and you should be able to search the site for the discussions. 

 

Good Luck

 

Colleen

[cyclinglady]

A probiotic called Bio-K is what my doctor ordered after big events like surgery, etc. It has to be refrigerated, is gluten-free, and there are soy, and rice-based versions. Then follow up with standard probiotics in a capsule.

I would recommend (and I am not a doctor) just eating protein, veggies (avoiding those grown underground like carrots, potatoes) no grains or fruit for a week or so and then slowly start adding foods back into your diet. Avoid those that naturally produce gas like legumes for a while.

I wish you well.

[FruitEnthusiast]

It sounds like your Doc gave you the right combo of meds for it. It's good that you want to make the most of them by eating the right foods too. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is designed to limit sugars and carbs so the bacteria have less to feed on, and also to reduce inflammation. Here are a couple links about the diet and the suggested foods list.

 

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link
 

[AnnaChristine18]

I've read into both SCD and FODMAPs and then found a list of foods legal and illegal on BOTH diets combined to fight sibo. And it's printed out on 10 pages in such a neat order!

I'm about to follow that s$#& like a bible.

I am so ready for this to be over with so I finally feel myself again!!!

 

Cylinglady, did you or do you now have SIBO? I've been reading so much contradictory information about probiotcs :/ Whether I should take them while on the antibiotic, or once I get off the antibiotic, or not at all? So confusing. Do you have any input on this?

[cyclinglady]

In the old days (20 years ago) my doctor pushed probiotics long before they became popular and had a lot of studies done. I would have waited until my course of antibiotics was done or nearly done, but now, if I had a really big issue, like you, I would start them concurrently with the antibiotic. Use different strains and eat foods, if possible, that are fermented, etc. Prebiotics are important too.

I do not know if I was diagnosed with SIBO. At one time, over 20 years ago, I got intestinal issues traveling and was prescribed antibiotics. If I recall, stool samples showed a lot of bad bacteria and some parasites. I used probiotics back then and after every surgery.

[dania]

AnnaChristine18 - how is treating your SIBO going? There are a few things I've come across that are supposed to be beneficial for SIBO, beyond diet modifications. One is making sure you have adequate stomach acid levels, which ensures that food is properly broken down rather than fermenting and feeding bad bacteria. Stomach acid also helps kill bad bacteria and parasites, apparently.

The other is, have you ever had your thyroid tested? Thyroid issues are apparently common with celiac, and they're also associated with SIBO. If things are moving through your system slowly due to hypothyroidism, it is more likely they will ferment and provide food for bad bacteria. Having proper thyroid levels could help prevent SIBO from returning.

[gilligan]

I have SIBO, also.  I've been on two rounds of rifamaxin, and I'm sure I'm about to go on a third round.  The g.i. that I see told me not to take probiotics while on the rifamaxin.  He also prescribed the FodMap diet.  He gave me book called The Fodmap Diet by Dr. Chey, and sent me to a dietician to get started on the diet.  It's important to follow the diet carefully.  The bummer about SIBO is that once you have it, you are prone to get it over and over.  Several sources on the internet reported that it never truly goes away.  I haven't personally been told that.  I can tell you that I felt great immediately after starting the drug regimen.  I continued to feel great for a few weeks, and then I slowly started returning to the typical problems.  That's when I started taking the second round of meds.  Again, I was feeling great for about five weeks.  At the follow up with the dietician, we started planning the challenge phase of slowly trying out higher fodmap foods.  This week has been awful!  All the symptoms are back.  I called the dr. today, and he ordered another hydrogen breath test to be administered before he orders a third round of meds.  It's not a fun thing to have!  I hope it turns around for you soon.

[gilligan]

  On 6/11/2014 at 2:30 PM, cyclinglady said:

In the old days (20 years ago) my doctor pushed probiotics long before they became popular and had a lot of studies done. I would have waited until my course of antibiotics was done or nearly done, but now, if I had a really big issue, like you, I would start them concurrently with the antibiotic. Use different strains and eat foods, if possible, that are fermented, etc. Prebiotics are important too.

I do not know if I was diagnosed with SIBO. At one time, over 20 years ago, I got intestinal issues traveling and was prescribed antibiotics. If I recall, stool samples showed a lot of bad bacteria and some parasites. I used probiotics back then and after every surgery.

Antibiotics for SIBO are not to be taken at the same time as probiotics.  In fact, before I finished the meds the nurse called to remind me not to take them until I finished the last dosage.

[AaronM761138]

  I had SIBO off an on for over a year.  I've also taken antibiotics.  The evidence is that antibiotics are not as effective, long-term, as changes in diet.    Flagyl even made things worse.  What happens with SIBO is there's an imbalance of bacteria, but antibiotics basically indiscriminately eliminate all bacteria, even the ones that help, and can lead to complications like C. dificilis, which is potentially very dangerous.

 

  Align is a decent probiotic and its one of the few that really works for me.  If you have methane, that's more likely to be assosciated with constipation.  I also have gotten a lot out of eating real sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir (it's a milk culture).