Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth

[confusedks]

I was wondering if anyone has been diagnosed with SBBO or SIBO? Did you take antibiotics, if so which ones? Did you feel better?

I was diagnosed with it and I am on the antibiotics and I feel terrible. I just want to know if there is a light at the end of the tunnel?!

Did your symptoms go away? I am not too sure what I think about this whole diagnosis.

Thanks,

Kassandra

[trents]

Never heard of it. Could you give us some more info? What symptoms have you had? Do you feel worse on the antibiotics than you did with the disease before starting treatment?

Do you use probiotics (cultured milk products like yogurt or acidophillus caps) on a regular basis?

[BRUMI1968]

There was a very recent thread on SBBO which I started (a couple weeks ago?). A couple folks said they felt better with their antibiotics. I had read that small bowel bacteria did not do so well with antibiotics - could make it worse in the long run - but the actual folks who had used antibiotics said they felt better.

I don't know if I have this, but eating sugar and taking hot showers bloats me up, so I thought it might be yeast or bacteria. My method for dealing with it is lots of coconut oil, no sugar/grains/sugary fruits/etc, and lots of probiotics and prebiotics. But like I said, i don't even know if I have this. I'm one of those people who will only take drugs as the last resort...

Check out the other thread. Do a search, or search for all posts by me and see if it turns up...I think it was called SBBO. Good luck.

[confusedks]

My symptoms are exactly what they were before I started the gluten free diet. I never was formally diagnosed with Celiac...but my doctors agreed I had it, but now all my symptoms have returned. My symtpoms are fatigue, bloating, D, C, stomach pain and nausea. I was tested for it and am positive. I am on day 5 of the abx (antibiotics) and am taking probiotics. I am taking them with every dose of abx...which is 2 pills 3 times a day. The anitbitic is called rifaximin. It is used to treat E. Coli!!!

I just wanted to see what other people had experienced with this. I will look for the other thread. Which section did you post it in?

Kassandra

[jerseyangel]

Last summer, I talked to my GI about SIBO--he said it was a possibility and ordered a breath test. The test I took was actually the wrong one (UREA) and primarily checked for ulcers and bacteria in the stomach--it was negative.

Soon after this, I was put on Zithromyicin (by my GP) for an upper resp. infestion. On the second day of treatment, my chronically loose stools and lower abdominal cramping went away. I never expected that--I was bracing myself for the D that had always happened when I took antibiotics.

The only other thing I've done since then is to add Caltrate 600 with D twice a day (it is frequently useful for people with IBS with D, as the major side effect is constipation).

I literally have my life back--I still need to avoid the foods that I'm intolerant to, as well as gluten, of course, but I feel good. I know I was glutened a while back (CC), and my symptoms were much milder than before.

My anxiety, which was a huge problem, is also so much better. To tell you the truth, I don't quite understand how it all came together, but I know I must have had a bacterial problem going on, and once that was treated, my diet and suppliments were able to work the way they're supposed to.

It's funny, because the drug my GI was planning to let me try was the rifaximin--but the Zithro (the only antibiotic left that I can still tolerate) seemed to do the trick. I know the GI's like the rifaximin because it stays in the GI tract, but maybe if you're not getting results, you could try another antibiotic? I know from the OMG thread that you're very sensitive, so it might be difficult to find something effective that you can use--but hang in there. It took me 2 years after beginning the gluten-free diet to feel really well again.

[CarlaB]

Patti, I'm glad you're feeling so much better!!! YAY!

Kassandra, you ARE going to get better. Be sure to take the probiotics either 30 minutes before or two hours after the abx. Probiotics are best on an empty stomach, but you can take them after a meal if you forget to take them before as long as it's not too close to the abx (the abx will kill the probiotics along with the bad guys).

[confusedks]

Carla,

That is so strange! The bottle of probiotics says to take them with food!!! I will adjust that now. Ugh. LOL!

Kassandra

[CarlaB]

Well, maybe there's no consensus on taking with food or without .... I was told to take them 30 minutes before a meal. The important thing is to take them away from your abx. I would guess that with food or without probably doesn't matter .... my doc says before a meal, but it's okay after if you forget before.

[sallyterpsichore]

My test is next Monday and I'm actually really excited for it. If all of my billions of annoying issues are solved or even improved a little by taking antibiotics, I would be so thankful!

By the way, my nutritionist also mentioned taking probiotics after the two weeks of antibiotics. Just note: the Activia stuff has gluten, so choose a gluten-free probiotic! Nothing's ever simple, is it?

~Sally