Bacterial Overgrowth

[jasonD2]

Got the results of my follow up stool tests today- I am essentially parasite free except for hookworm which i will treat with a 5 day course of mebendazole. however, i do have bacterial overgrowth and the test showed no growth of bifido and very little growth of lactobacilli - anyone know how this is possible? I megadose on probiotics daily but for some reason they are not colonizing my GI - this may explain why i still have bowel issues and constipation

[kareng]

Got the results of my follow up stool tests today- I am essentially parasite free except for hookworm which i will treat with a 5 day course of mebendazole. however, i do have bacterial overgrowth and the test showed no growth of bifido and very little growth of lactobacilli - anyone know how this is possible? I megadose on probiotics daily but for some reason they are not colonizing my GI - this may explain why i still have bowel issues and constipation

I don't know why. I just wanted to say I'm glad you got rid of the wee beaties. Next time you want a pet, get a guinea pig or a dog.

[jasonD2]

Dont have pets, however i really think something was going on at my last apartment/bldg. Not sure if there is a direct correlation but interesting how the encouraging test results showed up after i moved.

[WheatChef]

Actually the amount of probiotics that do end up setting on long term colonies is drastically low. That's part of why you just keep taking them. In severe cases where recolonization is necessary the only treatment that's been shown to work I believe is "fecal supplementation". Which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like with samples coming from a donor with healthy internal colonies.

[cassP]

Got the results of my follow up stool tests today- I am essentially parasite free except for hookworm which i will treat with a 5 day course of mebendazole. however, i do have bacterial overgrowth and the test showed no growth of bifido and very little growth of lactobacilli - anyone know how this is possible? I megadose on probiotics daily but for some reason they are not colonizing my GI - this may explain why i still have bowel issues and constipation

how cool to get answers like that-> who did you do your tests thru??

[jasonD2]

Another concern is consuming Rifaximin and possibly making things worse...i.e. c.diff, candida overgrowth, more parasites. this is such a delicate balance and im no sure how to go about doing this

[burdee]

Another concern is consuming Rifaximin and possibly making things worse...i.e. c.diff, candida overgrowth, more parasites. this is such a delicate balance and im no sure how to go about doing this

I agree. You mentioned 'bacterial overgrowth' results from the DD lab test. Which pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria was 'overgrown'? Which drugs or botanicals is that bacteria sensitive to (which one kills it)? I've heard Rifaximin prescribed as as an 'all purpose' antibiotic, but I don't believe that label. Unless your test results indicate the your specific bacteria is sensitive to Rifaximin, you just might be making things worse by destroying more good bacteria and not destroying the pathogenic bacteria.

I was going to ask about your probiotics ... What time of day do you take them? Do you take probiotics just before or after meals? Or do you take them on an empty stomach when you first get up or just before bed? I had the same problem with taking lots of probiotics and getting low test results for good bacteria. I also had chronic constipation which suggested impaired intestinal motility caused by low good bacteria ... UNTIL I started taking the Custom Probiotics long before breakfast and just before bed. Since then my symptoms of chronic bruising (low vitamin K) and constipation disappeared.

[jasonD2]

Dysbiotic flora...klebsiella oxytoca (+4); Klebsiells pneumoniae (+4); Enterobacter cloacae (+4)

Commensal Flora (imbalanced)...e.hermannii(+4) & mucoid e.coli (+4)

Beneficial...lactobacilli (+2); Bifido (no growth)

Organisms are sensitive to citrus seed extract & cipro - dont think they test for rifaxamin sensitivity. bottom line is any antibiotic used to kill these organisms will kill the good bacteria so i may as well use one that has brought a lot of people with overgrowth relief

I typically take probiotics in the am and pm on empty stomach but when i am on meds i take them a few hrs after each dose of whatever it is im taking

glad youve been feeling better. did you get rid of your parasites?

[burdee]

Dysbiotic flora...klebsiella oxytoca (+4); Klebsiells pneumoniae (+4); Enterobacter cloacae (+4)

Commensal Flora (imbalanced)...e.hermannii(+4) & mucoid e.coli (+4)

Beneficial...lactobacilli (+2); Bifido (no growth)

Organisms are sensitive to citrus seed extract & cipro - dont think they test for rifaxamin sensitivity. bottom line is any antibiotic used to kill these organisms will kill the good bacteria so i may as well use one that has brought a lot of people with overgrowth relief

I typically take probiotics in the am and pm on empty stomach but when i am on meds i take them a few hrs after each dose of whatever it is im taking

glad youve been feeling better. did you get rid of your parasites?

Maybe you just had so many bad gut bugs (bacteria and/or parasites) and took enough antiparasitic drugs that your good bacteria were outnumbered. I was diagnosed by DD stool test with Klebsiella in 2006 and successfully treated that with caprylic acid (coconut oil). I was diagnosed with Enterobacter Cloacae in 2008 and also successfully treated that with caprylic acid. I'm surprised your DD test results only offered 1 botanical and 1 drug to which your bad bacteria are sensitive. That didn't give you many choices.

I have not yet received my last stool test results (another 2 weeks' wait). However I no longer have any gastrointestinal symptoms or discomfort. My last infection was respiratory (a bad cold which hung on for 10 days). However I finally have a doc who wants to treat the causes of my vulnerability to 8 gut bugs in 4 years and many colds. She requested all kinds of blood tests which revealed reasons why my immunity was so low. I wish I would have found her when I first was diagnosed with celiac disease. I'm now treating all the things which lowered my immunity (low vitamin D, anemia, low thyroid and low white blood cells, possibly due to years of fighting infections). Of course the biggest reason I kept getting gut bugs was hypochloridia (diagnosed by Heidelberg capsule test). Without adequate stomach acid any food born bacteria, fungi or parasites just went straight to my intestines and flourished. I'm now taking 2-3 HCl (650 mg betaine hydrochloride) capsules with each meal.

[jasonD2]

i may try grapefruit seed extract for a week and see if that helps (that and caprylic acid were the only 2 on the list)- would rather not take antibiotics but i have heard good things about rifaximin. we shall see