Sibo & Gluten Free Diet

[redheadsmom]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here and recently diagnosed SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth). I'm currently on a high does antibiotic for 14 days after testing positive via the Hydrogen Breath test.I was tested for Celiac via blood work in May and was negative. My GI wanted me to get and Endoscopy but due to insurance reasons I turned it down. I have numerous symptoms of Celiac and have suffered from GI problems, severe bloating, GERD, and Psoarisis so I firmly believe I have a Gluten Intolerance if not Celiacs. I'm currently on day 3 of being gluten free. Is there anyone else that has dealt with SIBO while on a gluten-free diet? Will being gluten-free help the SIBO from returning? I'm so lost I'm not even sure why I have SIBO and if it's another symptom/problem that comes with Celiac. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

Jessica

[beachbirdie]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here and recently diagnosed SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth). I'm currently on a high does antibiotic for 14 days after testing positive via the Hydrogen Breath test.I was tested for Celiac via blood work in May and was negative. My GI wanted me to get and Endoscopy but due to insurance reasons I turned it down. I have numerous symptoms of Celiac and have suffered from GI problems, severe bloating, GERD, and Psoarisis so I firmly believe I have a Gluten Intolerance if not Celiacs. I'm currently on day 3 of being gluten free. Is there anyone else that has dealt with SIBO while on a gluten-free diet? Will being gluten-free help the SIBO from returning? I'm so lost I'm not even sure why I have SIBO and if it's another symptom/problem that comes with Celiac. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

Jessica

I don't know anything about "SIBO", but I can tell you that my daughter-in-law has been struggling with intestinal health for a while and it turns out she has a clostridium difficile infection. She has had a hard time getting rid of it, and is now on the Open Original Shared Link. She is improving greatly. The principle of the diet is to starve the bad bacteria by not providing the sugars that they eat. The antibiotics will disrupt your intestinal flora even more, you might look into some good probiotics.

Have they ruled out Crohn's? Crohn's and celiac can both cause a positive hydrogen breath test.

Probably a good bet to go gluten free if not completely free of things that feed the bacteria. Much cheaper than doctors, tests, and pills!

[redheadsmom]

I don't know anything about "SIBO", but I can tell you that my daughter-in-law has been struggling with intestinal health for a while and it turns out she has a clostridium difficile infection. She has had a hard time getting rid of it, and is now on the Open Original Shared Link. She is improving greatly. The principle of the diet is to starve the bad bacteria by not providing the sugars that they eat. The antibiotics will disrupt your intestinal flora even more, you might look into some good probiotics.

Have they ruled out Crohn's? Crohn's and celiac can both cause a positive hydrogen breath test.

Probably a good bet to go gluten free if not completely free of things that feed the bacteria. Much cheaper than doctors, tests, and pills!

Thank you for your reply! No, Crohns has not been ruled out but my GI doesn't think that's what I have.

[mushroom]

Antibiotics can wreak havoc with your GI tract by destroying all the natural good bacteria (as well as the bad ones you are trying to get rid of), and allowing other evils like c. diff to take over. Then you have to take (sometimes) an antibiotic to get rid of the c. diff and it becomes a vicious circle. As the pp said, your first line of defense against antibiotics is to take a good probiotic at the same time to attempt to head off the bad guys. Also, if you are not lactose intolerant, eat lots of yogurt (or the SCD 24-hour yogurt which digests the lactose for you).

I am currently having to take an antibiotic which has on the warning label that I could end up with c. diff up to six months later This is the third such antibiotic that I have started (for cellulitis) since I did not tolerate either of the first two. I had to call my doctor again and ask if there weren't something else that would kill the bacteria without killing the patient in the process I end up like this because I suppress my immune system with Humira to treat my psoriatic arthritis. :blink:And even though I am taking the best probiotics I can find, I will almost certainly end up with a UTI (happens 9 out of 10 times for me) and then end up having to take another antibiotic for that.

It is ironic that I end up taking so many antibiotics since I believe they should be avoided if possible and taken only when necessary.

I treated a previous c. diff infection with an alternative medicine MD using supplements and a gentian formula which stool testing had shown it was sensitive to - I elected this as opposed to antibiotics since I had just come off a prolonged course of antibiotics which gave me the c. diff in the first place.

As to whether celiacs are more prone to c. diff, I have not read anything on the subject but believe it is quite possible since our ability to absorb nutrients (and concomitantly our ability to fight off infections) is impaired to start with. I have heard of people having success with the SCD in treating it. Even though your testing was negative, with your symptoms you are at the least gluten intolerant if not diagnosable celiac at this time, which means you should avoid gluten just as strictly as a celiac.

Hope you are successful in getting rid of the c. diff because it is miserable.

[Looking for answers]

Hi,

One of the best pieces of advice I was given on this forum was learn about the GAPS diet (it's nearly the same as the Specific Carb. Diet, but is a little more methodical, in my opinion). I'm leaving on vacation soon, so I haven't been able to do the full blown diet because it will be hard enough for me to navigate my no gluten, dairy, nut, soy diet overseas, let alone GAPS. However, when I return I'm diving in. I, too, have SIBO. I'm pretty certain it was caused by some antibiotics I took last June 2010 for a dental issue. I haven't been the same since, despite accompanying my treatment with probiotics. Anways, I'm doing the first phase of the diet now (but I throw in some normal foods here and there so I won't get sick on vacation) and I can't tell you how great it's been. The days I stick with the soup I feel amazing and have no symptoms. When I throw in illegal foods, my symptoms come back. Anways, check it out and see what you think. Also, check out Grapefruit See Extract as a complementary treatment with GAPS.

[redheadsmom]

Hi,

One of the best pieces of advice I was given on this forum was learn about the GAPS diet (it's nearly the same as the Specific Carb. Diet, but is a little more methodical, in my opinion). I'm leaving on vacation soon, so I haven't been able to do the full blown diet because it will be hard enough for me to navigate my no gluten, dairy, nut, soy diet overseas, let alone GAPS. However, when I return I'm diving in. I, too, have SIBO. I'm pretty certain it was caused by some antibiotics I took last June 2010 for a dental issue. I haven't been the same since, despite accompanying my treatment with probiotics. Anways, I'm doing the first phase of the diet now (but I throw in some normal foods here and there so I won't get sick on vacation) and I can't tell you how great it's been. The days I stick with the soup I feel amazing and have no symptoms. When I throw in illegal foods, my symptoms come back. Anways, check it out and see what you think. Also, check out Grapefruit See Extract as a complementary treatment with GAPS.

Thanks to both of you for your replies, I appreciate it! I know antibiotics aren't good to take but I'm kinda freaked out by this diagnosis so I'm listening to the doc! They have no answers for me (surprise, surprise) by I was told by the GI to NOT take my probiotics until after I'm done with the antibiotic treatment. I have been on a probiotic since January. I'm on day 4 of the gluten-free diet so I'm hoping between that and the antibiotics I will start feeling better soon, that is if I don't end up with another common infection from the antibiotics. It's a never ending cycle!

Jessica

[Simona19]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new here and recently diagnosed SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth). I'm currently on a high does antibiotic for 14 days after testing positive via the Hydrogen Breath test.I was tested for Celiac via blood work in May and was negative. My GI wanted me to get and Endoscopy but due to insurance reasons I turned it down. I have numerous symptoms of Celiac and have suffered from GI problems, severe bloating, GERD, and Psoarisis so I firmly believe I have a Gluten Intolerance if not Celiacs. I'm currently on day 3 of being gluten free. Is there anyone else that has dealt with SIBO while on a gluten-free diet? Will being gluten-free help the SIBO from returning? I'm so lost I'm not even sure why I have SIBO and if it's another symptom/problem that comes with Celiac. If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it!

Jessica

Hi!

I was on gluten free diet, but I had problem with digestion of sugar and fats. I saw a doctor at Columbia University Hospital in New York and she tested me for SIBO. I was positive. My body made high amounts of methanol. The Hydrogen breathing test was done in September. After I was taking two antibiotics for 14 days twice a day. At the end of them I had one funny side affect : I had BM after every meal. I didn

[beachbirdie]

Just another idea, you don't specify if they named what bacteria are causing the overgrowth. If it IS a C.diff bacteria, then after the course of antibiotics you might get your hands on Open Original Shared Link (I offer only one brand, there are others)...it has been shown very effective in helping heal the intestinal lining. Avoid, at least for a time, probiotics with FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides), they feed the bad as well as the good bacteria. There is some indication that the bifidum might contribute to overgrowth as well.