Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Sibo Recurrence


peeptoad

Recommended Posts

peeptoad Apprentice

In addition to presumed non-celiac glucose intolerance I've been battling recurring SIBO for the last 5 or 6 years. Was finally diagnosed in 2009 and I'm now on my 4th course of rifaximin (antibiotic) over the last two years due to relapse/recurrence.

I know there are a number of other people here with current or past) SIBO and I know it's common for it to recur...

Has anyone had any success with stopping SIBO for good?

I'm slowly modifying my diet to try to drastically cut down on sugar/carbs (I fear I'll never be able to elminate it completely though)and going gluten-free definitely helped, but I'm back on antibiotics right now, so I know that's not enough by itself.


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



burdee Enthusiast

Yes, I had 8 bacterial, parasitic and yeast overgrowth 'infections' over a 4 year period. However, I was diagnosed with each of those by stool tests which identified the exact 'bug' and tested which drugs and/or botanicals could kill my specific bug. Then I was given a treatment which was specific (according to lab tests) to that gut bug. I eliminated every gut bug and then found a doctor who discovered the source of my low immunity: (1) low stomach acid (dx'd by Heidelberg capsule test), (2) low thyroid function (blood tests for TSH, free t3, free t4, TPOab), (3) low vitamin D3 levels (blood test) and (4) low good bacteria (stool test). After treating all those 'causes' (and killing the last overgrowth parasite), I haven't had another gut bug 'overgrowth' for almost 2 years after that 4 year period of infections. (Subsequent stool tests were clear of 'bad' levels of gut bugs.) So I want to ask you:

How were you diagnosed with 'SIBO'?

Did your diagnostic test identify the exact gut bug (bacteria, parasite or yeast)?

Did your doc prescribe rifaxim because tests showed it would kill your specific gut bug? Or did your doc prescribe rifaxim, becuase he considers it an all purpose antibiotic (none exists)???

Have you had a stool test(s) which identifies your good and bad gut bacteria?

Are you taking probiotics after each treatment with rifaxim? How potent (number of live cells per capsule) are your probiotics?

peeptoad Apprentice

Yes, I had 8 bacterial, parasitic and yeast overgrowth 'infections' over a 4 year period. However, I was diagnosed with each of those by stool tests which identified the exact 'bug' and tested which drugs and/or botanicals could kill my specific bug. Then I was given a treatment which was specific (according to lab tests) to that gut bug. I eliminated every gut bug and then found a doctor who discovered the source of my low immunity: (1) low stomach acid (dx'd by Heidelberg capsule test), (2) low thyroid function (blood tests for TSH, free t3, free t4, TPOab), (3) low vitamin D3 levels (blood test) and (4) low good bacteria (stool test). After treating all those 'causes' (and killing the last overgrowth parasite), I haven't had another gut bug 'overgrowth' for almost 2 years after that 4 year period of infections. (Subsequent stool tests were clear of 'bad' levels of gut bugs.) So I want to ask you:

How were you diagnosed with 'SIBO'?

hydrogen breath test

Did your diagnostic test identify the exact gut bug (bacteria, parasite or yeast)?

No. The HBT doesn't do this...unfortunately.

Did your doc prescribe rifaxim because tests showed it would kill your specific gut bug? Or did your doc prescribe rifaxim, becuase he considers it an all purpose antibiotic (none exists)???

I presume the latter, however rifaximin has worked for me 3 out of the 4 times I've taken it (at least in terms of symptom-improvement).

Have you had a stool test(s) which identifies your good and bad gut bacteria?

no

Are you taking probiotics after each treatment with rifaxim? How potent (number of live cells per capsule) are your probiotics?

I have been, yes. I took Align twice and another rband I got at the health food store once. None of them seemed to make a bit of difference, although I assume they helped somewhat with good flora? I'm trying a different brand this time (after the abs are done): Custom Probiotics. I think I actually saw a post of yours somewhere saying you took these and they helped. Not other pro-Bs I've taken have helped; I may as well be taking a sugar pill.

Responses in bold. Do you think I should pester my GI doc about the stool test for specificity (even with symptom-improvement on the rifaximin)?

I also mentioned hypochloridia to my doctor well over a year ago and he didn't seem to think that was an issue due to my age... ??

  • 2 weeks later...
peeptoad Apprentice

Well, as a quick follow up (if anyone cares) the rifaximin did the trick... but my doctor thinks I have small bowel dysmotility (not his words, but I'm putting two and two together). Seems he's right since I've had SIBO recur 4 times over the last 3 years.

Now on Reglan which I'm not happy about at all... it's already starting to make my insomnia slightly worse, although that could be attributed to other things.

Has anyone here used Iberogast before??

It's an herbal prokinetic and it's (according to 3 research articles I've read so far) supposed to be comparable to prokinetic drugs like Reglan, but without the horrific side effects.

burdee Enthusiast

Well, as a quick follow up (if anyone cares) the rifaximin did the trick... but my doctor thinks I have small bowel dysmotility (not his words, but I'm putting two and two together). Seems he's right since I've had SIBO recur 4 times over the last 3 years.

Now on Reglan which I'm not happy about at all... it's already starting to make my insomnia slightly worse, although that could be attributed to other things.

Has anyone here used Iberogast before??

It's an herbal prokinetic and it's (according to 3 research articles I've read so far) supposed to be comparable to prokinetic drugs like Reglan, but without the horrific side effects.

I never used Iberogast. However, you need a probiotic with at least 12-50 billion live cells per capsule. I don't think Align has that much. Custom Probiotics would supply a more potent probiotic.

I don't think your doc said 'motility' unless he suspected you're hypothyroid, which causes metabolic motility issues and constipation. However he could have suggested you don't have enough good bacteria, which would allow those overgrowth bacteria to flourish. So taking high dose probiotics now (after killing the last one with Rifaxim, if you know for sure) would be a good idea.

How do you know for sure that Rifaxim 'did the trick'? Did you retest for SIBO? I don't understand how hydrogen breath tests work. Can you explain? Also I think Rifaxim is a gamble, because there are no all-purpose antibiotic drugs. Each kills specific bugs. Maybe you were lucky.

I hope you don't have more recurrences of SIBO. Like I said, I had 8 different gut bugs over a 4 year period, until I was diagnosed with low stomach acid production and resolved that along with taking really high dose probiotics. I also had to address several other issues which challenged my immmunity like low vitamin D3 levels, low thyroid, low White blood cells and low DHEA.

peeptoad Apprentice

I don't know for sure that the rifaximin worked because I did not have a follow-up breath test, but the four times I've taken it my symptoms (abdominal distention and incomplete evacuation/poor stool quality) have all disappeared by the end of the course. So I think I can reasonably assume that it worked?

On your recommendation and another I got from a different site I am using the Custom Probiotics along with the Reglan (my doctor did recommend that I use pro-bs).

Reglan is used for motility issues is it not? (it's a prokinetic) I guess that's why I assumed that I had a motility issue... well, that and I mentioned it in an email to my doctor and he didn't dispute the point and went on to prescribe the Reglan.

Are thyroid issues the only thing that can cause intestinal motility problems? (My thyroid checked out normal on blood test last time it was tested).

For the breath test see below (I've had the one with the lactulose performed 3-4 times now, before antibiotics, and it's been positive every time):

Open Original Shared Link

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - xxnonamexx replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      43

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Charlie1946's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      45

      Severe severe mouth pain

    3. - Lkg5 replied to Charlie1946's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      45

      Severe severe mouth pain

    4. - Charlie1946 replied to Charlie1946's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      45

      Severe severe mouth pain

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,098
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    BothySmithy
    Newest Member
    BothySmithy
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      I have taken the vitamins for a week. Haven't noticed any major changes but I will give it more time to see.
    • knitty kitty
      @Charlie1946,  Sorry I sidetracked your thread a bit.  Apologies. Proton pump inhibitors, like Omeprazole, change the pH in our gastrointestinal systems which allows opportunistic microbes to move in and take over.  Have you been checked for SIBO?  There's a significant link between length of Omeprazole use and SIBO.  I had SIBO, thrush (Candida) and lichen planus and other problems while I was on Omeprazole.  I had to stop taking it.  It was a horrible time, so I understand how painful and frustrating it is.   You change your microbiome (the bacteria and microbes living inside you) by changing what you eat.  They eat what you eat.  Change the menu and you get different customers.   I changed my diet.  I cut out dairy because I was reacting to the casein and lactose.  I cut out all processed foods and most carbohydrates. I ate meat and veggies mostly, some fruit like apples and mandarin oranges.  By cutting out all the excess carbohydrates, lactose, and empty carbs in processed gluten-free foods, the opportunistic microbes get starved out.  SIBO bacteria send chemical messages to our brains demanding more carbs, so be prepared for carb cravings, but don't let the microbiome control you!   The skin and digestive system is continuous.  The health of our outside skin reflects the health of our gastrointestinal system.  Essential B vitamins, like Thiamine B 1 and especially Niacin B 3, are needed to repair intestinal damage and keep bad bacteria in check.  Niacin helps improve not only the intestinal tract, but also the skin.  Sebaceous Hyperplasia is linked to being low in Niacin B 3.  Lichen Planus is treated with Niacinamide, a form of Niacin B 3.   Vitamins are chemical compounds that our bodies cannot make.  We must get them from our food.  If our food isn't digested well (low stomach acid from Omeprazole causes poor digestion), then vitamins aren't released well.  Plus there's a layer of SIBO bacteria absorbing our vitamins first between the food we've eaten and our inflamed and damaged villi that may have difficulty absorbing the vitamins.  So, taking vitamin supplements is a way to boost absorption of essential nutrients that will allow the body to fight off the microbes, repair and heal.   Doctors are taught in medical learning institutions funded by pharmaceutical companies.  The importance of nutrition is downplayed and called old fashioned.  Doctors are taught we have plenty to eat, so no one gets nutritional deficiency diseases anymore.  But we do, as people with Celiac disease, with impaired absorption.  Nutritional needs need to be addressed first with us.  Vitamins cannot be patented because they are natural substances.  But pharmaceutical drugs can be.  There's more money to be made selling pharmaceutical drugs than vitamins.   Makes me wonder how much illness could be prevented if people were screened for Celiac disease much earlier in life, instead of after they've been ill and medicated for years.   Talk to your doctor and dietician about supplementing essential vitamins and minerals.   Interesting Reading: The Duration of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy and the Risk of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12250812/#:~:text=The long-term use of,overgrowth dynamics is less clear. Lichenoid drug eruption with proton pump inhibitors https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC27275/ Nicotinamide: A Multifaceted Molecule in Skin Health and Beyond https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857428/
    • Lkg5
      My sebaceous hyperplasia and thrush disappeared when I stopped all dairy.
    • Charlie1946
      @knitty kitty Thank you so much for all that information! I will be sure to check it out and ask my doctor.  I am just at a loss, I am on my 2nd round of miracle mouthwash and I brush and scrape my tongue and (sorry this is gross) it's still coated in the middle 
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Traditional brown rice vinegars are made by fermenting brown rice and water with koji (Kōji 麹). The gluten risk comes from the method of preparing the koji: rice, wheat or barley may be used. Regardless of the starting grain, "koji" typically will be listed as an ingredient, and that term alone does not indicate gluten status. I called Eden Foods regarding their product "Organic Brown Rice Vinegar" (product of Japan) to ask how their product is made. They gave me a clear answer that they >do< use rice and they >do not< use wheat or barley in preparing their koji. FWIW, the product itself does not contain any labeling about gluten, gluten risk, or gluten safety. Based on Eden's statement, I am going to trust that this product is gluten safe and use it.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.