Happy Holistic Homemaker

It started with strange observations. Corn chips started to smell bad and taste bad too! Peanut butter and eggs smelled terrible. Then the bloating, constipation and overall gut discomfort began with cramping and pain following shortly after. I tried looking up my symptoms and came to the conclusion that I must have leaky gut syndrome. So, I proceeded to follow a strict leaky gut diet, including lots of probiotics, prebiotics, kombucha, bone broth and more. But the problem seemed to get worse. Not only that but I noticed that my stools had a strong sulfur smell! So, back to researching what was going on with my body. That’s when I discovered SIBO, which I had never heard of. When I read the description of symptoms I knew that this was what I had. SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and is a condition in which bacteria take up residence in the small intestine and cause a disruption in digestion. It is normal to have bacteria in our large intestine, but the small intestine is usually flushed clean of bacterial colonization. 

I wondered, how did I get this? How do I get rid of it? Is it dangerous? How can I treat it? Looking back now, I realize how much unhelpful information there is about SIBO. I read that I should load up with probiotics, take specific supplements, apple cider vinegar, and even to make special yogurt. My gastroenterologist told me that SIBO is not dangerous and that I can live with it without problems – wait, WHAT? I had already learned so much more about the condition than she seemed to know. Yes, it can be very dangerous because it causes malabsorption of necessary nutrients and can lead to more severe conditions untreated such as malnutrition or B12 deficiency. Not to mention how absolutely miserable I felt. Obviously, to make such a statement, she had never experienced it herself!

 There are three types of SIBO. Hydrogen dominant, methane dominant and hydrogen sulfide dominant. I figured I had the hydrogen sulfide SIBO and eliminated almost everything from my diet because literally everything has sulfur. I ate root vegetable soup with a small amount of dark meat chicken or dark meat turkey. Anything else I ate would send me into a flare up. I lost weight and became anemic. After a few months of trying to treat this on my own, to no avail, I decided to go to a gastroenterologist. This ended up being more than I bargained for. I explained to them my symptoms and that I believed I had SIBO, but instead of giving me a SIBO breath test, I was required to first get a colonoscopy and endoscopy to rule out any serious conditions. So, I complied and did the tests which all came back negative. Now, I was finally allowed to take the SIBO test which, of course, came back positive. I tested positive for hydrogen and methane dominant and when I asked them to test for hydrogen sulfide SIBO they looked at me like I was from Mars. Please note, taking the breath test will greatly activate the bacteria in your gut and cause your symptoms to flare. 

Next, I proceeded with the Rifaximin and Neomycin combination antibiotic regimen. I am happy to say that the antibiotics did cure the hydrogen sulfide SIBO but only helped with my overall symptoms. At least now I could eat meat and eggs and greens again. I then followed a strict Low Fodmap Diet, which I highly recommend. I do believe that my onset of SIBO is related to repeated uses of antibiotics for a recurring condition which probably severely altered my gut micro-biome, and on one occasion being given a sulfa antibiotic. Slow digestion, slow gut motility, and low stomach acid are common causes of SIBO and auto-immune diseases may cause a higher susceptibility.  Over two years later, I still struggle with SIBO, but I have learned to control it with diet and herbal supplements. Maybe someday I will be free of this vile condition. I discuss my treatment protocol in my post How I treat My SIBO.