SIBO
- bey0ndM@gz!ne
- February 1, 2021
- Default, Health-Wellness
- 0 Comments
I’m sure you’ve heard of IBS. But have you ever heard of SIBO?
SIBO is actually the leading cause of IBS. I had no idea what SIBO was until it started to ruin my life.
SIBO stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and comes with many unpleasant side effects, including the production of hydrogen, methane and/or hydrogen sulphide gas. While many people experience these gasses as symptoms of IBS, they actually also cause damage to the intestinal wall.
IBS can be brought on by many different factors, with SIBO being a leading, and common, yet undiagnosed cause. In fact, research indicates SIBO is responsible for up to 84% of IBS cases.
What are the symptoms of SIBO?
SIBO can be extremely uncomfortable with common symptoms presenting as fatigue, bloating, excessive gas, acid reflux, abdominal pain, cramping, “foggy brain” and nausea. These symptoms can also be present when a person is suffering from IBS.
Some of the more severe symptoms of SIBO include chronic diarrhoea or constipation, weight loss, fatigue and malabsorption, joint pain, skin rashes, iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Some patients even suffer from respiratory afflictions such as asthma.
In 2013, I experienced severe heart palpitations, I was constantly exhausted and suffered from “foggy brain”. I considered myself to be someone with an amazing memory, yet I found myself struggling to remember even the simplest things like people’s names. It was at this time that I knew something was wrong.
Intuitively, I felt the problem was likely to be a hormonal imbalance, but my doctors refused to take my opinions seriously, dismissing my assessment, leaving me frustrated and confused.
In an effort to figure out what was going on, I delved deeper into finding the root cause of the problem. I began with a complete thyroid panel test, including a thorough check of my thyroid antibodies and vitamin D levels. (Vitamin D is a prohormone and is vital for hormone balance).
Once the results came in, I quickly discovered that I had a deficiency.
What causes SIBO?
There are many causes of SIBO. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, food sensitivities and even food poisoning can be triggers. These are what happened to me!
I continued to educate myself about thyroid health and realised there are many root causes for this condition. A large percentage of people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis have gut dysbiosis in the form of SIBO. This continued research eventually. helped me decide on the next course of action.
Oftentimes both of these conditions are inextricably linked. When you have a sluggish thyroid you tend to experience sluggish everything, from low stomach acid and insufficient digestive enzymes. These, in turn, contribute to SIBO.
For me, it was no doubt a combination of too many courses of antibiotics and several bouts of food poisoning. Since living in Asia, I’d suffered many episodes of severe food poisoning requiring hospitalisation. This is when my SIBO kicked in. The toxins from the food poisoning bacteria had damaged my migrating motor complex (MMC), thus preventing waste from moving out of my body correctly.
MMC is responsible for moving intestinal contents along the digestive system through peristalsis (the sequential contractions of the digestive tract muscles). If the peristalsis isn’t effectively working, then the bacteria remains stuck in the small intestine and does not get swept along into the large intestine, leading to an abnormally large growth of bacteria in the wrong location.
It is often the cause of constipation, as bacteria from the large intestine start to colonise the small intestine feeding off sugars, creating gas and bloating. These symptoms, along with Gastritis and unexplained weight gain around my belly were more red flags that indicated that something was wrong. Dietary habits that are too loaded with simple carbohydrates are a common cause of SIBO, as well as medications and a stressful lifestyle. Normal stomach acid levels are required to kill bacteria, but those suffering from chronic stress are susceptible to lower levels of stomach acid output (hypochlorhydria). Stomach acid is a natural antibiotic—it kills food borne bugs. This is why people who are on acid blockers are more susceptible to food poisoning and “gastro bugs”!
While unhealthy lifestyles are often to blame, sometimes the reason we are suffering from the uncomfortable symptoms of SIBO/IBS are far beyond our control. Occasionally, the structure of anatomy is to blame. Some people have a malformation of the ileocecal valve or scar tissue/adhesions can form as a result of a previous surgery, thus altering the normal anatomy of the small intestine.
A more curious cause of SIBO can originate from our infancy, where the initial colonisation of bad bacteria occurred. This is common among patients who were born via caesarean or did not have the opportunity to breastfeed as a baby.
All of these can cause digestive distresses, especially those that are often indistinguishable. It is one of the main reasons why SIBO is a difficult condition to diagnose.
How do you treat SIBO?
Once a person has been diagnosed and I always recommend doing both a functional medicine stool sample test called, a GIMAP and a Lactulose SIBO Breath Test, the plan can then incorporate dietary, surgical or medical treatments. Dietary habits and lifestyle certainly need to be adjusted for the treatment of SIBO, yet research shows it cannot be cured with solely through dietary changes. SIBO requires treatment with pharmaceuticals or natural antibiotics known as ‘antimicrobials’.
The key to dealing with SIBO is to find supportive doctors, gastroenterologists and naturopaths that understand how to read these tests and who are able to offer treatment options that are viable and effective.
I, myself, have opted to take the natural healing approach as opposed to potentially harmful antibiotics. I have chosen to try the Biphasic Diet plan and am taking natural antimicrobials which are made from antibacterial essential oils such as myrrh, oregano, thyme and lemon balm. The Biphasic diet lasts for 4-6 months depending on each individual case. Additionally, it is a gluten, dairy, sugar free diet, with carnivore and vegetarian versions available.
It took two rounds of antimicrobials over a period of 11 weeks alongside The Biphasic diet, which lasted five weeks for me to see some positive results. A SIBO breath test, after round one, showed that I had made progress and a final SIBO breath test one month later confirmed that I had cleared up the bacterial overgrowth. The eczema I had suffered from for almost five years has disappeared, as have all the gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, my energy levels and sleep quality has improved tremendously.
Changing your diet can help to improve the symptoms of SIBO and can actually train your body to self-heal your gut. There are four popular diets that have proven to be successful in the treatment of SIBO.
- Biphasic
- GAPS
- SIBO Specific
- LowFODMAP’s
SIBO has a high relapse rate, therefore, it is important to consult the right medical and health practitioners that can help you manage your gut health and avoid repeated bacterial overgrowths.
