# Second relapse with IBS-C (Methane) SIBO, in lots of pain, sick and tired of this



## RelentlessGuy (Mar 16, 2017)

Hi everyone, I'm Mark - a 25 year old guy first diagnosed with IBS-C SIBO back in September 2016.

I've been having my second relapse and on top of being in a lot of pain, I'm beyond sick and tired of this issue prohibiting me to live a full, healthy, life.

Vast majority of my life I've been a vegetarian (my parents brought me up this way), which I turned into pescatarianism around Q4 last year.

I didn't have IBS or any major health issues until beginning of 2016, when my IBS started creeping in throughout first half of the year. Then it got clearly more severe around September, I was really suffering with pain from Methane SIBO which was confirmed via breath test a month later. I was back in my country and got all possible (available) tests done: several stool tests for H. Pylori and other parasites, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, numerous blood tests.

The only real result came from the breath test and I was put on Rifaximin + Metronidazole for 14 days. I took a bit of prescribed probiotics right after the treatment (not in large amounts) which might have been too soon and in hindsight not the best decision.

I was pretty fine after that treatment (October 2016) but unfortunately didn't follow any specific diet or gut healing protocol. I definitely avoided ingesting any kind of probiotics since even before my most severe symptoms back in September, I had a really bad reaction to Kombucha tea.

The Methane SIBO symptoms started creeping in around beginning of this year, it started with uncomfortable bloating each morning, pretty much regardless of what I ate the previous day. That was usually relieved after the morning bowel movement, but not entirely.

3 weeks ago the symptoms got really bad. I was in major pain for 2 days and immediately went for antibiotics without any doctor's consultation (I don't think I would find any doctors here that are actually competent on the subject, back home they were definitely better but still not ideal). I couldn't get Rifaximin anywhere here so I went with Metronidazole + Levofloxacin/Cipro (interchangeably, in that order). Few days into the antibiotic treatment I also started adding enzymes, antifungal pills, and motility agent. After about 12 days, I started taking L-Glutamine.

After over 2 weeks of this antibiotic treatment, I still feel like I'm pretty much back to square one. The overall bloating and pain have lessened, but they are still there, and occasionally I'll still get a really bad day with lots of pain.

I am now fully determined to take care of this issue once and for good.

If you have any advice or suggestions, I would really appreciate them.

I'm about to do a home test for possible low stomach acid, but other than that I really have no clue what to do next. I tried the low FODMAP diet back in September both before and after my antibiotic treatment (but not during), and it didn't seem to help that much.


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## IBS_guy_33 (Mar 16, 2017)

Please have a read of this post, right through to the end.

It helped me form a good treatment plan and you can do the same.

I am only in the early stages of my treatment but will share later on.

Best of luck, we can find solutions to our problems!


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## IBS_guy_33 (Mar 16, 2017)

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/248714-the-things-i-do-for-ibs-fmt-journal/


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