# How I recovered from IBS/SIBO



## richgel999

As a teenager my town's water supply got poisoned with raw sewage. Many children in town got sick, including my brother and I. After a few days of vomiting I was brought to the hospital. I remember it taking me months to recover.

In the following years I took several courses of antibiotics (after dental surgeries), and I had several incidents of food poisoning. My doctor thinks all these events, combined with lots of work stress due to "crunching" and a bad diet, contributed to me getting IBS and then a very nasty case of SIBO: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. (As a side note, my brother later developed Crohn's Disease.)

I'll never forgot when my gut finally "gave up" in early 2013. I was at work, finishing up a project, when it felt like a volcano erupted in my stomach. I had tons of upper GI gas and belching, followed by a massive wave of pain in my small intestine and stomach that lasted 4-5 days. After this event my gut never worked the same again.

After this occurred, I would experience random SIBO symptoms, especially after eating foods containing sugar or starch: lots of very uncomfortable upper GI gas, followed by inflammation/pain in my small intestine or stomach. I developed constipation and food intolerances. During this time (2013) I had the worse seasonal allergies and GI pain of my life.

I went to several MD's and one GI specialist, but all they could do was diagnose me as having "IBS". They prescribed Prilosec, with a recommendation of trying Probiotics. I learned that most MD's were useless, if not downright dangerous when it comes to GI conditions.

In early 2014, in on and off gut pain, and weakening, I quit work to try and focus on healing. I remember slowly getting better in 2014, but I was still in a fragile state. I tried the SCD diet and 24-hour SCD yogurt (along with other yogurts) with no success. It seemed no matter what I ate, I would have upper GI gas followed by severe pain like 1-2 times a week. But over time, I remember getting better enough to work at home again.

Not realizing the true state of my condition, I returned to work at another stressful job in Texas, and by mid 2015 I had all the symptoms of leaky gut, SIBO, and I had developed food intolerances to corn and milk proteins. I also developed gastritis in my stomach. I was in a lot of pain, and in serious trouble.

During this time, I experimented with several supplements and diets. Low LODMAP helped, Colostrum made a difference, and Slippery Elm "gruel" reduced the pain and helped my motility. I used liquid Melatonin, and was prescribed Prilosec to help heal my stomach. I remember having severe constipation during this time. I used small doses of 5-HTP and "Iberogast" to help keep my gut motility up and reliable.

At this point, I knew I had to stop working for a long time and just focus on fixing my GI tract. I moved back to Washington State, so I could go to licensed ND's. (There are no legal ND's in Texas.) I took the hydrogen/methane breath test twice, and on the 2nd test I was diagnosed with SIBO.

To start my long road of recovery from SIBO, I followed a modified form of the Siebecker treatment protocol:

http://www.siboinfo.com/overview1.html

I first went on an elemental diet for 2 weeks, which made an immediate difference. I actually felt great on the elemental diet. I then started a very basic low-FODMAP diet of basically organic chicken+carrots, Date Lady Date Syrup, unsweetened coconut milk, Manuka Honey, cashew butter, and small amounts of dates. I ate these foods because they didn't trigger SIBO symptoms, and they gave me energy.

After the elemental diet, I took several courses of herbal and pharmaceutical antibiotics (Rifaximin/Xifaxan). The first 2-3 courses didn't work (and if anything made my symptoms worse), but the 4th course did. Rifaxmin is very expensive, but it worked. On my last and successful course of antibiotics, I took a bunch of herbals (oregano oil, Allimax, Neem, Berberine, and Lactoferrin) combined with Rifaximin. I basically decided to nuke my gut biota from orbit, and then rebuild it once whatever bacterial in my system that was slowly killing me was gone. It was me verses the bacteria, and I was focused on winning. I knew this was a dangerous option, but I had no choice because nothing else I tried worked.

After the ~6 week course of combined herbal+pharma antibiotics, I then continued to eat 4-8 tablespoons of Date Syrup every day for several months. Date Syrup is strongly antibacterial and antifungal. It was also a source of calories and "safe" carbs for my body. I remember doing this for 3-4 months. During this time, I had a hot coconut milk beverage containing lots of l-glutamine, bovine colostrum, and fish collagen once or twice a day, sometimes sweetened with date syrup.

I was still in seemingly random GI pain/inflammation, but the SIBO symptoms were gone. I could "safely" eat food again and not develop large amounts of upper GI gas/belching and massive pain. I remember still being constipated.

I knew at this point, after all those antibiotics, that I had wiped out almost all of my healthy gut flora. It was now time to rebuild. I stopped consuming anything that was known to be even slightly anti-bacterial.

I first started slowly introducing small amounts of fermented foods, such as raw fermented sauerkraught. Even the tiniest speck of sauerkraught would cause a lot of "normal" gas, which was a good sign. I also finally found a combination of probiotic strains that worked for me: Mutaflor (a friendly strain of E-Coli I had to import from Canada), VSL #3, and Safeway Probiotic 10X. I started making SCD-like 24-hour coconut milk yogurt using VSL #3 or Probiotic 10X, which helped a lot. Note that most probiotics I tried were not helpful.

I remember as my gut biota recovered I felt the most amazing feeling in my large intestine: It was like 10,000 little points of "healing" in my system. I could literally feel my gut biota redevelop. The feeling was strongly anti-inflamatory. I then realized that we all take for granted what it feels like to have a healthy/functioning gut biota. You'll only notice the difference when it's gone. I'm now extremely attuned to the feelings from my gut.

Still, my gut was fragile. I also started taking lots of prebiotics: I started with Inulin, then my doctor introduced Arabinogalactan, along with Lipotropic Complex. I eventually switched from coconut milk to lactose free milk in my 24-hour yogurt and my daily drink. I was able to very slowly reintroduce small amounts of starches, then eventually lactose (which is actually a prebiotic). I'm now able to drink real milk containing lactose again, but it took over a year after the antibiotics to get to this point.

I still have to consume around 5-6 tablespoons of very strong 24-hour probiotic yogurt every day, but now my gut hasn't worked this well in decades. I can eat almost anything I want now, which is both a blessing and a curse. All SIBO and IBS symptoms have been gone for one year. It is definitely possible to recover from SIBO, but it's a lot of work.

List of supplements that helped me:
- L-Glutamine - 5-10 grams/day. Feeds the GI tract, helps rebuild the gut lining.
- Colostrum - I buy big tubs of it, because the capsules are too small. 5-10 grabs/day. Eat it like a food. This calms the immune system, acts as a prebiotic, and helps rebuild the gut lining.
- Fish Collagen - 1 scoop/day. I found that supplements that helped your skin look better seemed to help your gut, too. I noticed an immediate improvement to my gut once I introduced collagen.
- Red Reishi (Dragon Herbs) - Took this for a few months after the antibiotics. Made me feel significantly better. Calms the immune system. 
- CBD - Anti-inflammatory. Helped with GI pain after SIBO flared.
- SAM-e (50-1600 mg/day) - Took this before/after the antibiotics. This helped my liver and boosted my neurotransmitters. I noticed I had to take much more SAM-e when my SIBO was severing flaring. I think whatever bacterial was in my system was producing toxic metabolites which were severely bogging down my liver.
- Liquid Melatonin - This was like an instant pain reliever for my stomach when I had gastritis. When I had gastritis I took up to 20mg/day.
- Betaine HCL - I will never take this stuff again. I believe taking this contributed to my gastritis. If you do take HCL, always take as little as possible. 
- Digestive enzymes - Never made any difference, and I'm leery of this stuff's effect on the gut lining. 
- Iberogast - Massive gut motility booster. It's VERY strong, and I found it somewhat irritating. I preferred 5-HTP.
- GastroZyme - After the antibiotics I took several 2-3 week course of GastroZyme, which was intensely healing to my GI tract. You take as much as you need to turn your stools green, then keep taking this dose for a few days/weeks until your gut feels slightly irritated, then you stop. Keep taking courses like this until you no longer need it. Note that GastroZyme is a weird supplement - it can be either very healing or slightly irritating. Overall, this stuff is amazingly healing for the GI tract when used carefully.
- Probiotics that helped: VSL #3, Mutaflor, Safeway Probiotic 10X
I only took Mutaflor and VSL #3 for a couple months after the antibiotics. Both are very expensive.
- 5-HTP - Took small doses (10-50mg) after every meal to boost gut motility.
- Pregnenolone - I developed early symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue while ill, and this helped. I took 5-30mg/day, off and on as needed.
- Adaptogens - "Gaia Adrenal Health - Daily Support". Adaptogens like Rhodiola will help your body deal with the stress until you can heal. Don't take continuously, try a cycle of 7 days on 3 days off. Don't take longer than 1 year, and if you develop insomnia stop taking adaptogens. Many adaptogens are very gastroprotective.
- Integrative Therapeutics Lipotropic Complex - My stool tests showed that I was not digesting fats well, so my ND introduced this product which seemed to help.
- Real licorice, licorice tea, and licorice extract - Helped heal my gastritis. I found all brands of DGL to be basically useless, because the active component has been removed. I used several courses of real licorice.
- Aloe 80 Organics Stomach Formula - Helped heal my gastritis and relieved pain. This was the only aloe containing supplement I found that actually helped.
- Slippery Elm, Marshmallow - Make into an oatmeal-like gruel. Don't take the dry capsules, you must premix it with hot water first. Eat it like a food. Helps normalize motility and rebuild the gut lining.
- St. John's Wort, L-Tryptophan - Useful to keep your serotonin levels up. I noticed my serotonin levels dropped like a rock as my gut health declined. (This makes sense, as most of your body's serotonin is made in your gut.) Serotonin levels and gut motility seem strongly correlated.

It can be helpful to develop one or two "Fallback Diets" while recovering from antibiotics, in case you go too far and reintroduce complex foods too quickly. For me, this fallback diet consisted of eggs, meats, sauerkraut, chicken, chicken soup, etc. The GI tract heals very slowly. "Safe" fallbacks diets are good for morale, because you know you'll always having something safe to eat while you heal.

I found that if I optimize for my skin health, that my gut seems to work better too. If I stop eating probiotic yogurt, my acne flares and my gut function declines. There seems to be a strong correlation between acne and gut health, at least for me.

Two other things I found helpful: Infrared sauna, and an earthing sheet.

I strongly believe that medical science is still in the dark ages when it comes to GI conditions and how to properly treat them. "IBS" is a useless diagnoses. I think, for some people, wiping out some to most of your gut biota and "regrowing" it is the right course of action. It's risky, but so is living with an unhealthy gut biota. In my case, my gut microbiota was slowly killing me.

Finally, after the antibiotics I started exercising, 3-4 times per week. I first started with walking, then fast walking, and built up to running and weight lifting. Exercising helped a lot, and I will continue to exercise for the rest of my life.

-Rich Geldreich
Seattle, WA


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## jaumeb

Thanks for taking the time to share your story.


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## cazbomb

This is some of the best information I've ever read. I have had the same story and feel this info will really help me and a lot of people. Really Thank you


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## used to be moises

Rich,

This is a great write-up. Thank you for sharing it with us.

I have never before heard of people getting no benefit from rifaximin until the 4th or 5th try. Fascinating.

I too have lots of upper GI gas and have tested positive on the SIBO breath test. I've tried about 90% of what you've used but you've given me some good ideas. Thanks again.


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## Raw015

Hi there,

I can relate to much of your symptons, only i tested negatieve for the breath test.

what about your diet?

what foods did you avoid and what did you eat what was safe?

thanks


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## Helena

Hi Rich, what an amazing write up.what are ND' s?


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## highlandhilman

Thanks for sharing your story, Rich. I'm currently struggling with SIBO, although my flare ups sound less intense than yours, and my treatment has included herbal antibiotics, not pharmaceutical antibiotics.

What brand of date syrup were you using? Also, what brand of "hot coconut milk beverage" were you using, and do you know how much L-glutamine it contained? I'm trying to take L-glutamine as a supplement, but find the loose powder reacts very badly with me, so I'm trying to get it from whole foods instead.



Helena said:


> Hi Rich, what an amazing write up.what are ND' s?


Helena, ND's are Naturopathic Doctors, as opposed to MD's which are Medical Doctors. Some areas require ND's to be licensed. In my area, ND's are required to do a medical bachelor degree (same as MD's and GP's), then do their master's degree in Naturopathy. In my area, they're governed by the same organization that governs all licensed health practitioners.


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## Helena

Thanks. I think in our country they don't do a medical bachelor's degree.


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## Raw015

Since Rich isnt responding, does anybody know what "eat it like a food" means?


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## richgel999

Raw015 said:


> Since Rich isnt responding, does anybody know what "eat it like a food" means?


Sorry, since I wrote that message I've worked on a bunch of projects and moved to San Diego.

For Slippery Elm (and Marshmallow), it's important to mix the raw powder with hot water until it turns into a paste. Then you add more hot water until it's edible. You never want to take the capsules then drink water separately, in my experience. (This can be quite painful if your gut lining is compromised, like mine was.) If you can handle sweeteners, like honey, you can also mix that in too. I found Slippery Elm to be amazingly normalizing to gut motility when I was sick.


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## richgel999

Here's the brand of Date Syrup I used: https://ilovedatelady.com/

Over time I bought several cases of this stuff. It was strongly anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. I think it was important to my recovery from SIBO.


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## Liz26

Hi Rich! 
Did you find yourself, apart of SIBO, having constipation or diarrhea?


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## Raw015

What did you threat first, gastritis or SIBO or both at the same time?


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## ashyam86343

Raw015 said:


> What did you threat first, gastritis or SIBO or both at the same time?


Hi Raw015,

Gastritis normally produced by undigested food, so if you treat for SIBO that solve the gastritis problem as well. If you take the food like Rich explained, you will slowly recover from SIBO, try to drink warm water whenever you can instead of normal water.

Hope this helps


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## Raw015

ashyam86343 said:


> Hi Raw015,
> 
> Gastritis normally produced by undigested food, so if you treat for SIBO that solve the gastritis problem as well. If you take the food like Rich explained, you will slowly recover from SIBO, try to drink warm water whenever you can instead of normal water.
> 
> Hope this helps


Gastritis normally produced by undigested food,?

Please dont respond if you dont know anything.


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## ashyam86343

Hi Raw,

Glad you opened this topic again.

To answer your question. Yes 99% undigested food is the cause for Gastritis. Indigestion could be of various reasons

- Poor stomach acid --> this is due to lack of vitamins in body Zinc,mg, B12. If you have poor stomach acid, part of food will be moved to digestive tract without proper digestion.

- Improper food habits --> Hard for digestion all the time

- Liver & stomach infection --> not functions properly and leads to Malnutrition.

- Weaken intestine due to Candida / Yeast, this may become chronic & spreads as candida invasive if untreated.

Hope this answers well.


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