# SIBO! Will I ever get better?



## Justwannabenormal (Jun 2, 2017)

Hi! It is so nice to have found a place where I can share my bowel troubles with other people who will understand.

Please allow me to introduce myself...I am a 39 year old female going through a very difficult time at the moment.

Six years ago I began suffering from chronic constipation, and inability to lose weight. No matter what I did, I could not lose weight and I also had to began using herbal laxatives regularly. About five years later my hair suddenly started falling out all over the place, and my hormones became badly imbalanced. I went to the gynecologist, and told her of my troubles and she tested my hormone levels and thyroid and found that I am hypothyroid. She prescribed levothyroxine, and I began having normal bowel movements again - without the need of laxatives! It was wonderful, I would go to the bathroom 2-3 times a day without laxatives!

Last winter I went back home to the US to spend time with family, ran out of thyroid medicine, and became terribly constipated. I have taken my share of antibiotics over the years, and a family friend who is a doctor recommended that I start using probiotics. So I purchased several boxes of Renew Life Extra Care (they are seven day courses of very intense probiotic/prebiotic supplements). Immediately after I took the probiotic I suddenly became extremely constipated, and my stomach began to bloat to the point where I looked pregnant. I returned from my trip, and resumed my thyroid medication but it didn't help. Nothing helped! It was as though the peristaltic movement in my intestines completely ceased, the muscles stopped moving or went to sleep. I started loading more, and more fiber and prebiotics into my diet (green bananas, raw asparagus, kefir, etc.) and the problem only became worse. The constipation was terrible. My normal dose of herbal laxative that I used to take had no effect. As I said the peristaltic movement just stopped completely. When I doubled my dose of the herbal laxative I finally had some results, however, I didn't have any cramping or any feeling of my intestines moving. It was very, very strange - like my intestines were paralyzed. My clothes stopped fitting as well, because my stomach became so bloated. I tried every vitamin, and herb I could think of. The stimulant laxatives didn't seem to work, but saline or osmotic laxatives did. Anyway, after much research I suspected that I must have SIBO. The methane dominant variety of SIBO. I went to a gastro who tested me for it, and sure enough I tested positive.

I have been on Rifaxamin and Metronidazole for four days, and I see only a slight reduction in bloating but my bowels are still inactive, although I seem to have a lot of gas. I am supposed to take Resolor for two months after I finish with the antibiotics to keep the motility going. I tried one two days ago out of desperation, and it was fantastic - I had a complete cleanse, and couldn't believe how much the bloating went away after that. I felt the peristaltic motion again, which was wonderful - at least my intestines are no longer fully paralyzed! I didn't take it again yesterday, or today (every SIBO treatment protocol mentions to start a prokinetic after antibiotic therapy, and so I am afraid that if I take it now it may inhibit the efficacy of the antibiotics, like push them out of the small intestine too soon) and haven't had a bowel movement and a bit of the bloating came back - it isn't as bad, but it is certainly there. Will I ever go back to how I was before?? Will I always have to take Resolor? How and why did this terrible constipation come on so suddenly? Can you suddenly develop IBS C, and have it for life?


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