# Herbs and/or antibiotics for IBS?



## thislittlebluebird (Jan 5, 2018)

I'm a 23 year old female and been suffering with IBS symptoms for over 5 years now. I've been on this bad cycle of having to take a 10 day course of Metronidazole at least once a year since I was 19 to get my gut kind of together. It works for a while, but then then suddenly after 6 months + of taking the antibiotic my bad IBS symptoms flare up again (diarrhea, no appetite and inability to eat do to a strange feeling in my abdomen).

I have been diagnosed with Candida overgrowth and bacterial imbalance through a functional doctor (regular doctors found nothing, I was at the hospital 4 years ago due to loosing so much weight and not being able to eat at all and I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy, all sorts of blood tests and X-rays and parasite tests done and they all came out clean). The thing that saved me back then was taking the 10 days of metronidazole, however even with that my symptoms never fully went away and they keep coming back. The problem is also that I have bad yeast issues and antibiotics really make that worse.

I have been going to a functional doctor to solve my gut issues for the last few years and I was recently put on a herbal protocol to help with both candida and bacterial imbalances/potential parasites (consisting of a herbal antibiotic/antifugal). I was doing pretty well on the protocol for the last 5 weeks, but recently started to develop bad IBS symptoms again (diarrhea and complete lack of appetite). So now I'm in a situation where I am about to start a new term of college next week and I have to get my shit together (literally). I'm not sure if I should go on the metronidazole AGAIN and make my yeast issues worse or just hope that the herbal antibiotics/antifungals help. I haven't been able to eat properly in almost a week now and am worried :/

Does anyone have experiences with a similar situation? Thanks so much for any responses! I was very exited about the herbal route but my symptoms are coming back? Should I go on the metronidazole and then go back to the herbals?


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## ♧Pandora☆ (Jun 23, 2017)

Hi, if your with a functional doctor (is that a functional medicine practitioner ?)

They should have you on a plan that covers all your root causes.

What exact tests did your functional doctor do ?


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## thislittlebluebird (Jan 5, 2018)

♧Pandora☆ said:


> Hi, if your with a functional doctor (is that a functional medicine practitioner ?)
> 
> They should have you on a plan that covers all your root causes.
> 
> What exact tests did your functional doctor do ?


I have the Genova GI Map (stool sample) and it didn't show any specific parasites etc, just an imbalance in bacteria (too much e.coli and other bad stuff and too little of the good ones even though I take probiotics daily) and that I had candida overgrowth.

I'm just scared since I'm having bad GI symptoms again even after being on the herbal antiparasitics/antifungals... Metronidazole has been the only thing to save me from the bad flare ups so far, but I'm afraid I will grow resistant to it over the years. Also it's not good to be taking an antibiotic to maintain a condition and my candida gets worse after I'm on it. So far I've had no choice though, I can't eat and function so I have to take the metronidazole. I'm taking saccharomyces boulardii to avoid candida and other probiotics with many strains to ease the side-effects of killing of all the bacteria.

I'm in a bit of a loss, my functional lab tests didn't show any major parasites etc. and the herbs randomly stopped working. I just feel like there is something in my gut that just won't die and keeps resurfacing.


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## ♧Pandora☆ (Jun 23, 2017)

I had a food intolerance test. As i had Gut fermentation syndrome. Foods i was intolerant to kept fermenting so it wouldn't of mattered what drugs or supps i took if i kept eating foods i was intolerant to. Symptoms would of just kept coming back due to food fermenting.

Have you considered intolerance test or has your functional doc mentioned it ?

He should have covered all root causes and know when to take you off supps or put you on them etc

Do you have a lifestyle that helps your own good bacteria to thrive ? Filtered water, no yeast etc, no chemicals in foods or personal products etc.


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