# 8 Years of SIBO Hell, Symptoms Are Now Improved 95%



## bananbean

Hi,

I joined this group because I feel I need to "give back" and share what has been the biggest help in recovering from SIBO. Every now and again I'll have a difficult digestive day but for the most part am 95% of the way to fully healing. I have yet to meet anyone who can say they rid SIBO 100%. I'll keep my story brief and at the bottom provide what worked short term and long term.

I got a bad case of food poisoning which triggered the start of my SIBO (I'm not 100% convinced it wasn't the excessive overuse of stomach acid reducers). Don't use acid reducers, they do not do anything to help long term!! Pepto Bismol would provide short term relief, never long term.

After suffering for over a year with SIBO symptoms, not knowing what it was, I went on antibiotics for an unrelated issue. Surprisingly, my stomach condition disappeared. I thought I was out of the woods until slowly, the symptoms returned. Knowing the antibiotics helped, I got another round of them, sure enough my symptoms disappeared again. Hurray! Until they came back again, worse. My SIBO symptoms would keep me home many days with pain, horrible smelling gas and diarrhea. I will keep the story short but I became so desperate at one point for antibiotics (and couldn't get them prescribed) that I ordered them online - they came wrapped in a newspaper from India - was too scared to take them.

I had a number of various ailments besides the SIBO that led to me being in the hospital and eventually being able to see an Infectious Disease Doctor. She put me on cycling antibiotics for the SIBO at quadruple the normal doses. I would alternate them every two weeks in hopes the bacteria wouldn't become resistant. At this time I was taking Cipro, Tetracycline, Clyndomycin and Metronozidole.

After two years of being on antibiotics every day, my gut was a mess and my SIBO symptoms were there with a vengeance. I knew antibiotics wouldn't work for me long term and I began seeking every alternative treatment you could imagine. I was broke from medical treatments and unable to work full time at this point.

I tried everything you can imagine, anything I'd read about on forums and every diet plan. I went vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, blood-type, the Makers diet, gluten free, fructose free, specific-carbohydrate, etc&#8230; etc&#8230;. Juice fasts, water fasts, you name it, I was desperate to heal. I will save you the burden of every little thing I tried and every pill I took and offer a list of what actually made a HUGE difference in my healing.


Grapefruit Seed Extract - Over the Counter - I drank a large amount of this stuff, definitely helped with short term symptoms
Intestinal Formula #2 - from Dr. Schultz - www.herbdoc.com - Over the Counter - This stuff is a lifesaver (i'm not affiliated with the company) I was taking 50-100 pills of this stuff every day for over two years. It did not heal me but provided a huge relief from the horrible gas
HCL with Betaine Tables - Over the Counter
Ultimate Aloe Vera Juice - I found not any aloe works. This stuff has the laxative effect taken out, it's only from the inner leaf and VERY effective. I still drink a cap a day to keep symptoms at bay. Helped me big time with inflammation as well. I order from shop.com/RAOL (a non-profit gets a % of the sales)
Isotonic Magnesium - My gut was so messed up, I started taking the Isotonic forms of vitamins and minerals. I've since read magnesium and calcium deficiency is increasingly being studied for SIBO. I also take the Isotonic Calcium, B Complex and Vitamin D. My depression, insomnia, anxiety also improved. I also get this from www.shop.com/raol

There's a couple other things that provided relief but these are by far my top 5 and believe me I did it all! I really hope this information helps someone out there!


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## UmarKhan1994

Hi bananbean

I want to get checked too for sibo cause i also got IBS after long term use of PPI's . The shocking part is that my ibs also goes away completely when i take antibiotics like flagyl and augmentin but after few days they reappear. I would soon get checked for sibo !


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## minimalizer

I'd be careful about taking antibiotics or antibiotic herbs before hearing this about Rifaximin's difference and what his theory is about what is too much in abundance causing SIBO as well..www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARaEnKQIPTo


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