# SIBO - leaky gut Xifaxan treatment



## newuser22 (Jan 2, 2016)

Hi there,

I have a long story of more than 3 years. I will sum it up - I have been suffering from gut problems for almost 2 years. A functional med doc did a breath test, diagnosed me with hydrogen gas producing SIBO, no methane. The cause behind it was tremendous psychological stress.

my symptoms -

1. gut distension, my gut is ballooned, tender flappy pillow, especially lower small intestine area, sluggish. inflamed (possibly).

2. irregular bowl moment, incomplete bowl emptying. it takes two or three attempts one or two hours apart to be complete.

3. no diarrhea, I had it in the beginning, but I have been taking so many supplements and probiotics that diarrhea isn't the case anymore. thought the gut is still broken.

4. body's stress response has become hyper. stress induced bowl movements. any uncertain situation, a new event, doesn't have to be any threatening at all. simple stuff like going airport catching a flight. or going out on weekend nights, triggers bowl discomfort and bladder pain

5. biggest misery for me is - bladder. I have frequent urination, any liquid i drink is turned quickly into urine, and on average 300ml my bladder is full and starts pain and discomfort. normal bladder capacity is 500 ml. but for me as soon as my bladder fills with some urine it starts paining. I have to rush, there is no stopping or ability to control. just nagging constant irritation as urine fills in bladder. when I empty bladder, all pain is gone, and I am all normal till bladder fills up again.

6. leaky gut, I am diagnosed with leaky gut too

7. food intolerance, indigestion

8. immune is weak

9. gas but not excess

10. dead libido, poor erection

11. another big trouble is - Brain - poor memory, poor concentration, poor comprehension, poor motivation. feels like my IQ dropped by 20 points. making many memory and cognitive mistakes.

12. Next big one - hair loss, hair thinning, follicles shrunk

my new doctor gave me 15 days 550mg 3x day xifaxan. I completed 10 days today. I am not taking any probiotics any more, since my gut have good set bacteria already since I took them for long time.

I have to say there is tiny improvement. immune is improved, but I dunno what to expect - I still have distension, still have bowl regularity problems and still have the bladder problem. I have had no side effects from xifaxan, its like nothing is happening,

My question - have anyone had similar story? especially bladder trouble, brain, hair loss symptoms? has anyone cured after xifaxan?

any guidance is appreciated.


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## Hatemybowels! (Apr 3, 2016)

Did you do the breath test to have SIBO diagnosed? From what I've heard diarrhea is common with SIBO but you said you haven't had that which is why I asked about the breath test. Could it just be that you're super stressed? Also regarding the bladder issues, I'm no doctor but I have a friend who has Interstitial Cystitis and he experiences the same bladder symptoms you mentioned. You have to have a Urologist do a bladder scope to rule out other things to actually diagnose Interstitial Cystitis though. Sorry I'm not much help but just wanted to give you my thoughts. Hope you're better soon!


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## newuser22 (Jan 2, 2016)

Hatemybowels! said:


> Did you do the breath test to have SIBO diagnosed? From what I've heard diarrhea is common with SIBO but you said you haven't had that which is why I asked about the breath test. Could it just be that you're super stressed? Also regarding the bladder issues, I'm no doctor but I have a friend who has Interstitial Cystitis and he experiences the same bladder symptoms you mentioned. You have to have a Urologist do a bladder scope to rule out other things to actually diagnose Interstitial Cystitis though. Sorry I'm not much help but just wanted to give you my thoughts. Hope you're better soon!


No, I don't have IC. I went to a urologist, did cystoscopy. Bladder lining is intact. My bladder trouble is from outside, nerves, inflammation may be.


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## Hatemybowels! (Apr 3, 2016)

I just read your first post again and saw that you did have a breath test. I'm sorry I missed that! You may want to ask your doc about taking probiotics again because antibiotics wreak havoc on the good bacteria on your gut and you don't want that. Have you had a colonoscopy to rule out other things such as inflammation?


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## kenvh (May 16, 2015)

newuser22. sorry to say. But it is Interstitial cystitis for sure.

I too have sibo + IC. The IC came after my IBS.

I see many many people create IC when having IBS.

The thing is: a urologist cant diagnose properly.. bcoz they cant see the lining of the bladder.

I had the same thing.. They did a scope and lining was "intact" they sayed.

WRONG.

U only can see lining if they do a hydrodistention.

They fill ur bladder when u are a sleep on operation table.

They fileld it up to 700ml.. hydrodistented.

then they can see cracks or defect lining.

Even then my diagnose was not IC ! they didnt see a crack..

Now here it comes!! .. I also asked the urologist for taking a BIOPSY.

The urologist was sure it wasnt IC wich is inflammation.

The pathalogist looked at the biopsy and he found: MILD GRADE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION IN TISSUES. (eosinophils infiltrates mixed with inflammation).

so even they didnt see cracks or lining defects.. there can be inflammation INSIDE of the tissue.

Here is a quick test to see if u really have IC... very simple!!..

When u have a good bladder day.. U can fuck this up in 10 minutes.

U just drink A LOT of alcohol and coca cola.

alcohol is best. Because it irritates the lining and inflammation even more.

U will get pain or urgency as hell.

If u have everytime increased symptoms by drinking alcohol.. u have IC. Its that simple.

And my opinion.. In reading ur symptoms. U are 100% positive for IC.

now the good new: FIX UR GUT.. will fix the bladder too ! so U must be focused on the gut


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

Hi, I'm having the exact same problem as the OP, each and every 1-12 points he's listed, no more no less. I have just been diagnosed with SIBO, considering the OP has the exact same issues as I do, I'd presume SIBO is the root cause to the problem. Can anyone shed anymore light on this problem the OP mentioned as I myself am searching for a long term solution.


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

If Xifaxan isn't doing anything then even if you have SIBO, it is likely not the cause of your problems.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

MaxR said:


> Hi, I'm having the exact same problem as the OP, each and every 1-12 points he's listed, no more no less. I have just been diagnosed with SIBO, considering the OP has the exact same issues as I do, I'd presume SIBO is the root cause to the problem. Can anyone shed anymore light on this problem the OP mentioned as I myself am searching for a long term solution.


I think it would be wise for you research as much about SIBO as you can. You're going to have to put in work to learn all the details about your condition and how to prevent it.

I recommend siboinfo.com, fixyourgut.com, and also any information by Chris Kresser (google).

There are also lots of threads about SIBO on this forum so start researching!


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

Thankyou for your response.

Just wondering if there are any other stories with SIBO and bladder issues? I have looked on this forum and can't seem to find any apart from OP.

Haven't tried Xifaxan yet, I've been asked to do the SCD Diet first.

I have Low Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Folate along with SIBO.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

MaxR said:


> Thankyou for your response.
> 
> Just wondering if there are any other stories with SIBO and bladder issues? I have looked on this forum and can't seem to find any apart from OP.
> 
> ...


A lot of people with bowel issues experience frequent urination, myself included.

There are several possible reasons for this. One is that the bladder has extra pressure on it from the bloated intestines (due to SIBO or other bowel issues). Another reason, and the one that I believe is true for me, is that the pathogenic bacteria in your intestines produce unwanted toxic byproducts from their fermentation of food, which are then excreted through the urine. Because you have an overgrowth of bacteria, there is a lot of toxic byproduct to be excreted. I believe an at-home test for this is consuming a fiber supplement. When I consume extra fiber, I urinate much more frequently due to the fermentation of the fiber by pathogenic bacteria.


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

PD85 said:


> A lot of people with bowel issues experience frequent urination, myself included.
> 
> There are several possible reasons for this. One is that the bladder has extra pressure on it from the bloated intestines (due to SIBO or other bowel issues). Another reason, and the one that I believe is true for me, is that the pathogenic bacteria in your intestines produce unwanted toxic byproducts from their fermentation of food, which are then excreted through the urine. Because you have an overgrowth of bacteria, there is a lot of toxic byproduct to be excreted. I believe an at-home test for this is consuming a fiber supplement. When I consume extra fiber, I urinate much more frequently due to the fermentation of the fiber by pathogenic bacteria.


I can certainly relate to what you've explained to my own experiences. This is very helpful information. Thankyou


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## BellZack (Jan 21, 2017)

How can I tell if I have SIBO? Or is it just IBS? Could I possibly have both?


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## Missi (Mar 28, 2015)

BellZack said:


> How can I tell if I have SIBO? Or is it just IBS? Could I possibly have both?


There are specific tests for SIBO. There is no actual test for IBS and it is diagnosed only by ruling out everything else.


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

Just a quick update:

In the past few months I've tested positive for both candida albicans and sibo.

My doctor has given a months course of diflucan, we should hopefully work our way into xifaxan in the next few weeks.

I've currently been taking diflucan for the past four days. I can defiantly say i feel an improvement. The bladder irritation / spasms have lessened, it seems like they were coming from a candida overgrowth in the colon / bowel.

The only issues i'm currently having is the usual bloating, lower abdominal cramping, bladder pressure etc... which must be originating from the small intestine (where the sibo is located funnily enough!).

Unfortunately Diflucan is an anti-fungal, therefore sibo will be left untouched for the time being.


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## MaxR (Jan 9, 2017)

Bump


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

It could be that the fungal overgrowth is creating an environment that supports the bacterial overgrowth as well, or vice versa. Getting rid of one might cure the other.


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