# Is it IBS or SIBO? A possible fix to IBS!



## DrLiz (Aug 4, 2011)

I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with IBS-C about 3 years ago. I went to the GI, had a colonoscopy, and because that was negative my diagnosis of IBS started. Is IBS a loose diagnosis that Doctors give because its easier to tell you something than nothing at all. At least with a diagnosis they can provide you a treatment, whether it works or not is another topic. I wasn't satisfied with having an "IBS" diagnosis followed by "Sorry, we really don't know what IBS is, what causes it or how to treat it." So I started reading. I just graduated medical school so I own every textbook known to man. My symptoms included: severity was always worse in the evening, severe bloating and gas would inflate my abdomen in minutes, lots of gurgling stomach noises, smelly gas, pain, and discomfort. Amitiza just wasn't working anymore. Time to do some research! There was a study done and published in the American journal of gastroenterology in 2000 titled "Eradication of Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth reduces symptoms of IBS." Wow!!!! I hit the jackpot! I moved on to my pathology book and it was right in front of me. IBS is the result of a system that just went all wrong. There are so many factors to your digestion and gi tract that when one thing goes wrong (especially without returning back to normal within a certain time frame) everything else goes wrong. While the two have similar symptoms, SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) has a few unique ones. Do you suffer from bad breath, borborygmus (gurgling sounds from abdomen), acid reflux, vitamin deficiency (especially Vit B12 and iron), and joint pain? That's just to name a few. Has your doctor ever performed a breath test? Probably not, mine didn't. I've been battling this for so long my B12 levels have dropped to a dangerous level. While SIBO has an easier treatment with a antibiotic regime, it is very important to control your diet. Bacteria thrive on sugar, therefore removing or limiting sugar in your diet (especially sweets) will help to relieve symptoms. There is information online regarding SIBO. Unfortunately IBS has become a much more popular and easier diagnosis leaving many people misdiagnosed. This is just a short write-up that I would happily expand on. Look forward to hearing from others.


----------



## Caitk1216 (Aug 4, 2011)

I have the exact same symptoms! My doctors are currently looking into what I may have and IBS keeps coming up. I'm always worse at night and my B12 levels are also low (not dangerously low, but enough for my doctor to notice). When you wrote about possibly restricting sugars in your diet, does that also include sugars found in fruits? I sometimes find that fruit makes my symptoms worse. Thanks!


----------



## DrLiz (Aug 4, 2011)

Well, that's a tricky question. While many sources claim fruit to be a culprit, many will say you can eat them. The reason being fresh fruits and vegetables are extremely healthy for you. Doctors rather see patients eat healthy food than junk food. So the pros outweigh the cons, unless you are the patient then you know better. At the end of the day you don't want the painful, bloated feeling. I find this great website filled with lots of info. Please take a look. www.siboinfo.com There are many links to outside sources with so much info. Bottom line is if you treat the over-population of bacteria in your gut (preferably with antibiotics) and control your diet you should be symptom free. One of the major contributors to bacterial overgrowth are medications for acid reflux. One book I would love to read is www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/book/the_book.htm It looks like it would paint the entire picture for you without driving you crazy. Personally, I think IBS is not a diagnosis. I think those with IBS have more sensitive bowels and if not controlled (by diet and more frequent bowel movements) will lead to worse symptoms because of bacterial overgrowth. It is all related and i think the problem is what came first, the chicken or the egg. There isn't much research focusing on conclusions for IBS because basically you can't die from it. Even though the statistics claim that there is a huge population affected by this, there isn't much incentive for new ideas. Hope this helps!


----------



## KevinClark (Jul 6, 2011)

Omg this sounds like me! Ridiculously like me. And see if it's just anti-biotics and diet to deal with it. You have no idea how happy I'd be!


----------



## DrLiz (Aug 4, 2011)

I think this sounds like a lot of people! Please look into it. For an article to be published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology it must be somewhat fluent in the entire pathophysiology of the disease. I actually haven't been treated with an antibiotic because this has been a recent discovery for me. My appointment is next week and I can't wait! Something I did try the other day, because my symptoms were so horrible, is I took OTC laxatives (the osmotic pills) and 2 days later I'm feeling pretty stable and comfortable. Not sure if this was a temporary fix for others too. My conclusion is the laxative forced much of the bacteria to leave my body with a bowel movement, but not enough to cure me. However, this is a quick fix because the bacteria should continue reproducing from the already excess that stayed within my gut. Please note laxative abuse or frequent use causes more harm than good and highly not recommended. But if anyone tries the laxative please post your results.


----------



## DrLiz (Aug 4, 2011)

Let me explain some more. Some of the symptoms I've experienced are bloating, abdominal pain, loud gurgling, joint pains, and Vit B12 deficiency.Food travels from your stomach to your small intestine. In the small intestine food is still very rich in vitamins and nutrients. Bacteria is necessary in your gut for many reasons, so not all bacteria is harmful. Bacteria feed on the food that passes through creating gas and toxins. When you have a bacterial overgrowth combined with a carbohydrate rich diet the end result is massive amounts of gas and toxins in your small intestine. Normally, gas escapes the body through diffusing into blood or escaping as flatulence. Between the small and large intestine is a valve, called the ileocecal valve, that does not allow all the gas to leave the the small intestine. Only so much can be diffused into the blood and the end result is bloating and distention. Now the B12 deficiency that has puzzled my doctors. B12 is absorbed in the last part of the small intestine known as the ileum. If you have an overgrowth of bacteria in the first half of your small intestine, the bacteria are eating all the B12 way before your body has any chance to absorb it. Leaving you with nothing.When the bacteria feed they release toxins and gas, known as byproducts. These by products diffuse into our blood and travel to many parts of our body. Some symptoms that seem so bizarre and unexplained can be the result of too many toxins accumulating. The list is pretty intense but includes joint pain, skin conditions, headaches, mood changes, and restless leg (just to name a few).After meals I felt as if I was having a conversation with my bowels, that's how loud they were. This is called borborygmus. Borborygmus is the rumbling or gurgling sound caused by the movement of gas in the intestine. So the more bloated you are the louder and longer the gurgling lasted. Hmmm. This makes sense now!The question is what started all these symptoms. I think they most common cause is lack of GI motility or bowel movement (aka constipation) followed by a diet rich in sugar and carbohydrates and use of antacids. Antacids encourage the growth of bacteria by decreasing the acidic environment allowing them to replicate. Please leave feeback!


----------



## DeniseH (Aug 8, 2011)

I don't neccesarily agree with the "antacid theory". I have been diagnosed with SIBO through a hydrogen breath test and I was never an antacid user. I did not really even have a rich carb or sugar diet. I am just unfortuneate enough to have this. I am currently being treated with antibiotics (second round because the first round didn't work) and then taking Align for the probiotic. I am also trying to control my diet with the foods I know can bother or exacerbate my symptoms. I just wish I felt better.


----------



## DrLiz (Aug 4, 2011)

You don't have to agree, but it is basic pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The body works as a system and if you alter the optimal pH level, it will cause unfavorable changes. This does not mean everyone who takes antacids will develop SIBO. It simply means that the pH change facilitates in the overgrowth of bacteria. To develop SIBO it is usually not one, but a few deviations to the normal physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. I hope the second round of antibiotics works for you!


----------



## Stevonymo (Aug 6, 2011)

That is most interesting to me as I have posted recently on my battles with IBS and how a friend who is a doctor of Chinese medicine took my PH level and concluded my body is running at acidic levels and that is why my balance is all out, the remedy is sodium bicarbonate 3 times per day. I have however visited my general western doctor and he has put me on itraconazole 100mg...The Chinese doctor said that yeast and bacteria will be running rampant in my intestines and that is what causes all my symptoms. I must say apart from a few twinges here and there I do feel a lot better already and I still have 3 days left of the tablets. I have done a week of sodium bicarbonate but it is very hard to take and tastes like s**t so I am just taking the tablets now.As a med student perhaps you could come up with something to kill this yeast/bacteria and so maybe help loads of people. Ijust know that apart from today I have had a great weekend with very few symptoms and just a few today.Hope this helps.


----------



## rosenberg (Oct 1, 2017)

DeniseH said:


> I don't neccesarily agree with the "antacid theory". I have been diagnosed with SIBO through a hydrogen breath test and I was never an antacid user. I did not really even have a rich carb or sugar diet. I am just unfortuneate enough to have this. I am currently being treated with antibiotics (second round because the first round didn't work) and then taking Align for the probiotic. I am also trying to control my diet with the foods I know can bother or exacerbate my symptoms. I just wish I felt better.


about 6 years late, but you probably have low stomach acid to begin with. (as we age, stomach acid levels decrease)


----------

