# IBS-C with Abdominal Distension, SIBO Treatment Questions



## Zelda (Feb 21, 2012)

I have been sick with severe abdominal distension and bloating. Just to clarify, the distension is different from the bloating in that the latter happens after eating, but the distension remains 24/7. It makes it hard to bend or turn. In fact, it has been distended for a couple months, even after colonoscopy prep. After weeks of testing (CT scans, colonoscopy, endoscopy), my doctor decided to treat me for SIBO. I am not a candidate for Neomycin because I am hearing impaired. Rifamixin (Xifanax) was also an option, but he decided to try me on Metronidazole (250 mg 3x daily). Has anyone gone this route before who has had this persistent distension, with antibiotic treatment? If so, what antibiotics were used (dosage and duration if you recall, and type)?What I really want to know is if your distension went away or improved? If so, how long did it take after starting treatment?


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## paraAdrian (Nov 5, 2010)

In my story I have distension 24/7 just like you but I've been having It since 2008 and sometimes I just feel as time goes by It just gets worse. Doctors have done all type of test on me and everything comes back negative so they don't know what else to do with me . I wish I knew what makes It better but nothing I tried works so lets see If someone could give us both a good advice In this forum , good luck


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I have SIBO, which was diagnosed via hydrogen breath test. If your doctor really thinks you may have SIBO this test is worth a shot.I've been on rifaximin several times for SIBO and noticed improvement quickly (within 48 hours) in all but one time I took the drug... I think everyone is different though and I had diarrhea SIBO, not constipation, so this may not be helpful for what you're going through.


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## Zelda (Feb 21, 2012)

faze action said:


> I have SIBO, which was diagnosed via hydrogen breath test. If your doctor really thinks you may have SIBO this test is worth a shot.I've been on rifaximin several times for SIBO and noticed improvement quickly (within 48 hours) in all but one time I took the drug... I think everyone is different though and I had diarrhea SIBO, not constipation, so this may not be helpful for what you're going through.


I am on metronidazole, which seems to be helping in a number of ways. Had very normal BM the first two mornings after I started treatment for the first time in months. I got carried away in what I ate that 2nd day and I seemed to have taken a slight step back. But, I'm on day 5 now. Since yesterday, I noticed that I could turn and bend easier, even though I don't see a visible change yet. It feels, internally, like swelling is going down. I need to follow the SIBO diet. http://www.siboinfo.com/diet.htmlI'll try to report back in a few days with any changes - good or bad for the benefit of others.


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## Zelda (Feb 21, 2012)

paraAdrian said:


> In my story I have distension 24/7 just like you but I've been having It since 2008 and sometimes I just feel as time goes by It just gets worse. Doctors have done all type of test on me and everything comes back negative so they don't know what else to do with me . I wish I knew what makes It better but nothing I tried works so lets see If someone could give us both a good advice In this forum , good luck


Call one of these numbers and see if they can find a doctor in your area who understand IBS in the context of SIBO http://www.siboinfo.com/finding-a-doctor.html


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## Zelda (Feb 21, 2012)

I want to add that I did not have a breath test done. I have been on medical with such severe symptoms, the doctor felt there was enough evidence to treat me empirically to see if there would be a change. This was also based on my telling him that any time he put me on lower doses (100 mg daily) of flagyl when my inhalers and steroids left me with candida in esophagus, my BM's improved whether diarrhea or constipation. Consider that I had not had a normal bowel movement for months (narrow, feeling that peristalsis was not happening properly with pain sensations all along instestinal tract). He now has me on 250 mg 3x daily. The first thing I noticed after the 2nd dose was what felt like proper movement in my intestines. Now, the movement is not even noticeable (for the first time in months). It's just... moving. It's still slow, there are still some sensations and pain, but nothing like what it was. Also, for the benefit of other readers, I had done some research on magnesium deficiency and constipation. Before taking any magnesium supplement, you must know, through bloodwork that your kidneys are working right because taking magnesium with poor kidney function is not good. It's cleared by the kidneys. My bloodwork was fine and my doctor approved of my taking Magnesium Chloride (Magnesium Oxide has a much greater laxative effect and very little is absorbed by the body). Magnesium Citrate (one brand is CALM) is good, but it requires the right amount of stomach acid in order to absorb. This is not the case with magnesium chloride. I use the brand by Cardiovascular Research http://www.swansonvitamins.com/CRR008/ItemDetail?SourceCode=INTL405&CAWELAID=523230724 Most Americans are magnesium deficient and don't know it. Research magnesium deficiency and note that anyone taking antiacids is likely to be even more magensium deficient. It only shows up in the blood when it has reached a critically low point - bad enough to cause a crisis and hospitalization. What happens is that because the heart needs it in the blood, the body robs it from tissue to get it. That results in a number of problems including constipation, intestinal spasms and motility problems. Magnesium relaxes the smooth intestinal walls. The first thing I noticed when I took a teaspoon in a glass of water was how soothing it felt (and do eat something first). I may make a separate post on what I've learned about magensium deficiency, but google it along with IBS and see what comes up. Again, I would discourage anyone who has not had kidney blood work from just arbitrarily taking it. Stay away from formulas that use Magnesium Oxide (i.e., Phillips). One teaspoon of Magnesium Chloride from that bottle provides 133 mg of "elemental magnesium" (useable or bioavailable). You need at least 400 per day, but if deficient, you need even more. I do know people who use the brand CALM which is Magnesium Citrate. It might help to eat a salad with vinegar or take it with some other acidic food. One more thing - any time you add a magnesium source, do it on a day when you don't have to go anywhere - LOL. And, start out small and work your way up. With CALM, I would recommend starting with just a half-teaspoon to see how you respond and work your way up to the larger dose. If you do it at night, you will find yourself getting a restful sleep.


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## timgermain (Mar 15, 2012)

Zelda said: "Consider that I had not had a normal bowel movement for months (narrow, feeling that peristalsis was not happening properly with pain sensations all along instestinal tract). He now has me on 250 mg 3x daily. The first thing I noticed after the 2nd dose was what felt like proper movement in my intestines. Now, the movement is not even noticeable (for the first time in months). It's just... moving. It's still slow, there are still some sensations and pain, but nothing like what it was."This is literally the EXACT same sensation I had when taking my Pylera. After my Pylera treatment, I had that sensation that my GI tract was simply moving... just working... I wasn't thinking about it, nor was there pain. About 3 months after having great digestion, I got strep throat. I was given 10 days of penicillin and it has brought back ALL of my SIBO symptoms. Flagyl worked really well on my body... and penicillin caused it to revert. There is NOTHING that could have caused my GI tract to revert back to its SIBO days besides the Penicillin I took... nothing. I am going to beg my doc to give me another course of flagyl and see what happens. He is hesitant considering how many abx i've been on lately. Two courses in the last 4 months... but what the Pylera did was a miracle... a literal miracle. It was nice to read that Zelda, it made SO much sense to me. Exactly how I described what I went through... everything was just moving... and when my SIBO is bad... my intestines are sluggish, painful, slow, consiptated, PAINFUL... did i mention painful? Painful... stabbing pains... pangs of sharp pain throughout the entire tract. And now... I am back at sqare one... I need me some flagyl !


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