# New here: candida and possibly SIBO



## MadEmX (Jul 3, 2014)

Hi everyone,

I have been struggling with digestive issues for 1.5 years. I have been seeing a naturopath and I tested positive for candida (stool and blood test). I have been on an anti-candida diet for over a year and took antifungals and probiotics. I still have lower belly swelling even when I am not feeding the yeast. I suspect sibo, but I don't have any other symptoms (other than food intolerances). Is there a reliable test for sibo? What are the common and not so common symptoms?

Thanks!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Two tests for SIBO.

1. hydrogen breath test. You drink a sugar that can get to the colon in any human and they measure the hydrogen (and sometimes methane as well) in your breath. Getting a peak too early (while still in the small intestine) is indicative of SIBO.

2. Endoscopy where they retrieve a sample from the small intestine and culture it to see if there is any bacteria in it.

You really can't tell the bloating, flatulence, constipation (if methane) or diarrhea from IBS. If you have had part of your small intestine operated on or some other severe illnesses which have been classically linked to SIBO before IBS was you may have a more severe form that can mess up nutrient absorption so could have inexplicable weight loss or things like anemia even when you eat well enough to avoid it.

Although sometimes timing can differentiate, if you get the bloating 2 hours after a meal when the gas starts forming in the small intestine rather than bloating right after eating (which is from the stomach triggering the GI tract in the response to eating) or 3-6 hours later when the gas starts forming in the large intestine that might be a hint.

FWIW, the bacteria generally eat the same things naturopaths say the Candida eat, so not sure how much you could be eating that feeds the bacteria.


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## Ariell (Jul 3, 2014)

My daughter has IBS symptoms, and hers seem just like all the SIBO I have read of. She had a serious surgery at birth to remove a small piece of the lower illium. She is now 5 but her food sensitivities and rashes are now blown to very high mold and respiratory problems + rashes.

She has had one stool test by DNA probe... it did not say Candida, but some other unidentifiable yeast, to which the Gastroenterologist said was just normal because "we all have yeast"

Will post her story shortly.......


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Talking to people that do the SIBO tests it can be really hard to tell just by symptoms alone if someone has SIBO or not. Often they guess wrong based on the symptom history when comparing it to test results.

Which is why I usually think testing before just dumping antibiotics into the intestines "in case" it is SIBO is worthwhile.


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