# how will I know if SIBO comes back



## laineyk (Jul 3, 2013)

Here's the long and short of it. I was 1st diagnosed with H-pylori back in April after having endoscopy with biopsy. Took PrevPak for 14 days and waited a month to retest by stool sample. That came back negative.

Still sick as ever. Had HBT (hydrogen breath test) positive for SIBO...took Biaxin for 10 days in July. still sick as ever.

had another breath test done on the 15th of this month and it was negative?!? GI says its IBS...ok so its IBS, same symptoms that I had with SIBO and H-pylori.

So how am I to ever know if SIBO comes back?

my symptoms are long so get ready..

1. Belching and flatulence

2. Bloating like I'm 6 months pregnant

3. Pain and nausea

4. stomach noises so loud you can hear them in the next room

5. Dizzy feeling/off balanced

6. lethargy

7. ANXIETY really bad

shall I go on?, because I could







any help would be greatly appreciated


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## rmiller1985 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi laineyk,

I'd say to see if your symptoms come back, but since they never left, I guess that won't work. 

How were the breath tests administered, and what did the results look like? For mine, I drank a solution with lactulose, which is a better test for distal SIBO; it can also be done with glucose, but since that's generally absorbed quickly (whereas lactulose can't be absorbed at all), it really only tests for proximal SIBO (higher up the pipe). In my case, my gastroenterologist said the result was borderline -- but based on my great success on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I believe now that the borderline result was actually very positive for me.

In any case, unless there's no way the second test could have provided a false negative, I'd suspect that the SIBO is still hanging around somewhere in the pipe. Based on my experience, I think diet is the best approach to treat it, as most of what I've read about antibiotic treatment tends to show recurrence as a common problem. I'm swearing by the SCD at this point, but there are other alternatives out there.

Cheers,

Rich

Lifetime wonky gut

2 months SCD

http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com


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## laineyk (Jul 3, 2013)

what about the FODMAP diet? that's what I was told to follow. I will look into SCD. I had the lactulose 1st time and my numbers went to 88 by 90 minutes.

This time I drank something different, could it possibly been a false negative? hmmmmmm. I know my GI will not order another test, he says its all IBS now


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## rmiller1985 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi laineyk,

Personally, I think you should find out from your doctor if the second test was the same as the first test. If it wasn't, it's impossible to say with certainty that whatever caused the original positive is no longer in play.

In terms of diet, the low-FODMAP diet and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet are similar, but approach the problem from different angles. The low-FODMAP diet limits simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates that tend to ferment in the gastrointestinal tract. The SCD allows simple carbohydrates, but eliminates ALL complex carbohydrates, because complex carbohydrates are generally not broken down into simple carbohydrates completely in those with compromised gut function, and when these undigested carbohydrates make their way further along the pipe they cause problems.

In my case, I'm fairly certain that my gut function was substantially compromised early on by overuse of antibiotics and other factors, and that an operation a couple of years ago left me with substantial gut dysbiosis (the good bacteria and bad bacteria are all out of whack). While I think the low-FODMAP approach may have helped somewhat, I doubt that it would have succeeded the way the SCD has so far; of course, I'll never know for sure, but that's the way it seems to me.

Every body is different, so the low-FODMAP approach may be a good approach for you, or the SCD might be the best way to go, or something else entirely might be going on with your diet (e.g., food allergies or sensitivities). The only way to find out for sure is to pick an approach, stick to it rigorously, and see what happens.

Cheers,

Rich

Lifetime wonky gut

2 months SCD

http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com


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