IBS and CFIDS and SIBO all related? You bet!

[Guest guest]

Hi Everybody,

As well as struggling with Candida overgrowth I have been also struggling

with something called SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth). It's my

pet subject as it's relatively new and there's not much information out

there on it. I've been struggling with SIBO for as long as I've had the

Candida problem.

Anyway, I just stumbled on some nice newish information about it and I

thought it would be interesting to Candida sufferers too because, well, I

happen to think that the imbalance aspect of our problems makes these things

all very much related and, hey, you can't have too much information now can

you?

The thing I found is a paper by Thorne research. The paper seems pretty well

documented and discusses, among other things, the use of peppermint oil in

fighting bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine -- something that

causes smelly gas in addition to all the other wonderful symptoms we're all

so used to. I've had a recent return of the smelly gas (darn! I thought I

was done with that part!) and that's what led me to do another search for

info on SIBO and that's how I found this paper. I'm glad to see more stuff

come out on the subject.

What I extended into my reading of this article was that many of the other

antimicrobial oils and substances would probably do just as well as

peppermint oil in their tests and surveys. And most, I simply liked seeing a

discussion of this particular condition in print. As I mentioned it's a

rather newly identified condition and these doctors say in this paper that

IBS, CFIDS and SIBO are all related.Those are all my things! My little

family of messes.

Anyhoo, it's worth a look see and I'd like to hear what you think?

<http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/7-5/peppermint_oil.pdf>

http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/7-5/peppermint_oil.pdf

~Robin

Ps. For more information on what exactly SIBO is you can check out

www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/ internet/digestive-health/ZaidelArticle.pdf

[Guest guest]

Hi Robin.

Many thanks for the links to the excellent articles on SIBO and the use of

enteric-coated peppermint oil.

Your information was most timely. My gastroenterologist has just started to

investigate the possibility that I have SIBO, so I was just about to begin

my research on SIBO and the connection with IBS etc. You've given me quite

a head-start on my research.

I'll have to investigate enteric-coated peppermint oil. I haven't been able

to tolerate mint or peppermint since my gastric problems began a year ago

(my stomach rebels instantly), but perhaps if I try the enteric-coated

version I can get the peppermint past my stomach and into the intestines

where it will do some good.

I'm currently on a course of Xifaxan (rifaximin), a fairly new antibiotic

that targets the small intestine and stays there (doesn't get into the

bloodstream). It's been much easier on my gut and my body than most

antibiotics; don't know if it will actually help if I have a SIBO though.

Naturally I'm pouring in the probiotics to counter the Xifaxan (well, as

much as my body will tolerate)... So far, so good!

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Kim M.

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

6 months ago was when I started with antibiotics for SIBO (Small Intestinal

Bacterial Overgrowth.) I felt relief within a few days. Some of my worst

(most unsociable!) side effects at the time were super smelly gas that

occurred almost immediately after I ate most anything. I hope you read the

article called Uninvited Guests. That's where the " founders " of the

condition describe the illness and treatment in greater detail. Their

treatment, which I followed to a T, was to take the antibiotics while

simultaneously fasting (2-3 weeks!) on medical " elemental diet " food to

starve the bacteria (same principle that Elaine Gottschall uses in her

Specific Carbohydrate Diet but more severe.) I used " Vivonex Plus " which I

can't recommend due to the aspartame in the flavor packs. I'd do it

differently if I had to do it again. Anyway, these doctors suggest 2-3 weeks

of elemental diet that essentially enables one to " fast " while consuming

enough calories to run your basic metabolism so your body doesn't go into

survival mode. It also supplies a lot of glutamine and enables your colon to

repair and rebuild its microvilli while you're " resting " from food.

It was the longest 3 weeks of my life!! So boring and strange. But I

completely eliminated the miserable symptoms of SIBO. My digestion was

perfect after that -- better than before I was ever sick. But I gained a new

problem -- I was totally wasted. No energy. Depressed. And that's when I

first learned about Candida. By eradicating so much bacteria and feeding on

a 'hummingbird diet " I'd created a full blown case of candiasis..

So of course I'm not recommending any of this crazy diet stuff but mention

it because it is part of the usual protocol for eradicating the bacteria

from the small intestine and I wondered if your doctor mentioned any of it?

Also I know that all this use of antibiotics opens a can of worms but I've

found when it comes to a bad bacterial infection and one's flora is so far

out of balance, the selective use of antibiotics have gotten me back on

track. (I know that many folks will disagree with there.) Anyway, I've used

them and then scurried to pick up the pieces in terms of excellent diet and

tons of fermented foods and probiotics.

I realize that this discussion might getting too far off from the subject of

the Candida diet we try to keep to here on this board but the Candida

subject can't help but go hand in hand with the subject of bacteria. For

those of us who have bad bacterial infections as well as Candida it's a

little bit more tricky to do what we all recommend here which is diet as

well as use of natural antifungals. Maybe it's my imagination but in my

case, opportunistic bad bacteria sure seem to multiply and take over a lot

faster than any good bacteria and Candida put together.

We all have similar but ultimately quite different problems; For example

Candida is a problem for me but it's never been as big a problem for me as

infections by opportunistic bad bacteria. In fact, as I said earlier, my

Candida problem came on as a result of treating the bad bacteria with

antibiotics and a sugary medical food. Even after my ulcer a year ago I

didn't feel any signs of Candida overgrowth -- it was always about bacteria

and IBS until I took that medical food.

And as long as talking this way here I'd like to add that I think that's why

I think if you have bacterial infections as well as Candida it's definitely

better to keep off the antifungals. I think you need your body to be as

strong overall as possible. If you try to solve your Candida problem by

killing Candida, one of the three things that are in balance in your gut,

one of the other two things is going to quickly fill in the void. And my

good bacteria don't seem to be in as big a rush as my bad bacteria to fill

that void. I hope that makes sense: when I kill off Candida I worry that my

bad bacteria will multiply into that space faster than will my good bacteria

and that's why I want to, overall, make as healthy a body as I possibly can

and slowly but surely get my digestive flora into balance.

It's all about finding the balance of attack that works for you. Since

you're so good, Kim, about following the Candida diet I'll bet you can keep

from letting your Candida get a " leg up " during this whole affair. Let us

know how you do!

~Robin

Ps. I just remembered that you said you were consuming lots of probiotics. I

think that while you're taking antibiotics it's best to take the probiotics

at the farthest time away from the antibiotics. Otherwise you'll just be

creating more work for the antibiotics and the action of " warring bacteria "

might make things more uncomfortable than they need to be...

[Guest guest]

Dear Kim,

Robin had a lot of good information for you. I just want to add one

thing. When I had severe h. pylori I went to a naturopath who uses a

number of tools (accupressure, herbology, homeopathics, etc.). At

the time I had been to emergency twice in a week, was in severe pain,

and had been losing my stomach contents for a week. I was in very

very rough shape.

I was scheduled for the camera down the throat but he recommended I

not do it. He said it would take longer, but he could help me cure

h. pylori without antibiotics. I had all 3 treatments above. I took

a herb combination that was designed to kill the h. pylori, which it

did (I had to start on a very very low dose and gradually increase

it - 1/4 of a capsule). I couldn't tell you what was in it, but you

might consider seeing a herbologist (sp?) or even a Chinese doctor or

naturopath. No matter what kind of bacteria/bugs you may have I'm

sure there are natural products that can get rid of them. After all

all medical drugs are either derived from plants or synthetically

mimic their healing properties.

I hope that helps Kim.

Warm regards,

Bee