I have worked with hundreds of SIBO clients and talked to even more SIBO sufferers via social media. I often see the same mistakes over and over again. I know how frustrating it can be to invest lots of time, energy and money into SIBO treatments that don’t work! I went through some soul crushing disappointments when I had SIBO. I went into protocols with enthusiasm and hope, only to be let down hard when I made no progress. I…
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When I was at the peak of my SIBO journey, I ate, drank and breathed my SIBO diagnosis. My thoughts were consumed by what I was going to eat next, what health podcasts I was going to listen to at work or debating on whether I should try the new trendy supplement that Barb in the SIBO Forum was talking about. In some respects, it makes sense that I was consumed by my SIBO diagnosis. It felt as though this…
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Nutrient deficiencies are an epidemic in the SIBO world. The connection is recognized, but many times unaddressed. Instead, the focus is on clearing and starving the SIBO and less on ensuring optimal nutrient status. And yes, you do need to clear the SIBO to be able to digest and absorb nutrients properly. But, addressing nutrient status is still critical for healing. There are three main reasons those with SIBO can start to become deficient in many nutrients. First, the SIBO…
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The Low FODMAP and other low fermentable fiber diets are often considered the go to approaches for SIBO and IBS sufferers. The theory behind the low FODMAP diet is to reduce fermentable fibers that gut bacteria can eat. High FODMAP foods are fermented in the gut and this breakdown of fiber can cause increases in gas production that can lead to symptoms seen in IBS and SIBO. But while these diets may help reduce symptoms at first, they should not…
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It can feel overwhelming to reintroduce foods you have avoided for months and sometimes even years. Mentally, you may worry that you are going to react when you add in a former trigger food. Physically, you may experience symptoms when you try to add foods back in. These hurdles can leave you feeling stuck on a restrictive diet that comes with its own stresses and may not be supplying you with the nutrients that you need. As my grandma always…
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Histamine intolerance is really common in SIBO sufferers. Histamine is a chemical released by our body’s immune system in response to an injury, infection or foreign substance in the body. Histamine kicks off an inflammatory response that helps increase blood flow and white blood cells to infected or injured areas of the body. When your immune system is functioning optimally, histamine can be helpful. But, histamine becomes a problem child when your immune system becomes dysregulated. A good example of…
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When I was diagnosed with SIBO 5 years ago, I was put on an herbal regimen to clear the bacteria overgrowing in the small intestines. I was also put on a very restrictive diet to starve the overgrowth. Symptomatically, I felt a bit better while I was treating the SIBO, but I still did not feel great. After 5 weeks on the herbs, I told my functional practitioner at the time that I was still bloated. He told me that…
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When I had SIBO, I remember bringing a bag full of supplements into my new functional medicine doc to show her what I was taking. I was probably taking around 15 supplements at that time. It was definitely expensive and time consuming to keep up with all my supplements. But, I was willing to spend what ever I needed to get well. The problem was that I had no idea if the supplements I was taking were helping me. But,…
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When my SIBO was at its worst, my skin was a complete DISASTER! I had horrible chronic cystic acne around my chin and mouth. To make matters worse, I also had very delayed healing. I knew if a new blemish popped up that it was going to stick around for a while. My skin also became very dry and sensitive to soaps/lotions. Pre-gut issues I had very normal skin and only had the occasional blemish that would go away in…
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Many of my clients report “die off” reactions to antimicrobials or even probiotics. Die off or herxheimer reactions are nasty flu like symptoms that you can experience when large numbers of microbes are killed off. When microbes die, they can bust apart and leave your system overloaded with microbial toxins and byproducts that can make you feel worse when you start treating the overgrowth. Many SIBO sufferers celebrate their die-off reactions because they believe it means that they are effectively…
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